Why is Reigate so expensive!

[nonwonderwoman]

I'm looking to move to Reigate as we live in one of the neighbouring towns. We love the area and the facilities there (probably why it's so expensive really), but by god it's so much more expensive there than in nearby places!
We live in a large house with off street parking, period features and decent garden, but for a similar house in Reigate it costs about £350k more than our house!
Just venting frustration really and any locals who may want to tell me it's worth it!

No not worth it, just moved out. Had enough of the bad train links, its become very overcrowded and not as chilled out as it used to be.

We use to live on one of the really popular roads, but parking was a pain. Everyone was extending, so without being dramatic, there was building work and skips going on everyday. We had two houses being worked on in front (major work) and one next to us. Then the council decided to redo the paving and it's chaos. We moved out just before as I couldn't have coped with the baby being woken up by all the comings / goings.

Traffic seems also to be heavier - more large trucks going through.

We now have a much better lifestyle outside of Reigate and the extra money saved is probably going on a holiday home.

That sounds like a lot of extra mortgage and tons of money in interest alone. Is it really that much better than your current location?

I've been thinking about Reigate too but have had the same concerns as you ^May*, specially about the trains. Do you mind me asking where you moved to?

Gah, bold fail - May

It's commuter-ville with some naice shops but traffic hell. I was born and bred in Redhill but moved north a fair few years ago. I'm always shocked when coming back home by the increase in traffic and new homes. One road in one road out. New housing has crippled the road network but the council couldn't care less. I am also shocked when I look at house prices. I could buy four houses where I live, and decent ones at that, compared to house prices in Reigate. My parents have a house in a surrounding village, nothing grand, but the value of it is crazy. I miss being close to my parents and walks in Priory Park with dogs but I would not move back for love nor money.

I live in Reigate and it is very nice however I would say it has changed at lot especially in the last 4-5 years.

There has been a massive influx of people moving out from London. They've made a fortune on their flats/houses in London, one couple I know made £1million and they can then afford/ have caused the massive increase in house prices.

Our house has more than doubled.in value since we bought 6 years ago, we've spent quite a bit on it but even still it's pretty ridiculous and we can't afford the next rung up.

School.places are very stressful but the Park is lovely and it is VERY middle class- new.range rovers are everywhere or so it seems and a lot of women spend their days strutting.round in their sweaty Betty gear.

Traffic is bad but then it is everywhere.

Commuting isn't great but then the whole.of the Southern network is terrible.

We think about moving elsewhere but other than Cobham area I don't think anywhere is as nice.

I lived in Reigate until I left school, would love to move back there, house prices are the same now as they are where I live in London, if not a bit higher, however I don't need to commute any more.

Just outside the town is cheaper, Woodhatch, South Park, and as you get nearer to Redhill, and there are the newer properties where the hospital used to be, also closer to Redhill for the train into Victoria.

Because it's Reigate. People made money on houses in London and then moved out to places like Reigate and pushed the prices up.

What's the Meadvale area like - up by Dunnotar school? I guess the other concern about Reigate is being able to get into a catchment of a school. There seems to be a few black spots (around meadvale and lesbourne area) where you couldn't get into any school for infants /juniors which seems crazy. What do people do then? Go private?

Because it's a desirable place to live OP. Just like you want to live there, so do many many more. And if people are willing to pay to live there then the prices go up.

I used to rent in Reigate. It was OK but I'd never live there again personally. For some reason it turned out to be the worst place I lived. And I can't work out why I didn't enjoy it as it's a nice town and I love visiting.

Out of interest, which town are you currently in?

Caterham on the Hill. We have a lovely period house here which I would be very sad to leave but there's not a lot of soul to the area. Bit bland and full of old people.

In comparison to C on the Hill it will seem pricey and snobby! Meadvale is fine but you need to keep to the area towards St Johns rather than Woodhatch. The roads adjacent to Dunottar are some of the more expensive in Reigate though.

I think you can probably afford most other towns in the area then. Reigate is a strange blip of high house prices. I would look nearby like you are thinking. I don't know much about Meadvale I'm afraid. When I rented I lived on Lesbourne Road and I wouldn't recommend it as it was quite noisy!

Chart Lane, Reigate, Surrey, RH2
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-64961822.html if I bought this house for example, which school would they get into?

You need to look at scc stats for the furthest distance admitted last year. It is local to Parish but they have religious criteria. Maybe Wray Common?

You maybe the parish but now that is all through the sibling numbers will probably rise which will affect distance. If you apply for a church place you should be OK though. More likely to get Dovers green and a bit of a stretch then for the Priory for year 3........but should be OK possibly on the waiting list
Good for reigate senior school though.

LIZS is there a problem with Woodhatch? Or just part of Meadvale?

If you stay on the side of Dovers Green Road road nearest Prices Lane there are some decent houses, close to the local shops and buses to Reigate and Redhill towns/Redhill station for London.

It depends on your pov. Woodhatch has a higher concentration of social housing and issues than much of rest of Reigate and the property there tends to be 1930s onwards , so not the traditional Reigate look which I think op is seeking, but good value as a result. Children living in Woodhatch area would tend to go to Dovers Green or Sandcross.

We moved the other way Reigate to Caterham and, unexpectedly, I much prefer it. Mainly because I live in a spacious house with large garden and off street parking which would be millions in Reigate. money saved goes on private schools, more holidays etc. Also it's much easier to get into London so i tend to go out there more now. Plus you can park easily for the supermarkets, get a seat in Costa, get your kids into Cubs and Brownies without being on a waiting list for 2 years, can get a GP appointment without too much trouble and can see your kids and hear yourself think in the playparks. All of these things were becoming a nightmare when i left Reigate about 5 years ago. I rarely go back, even though it's only a 15 mind drive as the overcrowding and difficulty parking does my head in. Caterham isn't quite as naice as you say, but it's improving and should be getting a facelift soon. I.dont find it souless though, the people I mix with are pretty similar to the people in Reigate.

Could you go to a property the same size? I'd only move there if i could afford same size property, but personally I don't think it's worth the extra few hundred thousand on a mortgage for what, a nice park and a more attractive high street - especially when you can just go there for the day anyway.

What about Oxted?

The social housing is on the other side of Dovers Green Road mainly, so not that close to the Prices Lane side, and I believe still some in South Park, at the end of Park lane East,( not far from the school, forget what it is called now as it changed some years ago). A few flats but they were never a problem.

There are bungalows in Woodhatch which have been traditionally occupied by older people but have become more popular for first time buyers. I saw one for sale recently that would be ideal for refurbishment.

I think there is a divide with Dovers Green Road in the middle, a shame as there are some lovely houses for sale on the side I wouldn't choose to live on. Used to back on to fields but not sure what is there now.

Reigate was always considered more elite and expensive than Redhill, and not so densely populated, it has retained character whereas Redhill has expanded as a shopping centre and of course, has the link to London and is closer to the hospital.

As an update we are hoping to complete on our house in Reigate at the end of August - near Lesbourne village way. Can't flipping wait!

We moved from Wandsworth Common to Redhill , near the Common. Initially , we were looking at Reigate but we found the commute to London would be too long. So we opted for Redhill. A new primary school opened near us (Hatchlands primary) and there is a large regeneration programme happening. I would highly recommend the areas of Redhill close to Reigate and the St John’s conservation area as well as roads such as Lynwood road

Lesbourne village? Is that a new development?

I often go back to Reigate and see how it has changed, but still retained character unlike Redhill which I always hated for the noise, the crowded shops and the lack of character, but had to go there to get a train.

Redhill of course was always cheaper in spite of the transport links.

I lived in Reigate for 8 years. Moved there for schools. Funnily enough my eldest didn't get into the local comp because we moved mid year, but ended up doing better at Warwick than her sister did who went to Reigate. After 8 years of living in a fucking shoebox I am ecstatic that we have finally moved 3 miles down the road to a much larger house. Still close enough to Reigate to do what we want there, but without the price tag. I notice the OP last posted over 2 years ago. Wonder what the outcome was for their family in Lesbo Road!

Where did you move to? I don’t think Reigate represent good value anymore. We wanted to move there but ended up finding an amazing huge Victorian house in Redhill for th same price as a standard terrace in Reigate, close to the common and 5 minutes to Redhill centre and walking distance to Reigate