Are Property Prices Rising in Berkshire?

Are property value rises slowing in Berkshire?

Despite all of the warnings of a post Brexit slump in residential sales and development, we at Maidenhead Planning have found it getting busier and busier with planning applications and building regulation drawings in Maidenhead and Windsor.

Duncan Price from Maidenhead property blog quoted that property prices have been rising steadily since 1981, and are now a staggering 846% higher. Maidenhead, Windsor, Marlow, Henley and surrounding areas seem to be bucking the trend of property price slowdowns in other areas of the country.

People are developing their own homes to suit their lifestyles in these areas, rather than simply moving to a bigger home. This would explain the influx of new business and enquiries that we have encountered.

The number of residents investing in the property market including commercial property is encouraging. Maidenhead Planning have recently been tasked to prepare and submit the technical drawings for building regulation for a mixed use property in Queen street, Maidenhead. It comprised of two luxury apartments with a ground floor retail unit. We were able to accommodate the very short lead time (2 weeks) to submit the drawings and construction is now under way. This is just one example of people investing in the area and trusting that the town centre development will bring business to the area and would be beneficial to residents and business owners alike.

The relaxation of the planning laws to allow certain small developments to be undertaken without full planning permission is also helping to increase development in the local area. The Permitted development Scheme by the government has meant that single and double storey extensions, garage conversions and loft conversions are much simpler to gain permission for and in most cases; no permission is needed at all.

So it seems with the increase in property values, the incoming Crossrail site as well as the relaxed planning laws makes RBWM the place to invest and develop.