Reigate

[Mama0922]

We want to buy a home in Reigate but not from the area. Are there any parts to avoid please?

Avoid for what reason? Where do you need or hope to be near and what budget? The more affordable housing is to the south (Woodhatch/Dovers Green/Sandcross lane) , close to Reigate school.

Thanks for the reply. Budget is £600K. Want to be near good schools, central enough, somewhere nice to walk to if possible like parks. I have an 18 month old.

Avoid in case there are higher crime rates, bad part to buy in. Not from the area so just want to be sure. 😊

No significant crime round there other than people stealing nice cars etc - same as rest of Surrey really. I moved out of Reigate to a nearby town about 10y ago as we had a similar budget and couldn't find a detached house for that price, but I don't know what property prices are like now, may have adjusted. Also, commute into London not great from there, better from nearby towns and schools were impossible to get into unless you lived on same road, again, may have adjusted as they eventually built a new primary school.

A good place to look for background and overview is on the We Love Reigate Facebook page. Also the Reigate & Banstead Facebook page.

There were several anti-dispersal orders put in place covering sections of Reigate and nearby Redhill during several periods over the past year, due to problems with youths/gangs.

The High Street seems to be targeted a lot for shoplifting - in particular the Boots store.

Morrisons carpark and the cut-through into Priory Park is often troublesome at night with groups of youths causing havoc.

Add in the car thefts, which is endemic across the entire country, sadly lovely Reigate isn't without its issues.

Having said that, I do still like Reigate, for now anyway, Priory Park is lovely during the day and your little one would love nearby Earlswood Lakes (short drive) - I'd live as far away from Redhill as possible, so look for properties furthest away from the Redhill border.

Reigate & Banstead Beat Facebook page

If you're from London you'll find that Facebook and the 'gangs of youths' posts absolutely hilarious. Redhill is talked about like it's Brixton in the nineties but actually it's just a non entity part of town with some social housing and more mixed demographic and not aspirational like Reigate. I go there shopping sometimes as it's my nearest M&S and, again, compared to actual cities, it's almost laughably safe, as is Reigate.

Both these places are perfectly nice, if a little dull, parts of suburban Surrey with the same issues as anywhere else in the home counties. Reigate is talked about like it's Hampstead locally but, again, it's just a reasonably nice Surrey market town. Like anywhere similar, there'll be car theft and pickpocketing and 'gangs of youths', but absolutely nothing compared to what you'd find in London, Manchester etc.

For 600k you might get a semi/terrace older style 2/3 bed on a side road near the town centre. Bear in mind parking can be difficult and roads narrow so ideally look for off road parking. All the schools are well regarded but there is currently a consultation on primary schools as SCC want to relocate Priory junior from the site on the park. Some are still separate infants/junior with transfer at year 3. Historically there was a shortage of reception places but this has not been the case in recent years. The only state secondary is Reigate school and many travel to St Bedes in Redhill (religious) or Ashcombe in Dorking. Crime is mainly low level asb in the park but generally fairly low.

Thanks all!! Super helpful feedback. M