Relocating to reading - Torn between 2 houses/areas & if price is right, would love your insight

[planner10]

Hi there

We are considering putting in an offer on a house and are considering 2 - one on Tilehurst road (reading side of reading west station) and one on Shenstone Road. We love them both - Tilehurst has bigger proportions though.

I’d really appreciate your help with any advice you can give!!

I have an 18 yo daughter and my other half will commute to Canary Wharf a couple of days a week. We’re from London and prefer being closer to the town centre than the suburbs or a village. It’s also important that it’s as safe as can be (at least relative to London) when travelling back at night.

Babies may be in our future but ovaries don’t agree so not necessarily tied to schools but don’t want to completely rule it out.

Also thoughts on prices as I don’t know the local market too well. Thanks!!

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-93078635.html

Tilehurst Road, Reading
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-92879144.html

Thank you so much!!

Both are beautiful and I have total property envy. Buy them both, you live in one, I'll rent the other off you.

I haven't lived in Reading for quite a while, but at the time I lived there I wouldn't have bought in the area of the Tilehurst Road house. Rough as old boots round there.

I live just the other side of West Reading station and walk past the Tilehurst Road house on my way to the vets. It is a very mixed area with little oasis like Brunswick and Western Roads (almost a Cornwall seaside village vibe to the little houses).

Oxford Road has a cafe, restaurant or supermarket from practically every nationality on the planet; is vibrant and lively. Local prostitutes have been known to hang out at the bottom of Western Elm Road by the doctor's surgery. In the morning there are a couple of trains that run straight through to Paddington from Reading West and there are excelllent bus services on both the Oxfordd and Tilehurst Roads. I love my part of Reading BUT....
The Shenstone Road property is in a much more "middle class" part of town. Not such immediate transport links but there is a 24/7 bus that runs from the University into town down Northumberland Avenue.

I have only lived in Reading for 3 years but I do know there are other posters here from the Town. In general I think it is a great place to live. Lots of history, 7 theatres. good shops including independents and amazing transport links to everywhere!

I know nothing but I love them both esp. the floor tiles in the 4 bed and the corner windows in the 3 bed. No help!

I don’t know the area but purely on house, I would go for the non tile house road one. It looks in better condition and has a nicer look to it.

The 'University Area' is the naice bit of Reading.

Is this one too small? It's in a prime location.
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-92598095.html

Thank you so much for all your replies!!! I love them both too, that’s part of the problem it’s really helpful to get an insight into the area! I’m so worried about making the wrong decision!

Our budget is max £400k, would love to spend only about £350k but if we want Tilehurst, we have to spend about £400k to secure it. I do worry it’s a bit of a money pit and whether it will hold any value as it doesn’t sound like it’s a very desirable area despite the house being quite large.

Argh!!

Also meant to say - diversity is important to us as we’re a mixed family.

Fourquenelles - have you found it easy to integrate and make friends? Thanks for your really detailed reply, hugely appreciated 😊

No staircase to the loft in the first house would put me off.

Expensive and a total pain in the arse to have put in.

@planner10 I live in one of the roads of terraced house off the Oxford Road that form part of the Elm Lodge "estate" - built in the late 1880s. My road is very mixed, We have people who were born in the road 70 odd years ago, people who have lived here for over 40 years, young families, professional couples, retired incomers like me. Polish families, Jamaican families, Muslim families from Somalia and Pakistan (the Islamic Centre is just at the end of my road). My neighbours are fabulous - very friendly and we all look out for each other especially in current times but not in a claustrophobic way. I really do feel blessed.

In broader terms, it has taken me a couple of years to develop a social life that suits me (which is now on hold thanks to CV-19). Initially I joined the History Society and the Civic Society. I am also a member of volunteer run Progress Theatre at The Mount (near the 2nd house you are interested in) and the Witt Morgan chorus (can't sing but it doesn't matter!). Pre CV-19 it was possible to get almost anywhere in Reading by bus for an all day £4 ticket.

I have no regretted the move here at all.

I would avoid any housing near the oxford road personally. But that's just me. Whilst full of businesses and amenities its not somewhere I'd be happy to live.

I know nothing about the area at all. On pictures alone I prefer the feel of the first one.

My sister lives near the Tilehurst house. Does it have it's own parking as can be a nightmare around there. My sister is trying to move as they round a knife in front garden and she doesn't feel safe.

I worked in a school off the Oxford Road for two years and, likewise, I wouldn't choose to live by there.

There is diversity and then there is needing to step round groups of people rough sleeping, people openly taking drugs on the doorsteps of houses and prostitutes advertising themselves on the curbs.

I know you don't need it just now, but the primary schools in the area OK. Prospect Academy not so much.

Yes Oxford Road has a reputation and it was rough but the area has changed with the promise of cross rail pushing house prices up.

The downside includes beggars outside the huge Tesco Extra and there is a dealer in my road - the police are aware and working on getting a conviction with the public's help.

In the three years I have lived here we have had an armed seige above the chemist, a knife fight in the next road with injuries but no fatalities and a drunk climbing on to the roof of a nail bar shouting about MI5 cover ups. It is inner city not suburbia.

Despite the above my road has a number of residents who have lived here very happily for 40 plus years.

Having said all of that the University area is where I'd go for if I had the money.

What fourquenelles said. I’ve lived in Reading 30 years. The first house is near a big Morrison’s and a retail park. Easy to get to station and M4. There are nice walks/cycle routes along the Kennet, and Waterloo Meadows nearby is a wetland nature reserve. There are local shops and takeaways of many nationalities, and close to the uni. There may be some traffic noise from the A33.
Oxford road area definitely has a bit of a rep.

Yeah the first area by a mile. Especially with a teenager. Oxford road area that close to town is really not a good place to be. The first is close to university to good diversity.

I live in Reading and had friends that lived in Shenstone road a couple of years ago and I remember what a nice community feel there was to it. It's easy to get to town and the train station from there on foot or by bus and close to out of town shops like Morrison's, Aldi, B&M etc. That road is also close to a small local high street with take aways, charity shops, newsagents etc. There's a nice park not far away called Cintra which is a lovely green space in what is a very urban area. You would also be close to junction 11 of the M4 which is great if you're in and out by car. I know my friends moved out of that area because the primary school options weren't great, perhaps not a problem for you but in the future if you're looking to sell might be worth thinking about. I don't know much about Tilehurst so couldn't fairly comment on that area but would agree with other posters who have said the traffic on that side of town can be a challenge and in comparison it's a long way to walk into town on foot. The Oxford Road also has a reputation for heavy traffic and doesn't always feel the safest when I have been there. I live in East Reading in the Palmer Park area in a Victorian semi not dissimilar to that one you like in Shenstone road and would recommend you look at houses around there too. It's close to Junction 10 of M4, close to the river, easy walk to town, lots of good amenities / shops / pubs at Cemetery Junction / Wokingham Road, an out of town Aldi and M&S Foodhall and a quick drive to less rural areas like Sonning and Wargrave etc. The primary and comprehensive schools around here are good and there's plenty of choice where we're on the boarder of Wokingham Borough Council so Woodley and Earley all close by. Good luck, it's hard to find the right home in the best of times!

Tilehurst looks like a nightmare for parking. For that reason alone, the other one wins, and it looks much nicer in other ways too.

Streetview suggests fast traffic and a speed camera right outside the Tilehurst Road one, which even without knowing anything about the general rep of the area would rule it right out for me. Even if the area comes up or doesn't bother future buyers, the road probably would.

I'd be worried about the 'bonus loft room' on the first one - sounds like no building regs etc in place ime.

The Tilehurst Road one is showing sold subject to contract.

Personally I'd rather live in east than west Reading. So much easier to get to everywhere and I prefer the community feel in east than west. University area is so much nicer and Oxford Road area has some grim areas.

I wouldn't be worried about the loft room. The regs is the reason it's not being marketed as a 4-bed (and costing more accordingly) so it's not like anyone's pulling a fast one. It's a boarded loft which can be a handy extra room if OP wants to use it, knowing the drawbacks. Or just used for storage if not, like any loft. Of itself, it's not a risk, and OP can get it checked out during the survey or by a builder if there's any concerns that it was a dodgy job.

Thanks everyone for all your input. It’s been really helpful to get some insider views, and has also massively reassured us about the move.

Yup we were outbid on the Tilehurst house - basically went for asking price and we didn’t think it was worth that much based on a number of factors (including what next door went for and it had the same footprint!). It’s a shame. But equally, your comments helped to keep us focused and not overbid.

We’re still looking - the other house is a strong contender but has some drawbacks for us. We’re going to view a few more and then either will bid for the other house or we’ll have found something better. We’re going to concentrate more on the university area.

I may come back to you for thoughts if that’s ok if we find something but it’s not in one of the areas we’ve you guys have already described. Thank you again, I really can’t emphasise how helpful you’ve been!