The town of Bracknell is situated 11 miles southeast of Reading, and just 3.5 miles from Wokingham. It has an interesting history, having originally been little more than a single street with a few shops. In the late 1940s, however, it was designated a 'New Town', as part of plans to alleviate the housing crisis caused by World War II. Development efforts have been steady ever since, and today it's home to more than 80,000 people.
Why move to Bracknell?
A number of factors contribute to Bracknell's popularity among homebuyers. For one, it offers everything its residents could need – shops, restaurants, pubs and other amenities are all available, with more popping up regularly.
You also have easy access to larger towns and cities nearby, with Bracknell railway station sitting conveniently on the London Waterloo-Reading line. As discussed in more detail below, the town offers relatively good value when compared with some of the towns and villages nearby.
Before you jump straight into searching, though, it'll help to know what the market there is like at present.
Something for everyone
There are plenty of options to consider, whatever it is you're looking for. At time of writing, there are 574 homes up for sale, with a healthy mix of types, sizes and prices.
In fact, the selection is pretty balanced, with all categories well represented. The biggest proportion is made up of detached homes (163), although semi-detached (160) closely follows. You then have 132 flats, with the rest terraced houses.
Sizes vary too, with three-bed homes making up the biggest portion (196). There are, however, plenty of two-beds (153) and four-beds (136) to consider as well. The rest are split pretty evenly between one-beds and larger five-bed properties.
Property prices in Bracknell
So where do you stand financially in Bracknell's property market? Well, again, it's pretty balanced. The most populated price bracket is £300,000 – £400,000, comprising 169 homes at present. There are 125 priced between £500,000 and £1 million, 110 in the £400,000 to £500,000 group, and 102 available for between £200,000 and £300,000. You will also find smaller numbers below £200,000 and above the million-pound mark if those fit your budget better.
Based on sales over the past year, Bracknell has an average property price of £326,126, although this changes between different types of home. Terraced houses, for example, sold for an average price of £284,867, while detached homes went for £505,927.
Compared with other areas
Bracknell offers great value when you compare it to some of the towns nearby, so it might well be worth considering if price is a major priority.
Crowthorne and Wokingham are both more expensive, offering average prices of £438,266 and £434,518 respectively. In Warfield, just north of Bracknell, you can expect to pay around £406,014, according to Rightmove.
The rental market in Bracknell
If you'd like to move to Bracknell but aren't yet ready to buy, you're still in luck, as the town does have an active rental market.
According to home.co.uk, there are currently 287 properties available to rent in the town, if you include house-share rooms. The biggest portion have two-bedrooms, although there are homes of all sizes up for grabs.
The average cost of renting in Bracknell is £1,571 pcm, although this obviously changes for larger and smaller properties. It's expensive when compared with the rest of the UK, which, when you don't include London, has an average price of just £744. Just be aware that you do tend to get what you pay for, and Bracknell is a great place to be!
If you're considering Bracknell as a potential new home and would like to know more, get in touch with our friendly team today.