properties in Reading for single person

want2bmortgage3

Is it me or for a town the size of Reading, it seems there is a lack of affordable studio/1 bedroom properties, which are modern, and in a nice quiet location?

There are loads of 3/4 bed houses here but doesn't seem to be much for the non-family, non-kids single person.

If anyone lives in or knows the area maybe they could enlighten me of such properties or maybe I need to look elsewhere??

Fire_Fox

One bedroom or studio flats are cram 'em in sell 'em cheap sort of affairs, if they are in a quiet area the land/ building for conversion is massively more expensive, leaving the finished article priced out of the reach of people who can only afford a one bedroom or studio flat. If people have more money to spend they buy a two bedroom house. Move up north.

want2bmortgage3

that makes sense and explains why. think i need to find a partner, and somebody who would consider moving away! prices just too high here for a not so great area, imo.

jjlandlord

It seems to me that there are quite a few small flats around the town centre.
There are also flats along the Thames, which may be a quieter area.

Nice areas in Reading are expensive anyway because these are easily commutable from central London.

Fire_Fox

Just up sticks and move, I did it in six weeks a few years ago - had a flat to come to but no job or college course! :eek: Madness but worth it.

want2bmortgage3

good on you fire fox, i admire people who take chances like you have. so did you move on your own and away from family/friends? was it solely due to the house prices? sorry for all the questions i am just interested as i said i respect what you've done and like the idea of doing it myself!

Fire_Fox

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

good on you fire fox, i admire people who take chances like you have. so did you move on your own and away from family/friends? was it solely due to the house prices? sorry for all the questions i am just interested as i said i respect what you've done and like the idea of doing it myself!

Away from all my friends but close to my (retired) parents, it was an accident tho I thought I might move in the future. I already owned my flat as a BTL, got served two months notice to quit on our cheap shared house in the south, the following week my tenant served his one months notice to quit .... by the time I got home from the supermarket I'd decided to up sticks! :rotfl: I bought the BTL up here in the first place due to not being able to afford a shoebox in the south, mainly relocated because I knew I couldn't afford full market rent down there. So crazy prices played a role but circumstances forced my hand.

I honestly recommend getting out of the rat race if you are more organised and sensible than I was, get a job first even if it's minimum wage or temping or whatever you can live on. One temporary job on your CV is not the end of the world. Not sure how old you are but there are plenty of university cities like Leeds which is not the cheapest but loads to do and loads of new faces to meet. Good public transport in many cities up here, some because of students some because the poorer folks don't run cars!

Locals are much friendlier in many parts of the north, I even have a couple of pubs I can go into on my own (am female, NEVER do that in the south) because I know the regulars and bar staff well enough. The perception is that southerners are standoffish or snobby but if you smile and chat to them they will chat back and look after you. So far no crime even tho it is a deprived city, I left my purse on the bus seat once and it was handed in!! :T

Sorry bit waffley. Ask away if you don't mind more waffle.

Strapped

Are there any nice areas in Reading? :whistle:

slopemaster

want2bmortgage3 wrote: »

Is it me or for a town the size of Reading, it seems there is a lack of affordable studio/1 bedroom properties, which are modern, and in a nice quiet location?
?

Yes there is a lack of that sort of thing.
I ended up buying a 2-bed terrace, as most of the 1-bed flats were so grim and overpriced.
The uni area is nice and leafy - but also pretty expensive.
The flats in period houses are particularly expensive, and the new build stuff tends to be in the worst areas.
One solution could be a refurbished place in one of the 1960s to 1990s blocks. (But watch out for length of lease as many were originally 99 years.)
Some of these are in good locations and not so expensive - eg Queen's Lawns, Mansell court, Leighton court.
Studios in Crescent Court go for under £100 000 eg
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-38349563.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Fmap.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E694546%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26minBedrooms%3D0%26maxBedrooms%3D2%26displayPropertyType%3Dflats%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dflats%26radius%3D1.0%23_includeSSTC%3Don%26auction%3Dfalse%26displayPropertyType%3Dflats%26locationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E694546%26maxBedrooms%3D2%26minBedrooms%3D0%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dflats%26previousSearchLocation%3DRG1%25205QR%26radius%3D1.0%26searchLocation%3DRG1%25205QR%26searchType%3DSALE%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26useLocationIdentifier%3Dfalse%26box%3D-0.96379%2C-0.93504%2C51.44235%2C51.45176%26popupPropertyId%3D38349563%26mapType%3DMap&fromMap=true
In spite of being such an ugly block this is in a very good area.

But yes, you would get a lot more for your money in the Midlands or North, or even in some other parts of the south. Reading is 25 min from London on the train.

slopemaster

Also this block
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-38783750.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Fmap.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E694546%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26minBedrooms%3D0%26maxBedrooms%3D2%26displayPropertyType%3Dflats%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dflats%26radius%3D1.0%23_includeSSTC%3Don%26auction%3Dfalse%26displayPropertyType%3Dflats%26locationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E694546%26maxBedrooms%3D2%26minBedrooms%3D0%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dflats%26previousSearchLocation%3DRG1%25205QR%26radius%3D1.0%26searchLocation%3DRG1%25205QR%26searchType%3DSALE%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26useLocationIdentifier%3Dfalse%26box%3D-0.95163%2C-0.93725%2C51.44836%2C51.45307%26popupPropertyId%3D38783750%26mapType%3DMap&fromMap=true

slopemaster

But really, this sort of thing (which is more a 2-person sort of place) seems much better value
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-35588938.html?backListLink=%2Fproperty-for-sale%2Fmap.html%3FlocationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E694546%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26minBedrooms%3D0%26maxBedrooms%3D2%26displayPropertyType%3Dflats%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dflats%26radius%3D1.0%23_includeSSTC%3Don%26auction%3Dfalse%26displayPropertyType%3Dhouses%26locationIdentifier%3DPOSTCODE%255E694546%26maxBedrooms%3D2%26minBedrooms%3D2%26oldDisplayPropertyType%3Dhouses%26previousSearchLocation%3DRG1%25205QR%26radius%3D3.0%26searchLocation%3DRG1%25205QR%26searchType%3DSALE%26sortByPriceDescending%3Dfalse%26useLocationIdentifier%3Dfalse%26box%3D-0.95229%2C-0.92354%2C51.44149%2C51.45090%26popupPropertyId%3D35588938%26mapType%3DMap&fromMap=true