The Importance of Staying Connected

By Deborah Rutter 

In our connected, always-on world, it’s easy to assume that there is internet everywhere and cell phone service is always available. This is especially true if you’re coming from a larger metropolitan area. But staying connected here in central Virginia might not be as easy as you think. Dropped calls, poor or no cell service is common, and lack of high-speed internet is normal in some areas. If you’re a buyer who doesn’t care about those things, or are looking for a slower-paced life, it might be a perfect excuse to unplug, but if you’re like many with busy work lives, kids in school, or just want to download movies on-demand, it can be a challenge.  How do you explore your options to be sure you don’t make a purchasing decision you regret once you find out what’s lacking? Here are some tips:

Cell Service:  Your carrier in your old place might have provided great service and coverage. But here? Maybe not so much. Each cell carrier has areas of strength and weakness when it comes to coverage. If you’ve eliminated your land line in favor of cell-only service and want to keep it that way, you need to check your cell coverage. When you’re looking at properties, be sure you cell is with you, and charged, so you can keep track of where the dead-spots are.  Alternatively, you may have great coverage at your house, but your commute into town might lack service. Check your signal strength several times to be sure those 4-bars weren’t a fluke. Most carrier websites have maps of coverage that are quite detailed, but those are ever-changing as new cell towers are erected. The best way to measure cell-phone coverage is to be on the ground.  Be sure to check inside the house…great coverage at the end-of-the-driveway-only isn’t practical.

For some buyers, a land-line is a must. Poor cell service might be ok, but only if you have a land-line too.  These are crucial for emergencies, when seconds count and getting through the first time is a priority.

Staying Connected - Nest Realty

Internet Service:  If you’re used to movies-on-demand with online services like Netflix or Amazon Prime, need a lot of quick upload and download speeds for at-home work or school projects, or can’t be saddled with limited-use monthly maximums for data, choosing a property with the right kind of internet service needs to be a priority. In a number of locations in central Virginia, high-speed internet is not available. Much of the region is rural and not served by the big companies that provide internet services. The time to find that out is before you buy, not after.

Asking the seller what they have already at the property is a good first-start. If sellers already are using the same kinds of services you are used to or want yourself, great! But don’t also assume their needs with regard to speed and volume will necessarily match yours.  Once you have determined the service is available, call the provider directly and ask what the available packages and options are to be sure your needs can be met.

DSL: This is a digital subscriber line, and comes through your phone lines. But even if you have a land-line, don’t assume that you have a DSL option, too. In many locations, this is not available.

Cable: This internet service comes through cable television lines, which means that if cable TV isn’t available, neither is cable/broadband internet.  Be sure you are making a distinction between, “the seller doesn’t have cable” and “cable is not available.” Many locations have these services, but the seller isn’t using them and they may report that they are not available, when they really are.

Satellite: This is the slowest, most unreliable, data-stingy of internet options. In some areas, it’s the only option available, and while you can check email and send documents, the speeds with satellite service are too slow for online movie-watching, even with the fastest computers. Satellite services also come with monthly-maximums for uploading and downloading, and once you reach those, service is throttled back to turtle-slow speeds.  While DLS and cable providers also slow down users, it’s usually much, much sooner with satellite providers. 

Staying Connected - Nest Realty

Television Service:  A lot of the same rules for internet service apply to television service.  Cable service is not available everywhere, and for many, satellite is the only option. Satellite is easily impacted by rain, storms and cloud cover, and outages are not uncommon. If you’re addicted to your sports channels and can’t fathom missing a game, give this some thought. If you own a flat-screen, internet-ready, fully-loaded television, some of those features may not be available depending on the location of your new home.

Your buyer agent can help you figure this out.  Explain what you need, what your concerns are and then formulate a plan to be sure the homes that make your short-list meet your needs before you write an offer.

Happy surfing.

Deborah Rutter is an Associate Broker at Nest Realty with passion for teaching. She knows buyers and sellers make the smartest decisions for themselves when they are armed with data and insight. She has taught first-time homebuyer education classes, and is a featured contributor on our blog. Check back for insights and advice or contact Deborah directly to discuss your buying or selling needs. 

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One Response to “The Importance of Staying Connected”

  • Janet rutter

    Written on

    What an excellent article ! I can relate to most of those issues very well. M

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