Bracknell - anyone live there? Should I move there?

[NewSlinkymalinki]

Hello

We're trying to buy a house in the Berkshire area. I don't know Bracknell at all, but it seems to be the only place we can afford a 3 bedroom house. Does anyone live there, what's it like for families, and are there any areas we should definitely avoid??

Thanks

[NewSlinkymalinki]

bump

[MissChief]

don't know it well, but live near. It's got good facilities, I think and lovely countryside around. The town itself is not very beautiful though, depends what you're after. Have you also checked out Maidenhead/Ascot/Reading? Prefer them personally..Maidenhead's great for kids, got the river, loads of shops/cafes and not too expensive.

[Milliways]

We looked at Bracknell many years ago, good & bad areas like anywhere, but we ended up in Tilehurst (Reading). 3 houses later still in Tilehurst - which also has good & bad areas but does have affordable prices (compared to BRacknell) in some nice areas. Just be careful over school catchments as the schools vary dramatically.

[Milliways]

We are 30 mins on train from Paddington, few mins from M4 but also VERY close to Pangbourne, Sulham & lovely countryside (where we COULDN'T afford to live)

[handlemecarefully]

God it's awful - a bit like Slough.

Could you afford one of the smaller properties in Winkfield Row (between Ascot and Bracknell)?

[handlemecarefully]

Blimey - I've just checked. Prices have gone up a bit since I lived there....

(I bought a 3 bed detached there for £100K about 9 years ago, sold it 6 years ago)

[fattiemumma]

to be honest i dont know the area very well. all i know is that i used to work on the railways and NOBODY wanted to work at Bracknell station.

it was notorious for violence, thefts and allsorts of other typical thug like behaviour.

to be honest there are probably some nice areas and the kids that used to be horrible may have all been from one estate or something.

but hey if thats where you can afford i would look for ahouse you like then research the local schools etc. also try getting in touch with the local police station and ask for crime statistics, try and get a copy of the local paper ( preferrably for a few weeks) obviously you need to take it all with a pinch of salt as papers only report the big stuff but see how it weighs out. if its mostly positive then great.

[handlemecarefully]

Agree - it is dead rough fattiemuma

[lexiemum]

know Bracknell relatively well but for the life of me can't remember the area to avoid. if you have details infront of you, list the areas and I'll say yeh or ney.

we were in the same boat - had to move out of Oxford to buy a decent family sized home, we ended up on an estate in north oxon that historically has a bad reputation but to be honest 3 yrs here and its really not that bad.

still want to move back to reading area and will do one day but will have to downsize so waiting till have finished with all the big plastic toys!

Where have you looked in Reading? I would try tilehurst; woodley and whitley wood (there's no stamp duty here either!)

[myermay]

We live near Camberley and tbh Bracknell has a really rough reputation - don't whatever you do look at houses in Great Hollands. What about sandhurst/crowthorne/camberley. Recently when we were house hunting dp refused to even consider Bracknell and he was brought up on a rough estate. Good luck finding your house

[Tortington]

bracknell is a shit hole.

and the shopping centre is crap.

[notasheep]

I agree with custardo entirely

And traffic,roundabouts,traffic,roundabouts.

Last place i would live

[Tortington]

god yes - it took me a year to remember the right turn off for an estate i visit for work. every fucking time i went off at the wrong exit - down under the shopping precinct where there is a secret road camera fckers!

[alp]

custardo - the secret speed camera is the worst!! Bracknell is a dive, i live in sandhurst which is about 20 mins away and so much nicer but then again everywhere has good and bad places....but i would need to be paid to move there....sorry!
Sandhurst, Camberley, Binfield, Yateley,Crowthorne, are all really nice with good schools. Forest Park is an area just outisde of Bracknell where friends have been really happy

[galaxy]

Bracknell is horrible. 60's concrete shopping centre, ring road, roundabouts, huge council estate and not much to write home about.

If you're set on Berkshire, I'd go out towards Sandhurst or Wokingham. Or why not look at Hampshire...some lovely villages to the east of Basingstoke

[fattiemumma]

lol...and there was me trying to be nice about it

[alp]

if you want a 2 bed house next to a massive park/nature reserve in lovely sandhurst.....i've got one for sale

[cece]

Sunninghill is nice but expensive

[MissChief]

well, and there was me trying to be tactful ..
seriously though, Berks generally is expensive for decent areas and you've also got to consider aircraft noise. That's why I recommended Maidenhead - not characterful anymore unlike much more expensive Windsor - but it is generally civilised with good schools, facilities and more affordable housing. Check it out anyway - go to www.upmystreet.com for a profile, sch links, average housing costs etc

[MissChief]

oh meant E.Berks for aircraft noise, other parts fine..Maidenhead not much of a problem either..

[handlemecarefully]

Maidenhead is a sound suggestion...

[NewSlinkymalinki]

Hello

Thanks for the replies. I suppose I knew really what the answers were going to be like! I was just trying to see if there are any plus points... We are currently in rented accomodation in a fantastic location (in Berkshire), so to give that up just to be homeowners would be hard. Dd is on track to go to a great nursery here and really fantastic primary a few years down the line too.

Can't afford Maidenhead or Ascot. Reading is an idea, but makes the commute awful for DH. I always had the impression that Whitley Wood and Woodley were a bit rough (had a friend who used to live there).

I sound so pessimistic but I am very grateful for your advice.

[NewSlinkymalinki]

Alp - how much is your house??!

[gingernut]

Where does your dh have to commute to?

[alp]

oh oh oh!!! we've justed reduced it £199,950 erm what else shall i tell you.....sandhurst are tug-of-war world champions if you like living in a little place that has bizarre quirks!!