Maidenhead/furze platt

[Sim7]

Hi,

We have just bought a house in Maidenhead around the furze platt part, anyone know anything about the local area in more depth? Is it nice enough as it seemed nice when we went around but some people seem to think it can be a bit tough.

[OnceUponARainbow]

It is nice enough, especially around the St Marks area. The school is ok, seems well subscribed. Easy access to the countryside and nice walks along the river. Let me know if any specific questions, I live nearby.

[Sim7]

@OnceUponARainbow thank you we are buying near the furze platt station. The road itself is really nice but had a walk today and the roads next station are not so nice. And we can see they are building housing by the station. We are not so familiar with the area and hope we are buying In a nice enough part, is it safe around the Harrow lane area to let our daughter walk the dog go
To station etc?

[OnceUponARainbow]

I know where you mean and agree it is not the nicest part nearest the station. I don’t know that it is unsafe though. I would probably head in the opposite direction, over the road by the Esso garage into Linden Ave towards Oaken Grove and that area. I don’t think there are issues with the train line, I have gotten the train late at night and not felt safe on the train, although I use a different station for convenience. You are quite quickly on busier roads near the station though.

[SlipperyLizard]

I used to live round there many years ago (Oaken Grove), down past the station towards Cookham Road was where it felt rougher, around where the shops are, but not really rough, just rough for Maidenhead. Used to get the train every day to school with no problems.

[Springingintospring]

Maidenhead town centre is a bit of a dump but very nice places nearby - Cookham, Marlow, Windsor
Have fun exploring :)

[Sim7]

@OnceUponARainbow thank you for the advice, won’t lie having hesitation now about the offer. Can see they are building housing association properties around the station as well and we walked around the Queensway and Malvern road and didn’t get a feel for it.

[Sim7]

@SlipperyLizard that was also where we walked around Cookham road. Just worried the roads right near the station are a bit too rough.

[Sim7]

@Springingintospring those were our first choice and after 15 months of looking without any joy we have widened the search hence Maidenhead. Covid has really changed the market for us.

[HelpMeh]

It's OK. There's as many nice roads as there are rough roads. We're the opposite side of the park somewhere between Pinkneys Green which is ££££ and the Bomber Estate, which is not... Even if you buy in a nice road you don't have to go far to find yourself on a less nice one.

Maidenhead isn't an area I would ever have chosen myself but circumstances have dictated otherwise. We're currently trying to buy but prices have shot up ridiculously since covid. Early last year you could find a 4 bed semi for £475k. Now you're lucky to find one for £575k. It's insane.

We're renting right now, which is also extortionate.

[SlipperyLizard]

Is there a reason why you’d like to live round there (work?) - it is an expensive place to live, even more so than when I was growing up. How about Reading, Bracknell etc?

I couldn’t wait to leave Maidenhead to go to Uni, and it has gone downhill since I left (got family there still).

[OnceUponARainbow]

@sim7 sorry, post should have said I never felt UNsafe on the train, big difference! I would agree that it isn’t really rough around the station, just a bit rough for maidenhead if that makes sense. But as someone said, you are very quickly into nicer roads and also areas such as Cookham and Marlow. Why are you looking to move there, as others have said there are cheaper options, although I like the proximity to nice villages

[LillianGish]

It’s a nice enough place - not as pretty as Cookham or Marlow, but nicer than nearby Slough. Nowhere in Maidenhead is really rough. Also Crossrail is sending prices through the roof. I think your house will prove a good investment however long you decide to stay. If you’ve already bought, isn’t it a bit late to be asking what it’s like?

[Sim7]

@HelpMeh were lucky enough to stay with family and after 15 months of no luck in the villages around marlow Cookham Bourne end etc we widened our search.

[Sim7]

@SlipperyLizard widened the search as was not getting any houses in the areas we wanted without being out bid. Something had to change so we looked at a house in Maidenhead liked it offered and now realised that apart from that particular road the area surrounding is worrying us.

[Sim7]

@LillianGish it has just been accepted but we haven’t got solicitors yet. We did a walk and drive around yesterday and didn’t realise the roads nearby didn’t have a nice feel. Also seen today that housing association building flats by station which doesn’t sound positive.

[Sim7]

Thanks for all the advice honestly appreciated.

[Sim7]

@LillianGish also this house is in the £1m range hence questioning the area.

[LillianGish]

The £1m price tag doesn’t surprise me in the least - prices in Maidenhead have always been eyewateringly expensive for what is really a very average town and Crossrail is only adding to that.

[Sim7]

@LillianGish thanks was worried that price tag was paying over the odds due to covid and in a couple of years would lose on it. But reaching out has helped me understand the area better

[LillianGish]

I think buying a house in Maidenhead is a cast iron investment.

[OnceUponARainbow]

I’m sure you have looked thoroughly but I would have thought you could get somewhere pretty decent maybe in bourne end or similar for £1m.

[navb98]

Sorry to jump in here, this is really helpful. I was also looking around mossy vale, can anyone let me know what they think of this road please

[Sim7]

@SlipperyLizard we have been actively looking for over a year but not had any luck either out bid or priced out what we set out to get now seems unreachable as house prices have shot up.

[SlipperyLizard]

With that budget I’m surprised you can’t find something in a better location - do you need to take school catchment into account, or need to be near the train station?

[LillianGish]

What we set out to get now seems unreachable as house prices have shot up that's Maidenhead! It was the same when my family were buying 35 years ago - their house is now worth more than ten times what they paid for it (completely inaccessible someone of an equivalent income now). I've no idea what your requirements are or why you are moving there, but good schools (without the grammar school lottery you face over the river in Marlow or Bourne End) and great transport links (soon to be even better) are a large part of the attraction. Maidenhead itself is not much to write home about (riverside is pretty, but quite far from the town), but there are lovely places to visit round and about if you have car (and most people seem to have several).