Area between Whitley and Centre of Reading - house link attached

[planner10]

Hi - thanks so much for your help so far - it’s helped me to zero in on location.

We wanted to focus on the university area but there’s a house we want to buy on this road. I’ve been told by the agents it’s not really the Uni area, but some have said it is fine around there - so id like to dig into it some more.

As I’m relocating, I’m so nervous about picking the wrong area! For us, we’d like to be pretty close to the town centre, but also for it to feel quite safe (coming from London with a late teens daughter).

Here’s the link to show exactly where it is

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

Also - the market is so bloody competitive here at the moment!! Everything seems to be going for asking price more or less!

Thank you!!

We're University area, on the other side of the campus to the property you've linked to (which looks lovely!)

I really like where we live and feel pretty safe down this side of East Reading, we have teenage girls and we're right on a bus route into town too, as well as within walking distance.

I don't know your part of town as well, but as you rightly point out it is Whitley and that is one of ther most deprived parts of Reading. I wouldn't choose to live there, but if you're not in need of schooling, then maybe the area won't be so important?

Having said all that, I would feel ok myself to walk back from town to your house in the evening, because it's mostly on main roads / direct route.

Have you looked at this house? In a nicer area IMHO.

The problem you might find is that if you're close to ther University then there will inevitably be rental properties and students - the usual noise impacts, but the housing stock can be really lovely in this area. And we have found there are lovely pockets of community in East Reading.

Or this house? The situation isn't perfect (opp a car park for some local shops, great haberdashery shop and bike shop), but it's possibly a bit cheaper and good for CoOp/Tesco/PO/pub and transport, close to a nice park.

@JaneR0chester thanks for your reply!! Yes we’ve looked at the one in the second link - it’s built like a HMO eg with heavy fire doors, kitchen falling apart, so we decided too much work. We’d have to replace everything, and immediately!

The first is not one we’ve seen but have spoken to the agent about, but we need a loft room ASAP to make the living arrangements work, and at the price we wouldn’t have enough to do it for at least a few years. Does look gorgeous though!

Having driven through Whitley, the house seems to be right on the outskirts of it or do I have it wrong?

I would prefer a house in the proper uni area though. Thanks, all this info helps

You're right, it is on the outskirts of Whitley. And to be fair, there will always be a mix of demographics in the areas around the University - larger & smaller houses turned into HMOs for students or professionals, and family homes.

We have friends in nearby Highgrove Street who have lived there happily for many years, so I wouldn't say it's strictly closer to Whitley = worse home.

I'm guessing you'll have seen this one on Blenheim Rd too?

There really doesn't seem to be much around at the moment :( Good luck with your hunt.

More towards the town centre than University, but a nice quiet set of roads.

Wow, if you could stretch to 450, this looks beautiful and right in the University area.

The one Jane linked to at 10:57 on Hamilton Road is definitely the nicest area. Good walking distance for uni & town.
Blenheim Road is ok

The house in your OP is nice, but the area really isn't the best, hence the price. It's a shame because I like the style of the houses around there.

Abbey (all ages) is a good/nice school if you've got girls & are considering private.

Unfortunately can’t go above £400k otherwise yes would definitely be looking at Hamilton Road!

Thanks for all your responses - food for thought 😊

Shenstone Road and the Elgar Road area are right on the edge of Whitley. I've got friends who live on Elgar Road and they are perfectly happy there. It's walking distance to town and not overly noisy or rough.
I guess the edge of what is considered the university area is the other side of Allcroft Road from Shenstone Road.
It's not the nicest part of Reading, but it's nowhere near the worst part either.
And I'd much rather live in one of those older houses with a bit of character than some soulless box in the middle of a housing estate.

There ‘s a three bed in Carnarvon Road in east Reading for 400k. I used to have a friend in that area and it was quite nice.

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-93078497.html

That's not Whitley, it's Katesgrove. It has a nice community feel there. I live in the other side of the university campus and have never felt unsafe in town or in the area between my home and town. Parts of Whitley have a poor reputation but nothing like some deprived areas of London.

Hello to all the other locals.

I'm the other side of the hospital (Cemetery Junction area) to the house you've linked to OP. Whitley outskirts are fine. Ive never felt anything but safe walking from university area to my home regardless of time of day.

Can't help on the area but the house in your OP looks like it only has a ladder up to the loft room?

If Whitley is one of the more deprived areas then that doesn't say much for west reading round the oxford road

I had friends on Hagley Road, and it was quite nice. Don't go deeper into Whitley.

If I were you I'd choose the one Jane linked at 10.54 - lovely and close to town for teenager but nice residential area.

Yeah stay away from the oxford road area-
Actually Whitley isn’t too bad.- there are a few ropey roads but not worse than Some London areas.

The outskirts certainly are alright. Near town and decent bus routes

Thank you - it’s fallen through as we were gazumped (despite paying basically asking price!!!). Absolutely livid. Despite being legal, I think it’s disgusting behaviour!

Back to the drawing board!!! Anyone know of any houses to sell below 400k?!

Oh dear, sorry to hear that planner. Are you particularly set on the area?

Have you looked at the New Town area? It's on the north side of the London Rd away from the University, but it's mostly Victorian and a quiet area with the canal walk into town / down to the Thames. Palmer Park to the south, lovely area. Parking might be difficult, even with residents' permit scheme it still looks very busy around those roads.

There's a nice looking house on Wykeham Road, at the quiet end of ther road, but it backs on to the railway There are a couple of other houses on that side of the Wokingham Rd too under 400.

If you could go further, then Woodley is quite nice, if you don't mind estates.

Personally I prefer Woodley to Lower Earley, if you don't mind being on an estate.

We've lived in the Oxford Rd area for 15 years, not sure what you object to exactly, @Heatherjayne1972 ?

Op I didn't see your previous thread, what are you looking for in an area? Why did you hone into the uni area? It's super expensive and I have known several families move from the uni area as student behaviour is so dreadful. I wouldn't want to live in those particular areas because of it. I can dm you more specific details of roads if you like. You get more for your money in the Oxford road as some people don't like the diversity it offers. It all depends, I couldn't see us living in suburbia like Woodley but it's people's personal preference.

@MrsJamin
I currently live off the Oxford Rd Have lived in Whitley shinfield. And further up in tilehurst
What do I object to :
The curb crawlers
The drug dealers
The ordinary people who can’t swear quietly
The traffic noise
The pollution
The litter
Awful especially as you get closer to town

Oxford Rd was voted one of the worse roads in the country at one point

I live in a side road just a bit further up Not far from Waitrose.

To be fair this side of Norcot roundabout is better