The construction of the high-speed rail link Crossrail over the next few years should affect house prices in various areas that the link will take trains through. That doesn’t read like the most startling revelation in the world, but it’s intriguing to look closely at exactly how those prices will change – and in the Berkshire town of Reading in particular.
A simple equation shows why house prices will rise
Crossrail should, of course, make it easier for many of us to quickly reach various parts of the South East and enjoy more of the wonderful attractions that this part of the country has to offer. This, naturally, will make various settlements around here more appealing to house buyers… but, as will soon become clearer, there won’t always be sufficient supply to meet demand, or at least not initially. It’s a simple equation: high demand for, but also a short supply of, particular houses means higher prices for those houses.
Good news for sellers, not-so-good news for buyers
According to the local news outlet getreading, property experts have said that residents in Bracknell, Woodley and Caversham can eagerly anticipate large percentage increases in the value of their homes as 2016 goes on. These increases could be particularly high during the first half of the year; however, regardless of the precise rate of growth, the situation is clear for both buyers and sellers. The former might struggle unless they can get a purchase through quickly; sellers, on the other hand, could make pleasingly large amounts of cash.
Big house price increases in a number of areas
Looking again at Caversham, that area could see a 6% rise in property prices due to not only Crossrail’s imminent arrival but also the good local state and private schools. The prices in Woodley should rise by the same percentage, and there’s one especially good reason for that: the town is not included in Wokingham Borough Council’s major development plans and, therefore, is very unlikely to get a big boost in the number of its properties. Bracknell property values will likely grow by 10%, thanks largely to the town centre regeneration being brought by the Bracknell Regeneration Partnership and Bracknell Forest Council.
Reading up on how Crossrail will affect Reading
So, as you can see, Crossrail will be a major contributing factor to, but not the sole reason behind, rising house prices during the period running up to its completion. The project is currently due to be finished by 2019 – but, of course, no-one can rule out the possibility of a delay, as is always the case with major initiatives like this.
So, how will Crossrail affect Reading specifically? It will, in short, make a big difference. Reading’s town centre is already undergoing regeneration, which will obviously boost the town’s overall appeal. Even the new station at Green Park could further push up those property prices, despite the uncertainty over whether trains will actually stop there. All of these factors leave selling a house in Reading a very appealing prospect right now.