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28 October 2014

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Can you afford a house in Berkshire?

The cost of the average house in Reading is now over £210,000. If you want to live in West Berkshire, house prices went up 15 per cent in the last year. The average house price for Windsor is nearly £400,000. Is it getting ridiculous?

Here are the figures for house prices in Berkshire, published in November 2006:

We went to an affordable housing information session in Wokingham to find out how house prices in the county are affecting people who need to buy.

The message was clear: for a lot of people this is the only way they think they can buy a house.

We spoke to some of the people looking at affordable housing. Do their experiences sound like yours? Have you found a way to get onto the housing ladder? Use the Have Your Say form at the bottom of this page to tell us your story.

MRS BENSAAD - houses aren't big enough

"This is the only way I can afford to buy, but I've been waiting for three years and I haven't got a house yet.

"I want a three bedroom house but it's just one or two bedrooms on offer, which is not good enough because there's five of us in the family.

"I keep coming to these events - they say wait, and we wait and wait, but nothing happens."

BRIAN WARREN - can't afford to leave home

"I've been on the register for six years. For the moment this is the only viable option I can take if I want to get a place. I'm still at home.

"I'm looking to move around here but I got a letter saying I've got to broaden my horizons."

HEIDI STANDING - single parents get priority

"We couldn't get a full mortgage, the prices in this area are too expensive. We had to go through part-rent part-buy.

"We're not a priority with the council because we're a family. Single parents get more priority in Bracknell - I know a lot that have been given houses and that really does annoy me.

"We struggle and I can't give up work because of my children. Maybe if I got rid of my husband and kicked him out?"

KIM PARSLOW - only option for key workers

"I was on a waiting list for only about six months, it was quite quick. I'm hoping it'll be quick this time.

"I'm a police officer. Some of my colleagues go for arrangements like this and other emergency services do. It's the only way they can afford it, especially in Berkshire.

"Housing's too expensive to buy, especially if you're on your own. If you're with someone it's not so bad."

Find out more about affordable housing in Berkshire:
HomeBuy >
Catalyst Housing >
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Later this week we'll look at another option of affordable housing - Leckhampstead, in West Berkshire, where a new housing development will be reserved for local people only.

Have your say on housing in Berkshire using the form below:

last updated: 15/01/07

Have Your Say

If you're on the housing ladder, how did you do it? Is simply renting a house the way forward? Have you experienced affordable housing? Let us know.

martin jones
i think that house prices in reading are getting silly how are first time byers surposed to get on the ladder im a firt time byer and i hade to pay 129,000 for a 1 bed back to back house how are we surrposed to go up the chain ??????

Ant P
Let's not kid ourselves, it's very hard to get on the property ladder. I had a little help from parents, but also saved for 5 years to put down a large deposit on a modern 2 bedroom flat. I made sure I had a buy-to-let interest only agreement so that the interest rate is a little more manageable, but most importantly I stipulated on the contract that if I could afford the mortgage and also live there, I'd do that. All you need then is a lodger to help with the mortgage and make sure you overpay so that the amount borrowed does come down. My new £190,000 flat is now worth £240,000 - a rise of £50,000 in two years. Good luck everyone. A.