property, homes and houses for sale in Reading

Reading is the county town of Royal Berkshire and is the embodiment of over a thousand years of history, combined successfully with all the assets of a modern, vibrant city. The Victorian red-brick buildings which Reading is famous for nestle behind beautiful medieval churches, and old coaching inns sit opposite high-tech office developments. Residents site a number of good reasons for living in the city, which include the friendly multi-cultural community, centrally located amenities, excellent transport links and good employment prospects. People searching for property for sale in Reading will discover some of the most sought after areas are Earley, Lower Earley, Woodley and Caversham Heights. Reading enjoys a buoyant rental market, created by the student population from Reading University and health workers from the Royal Berkshire Hospital. There are over 35 estate agents in Reading with a good selection of flats to rent in Reading and houses to rent in Reading. Reading property is available in a variety of styles, ages and sizes, including brand new developments of houses, Victorian terraced houses, modern semi-detached family houses, bungalows, apartments in brand new developments in the city centre, as well as duplex apartments in purpose built blocks. People searching for houses for sale in Reading should expect to pay £269k+ for a four bedroom terraced house.

Amenities for properties in Reading

Families who wish to buy property in Reading will discover a town that fulfils many family requirements. The town centre currently ranks in the top 12 of the UK's retail destinations and is established as a regional shopping and leisure destination. You will be able to find this out for yourself when exploring the Oracle Shopping Centre, with over 90 high street names, including John Lewis, House of Fraser and Marks & Spencer. If you are driving your family to the shopping centre you will be interested to know the centre operates a safe child scheme, and has been awarded the Police safer parking accreditation - the Park Mark award. The Riverside and malls offer a selection of over 25 restaurants, cafés and bars, and a 10 screen Vue cinema. For heavier goods the retail parks in The Forbury, Green Park and Calcot sell DIY, furniture and electrical goods. And for food shopping, Reading offers Tesco, Asda, Waitrose and Sainsbury's superstores. There is a wide range of culture and leisure activities available in the area, as well as two major international music and arts festivals every year - WOMAD and Reading Festival, along with Reading's own Children's Festival. Reading has a number of sports and leisure centres, including the Rivermead and Arthur Hill Studio, Central Swimming Pool and Highdown Sports Centre. Reading Borough Council is responsible for managing over 100 parks, playgrounds and open spaces, the largest of which is Prospect Park, which has many facilities for all the family to enjoy.

Sitting astride the M4's high technology corridor, Reading is the Thames Valley's boom town, and one of Europe's premier business locations, with large companies such as Microsoft, Vodafone, Hewlett Packard, Prudential and Oracle having offices in or near to town. Only 30 minutes away from London by train, Reading is also popular with people who commute into the capital to work.

Transport in Reading

Residents of Reading benefit from a good transport infrastructure. The frequency and quality of its transport links is one of the main attractions for people who are relocating to the area. By Road, the M4 motorway provides a direct route to Wales and the West Country, the M25, Heathrow and London. Further south, the M3 provides a link to the south coast and further north the M40 gives access to Birmingham, the M1 and M6. Reading is a major junction point on the national rail system, and the station is the UK's second largest transfer point (after Clapham Junction). From Reading Station there is an excellent service to London Paddington and Waterloo (approximate journey time into Paddington is 35 minutes), and also direct links to a number of other UK towns, including Penzance, Bristol, Swansea and Birmingham. By air, London Gatwick Airport is just one hour away by rail, and London Heathrow Airport is just half an hour away by car. A comprehensive and frequent local bus network operates within the borough provided by Reading Buses.