Its not unusual for buyer behaviour here to mirror that of our friends in the UK. So if findings from a recent survey are anything to go by it wont be long before homebuyers here are putting superfast broadband speeds at the top of their house purchase wishlist.

A decent broadband connection – which, let's face it, isnt universally available in this country yet – has emerged ahead of off-street parking and access to local amenities as a deciding factor for British home buyers. Decent pubs and shops nearby are lower priorities, according to the study of 1,500 homebuyers carried out by broadbandchoices.co.uk.

One in 10 househunters said they had walked away from properties with poor internet connections, while one in five has checked broadband speeds when evaluating a home.