Everything you need to know about buying a property in Woking

Just a short train ride from London, with excellent schools and leisure facilities, and a vibrant arts scene, the Surrey town of Woking has much to appeal to the buyer. This appeal certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the town being named among the top 23 places to live that offer the best of both worlds - rural but not remote - by The Times last year. g yet just 25 miles away from the capital, it’s easy to see why.

Why buy in Woking?

While Woking’s status as one of the more affordable areas of the home counties and its impressive transport links might attract many buyers, the town has much more to offer, particularly after high levels of investment in recent years.

Earlier this year, the much-anticipated Victoria Place retail, residential and leisure destination opened, bringing with it some big-name retailers, including Marks & Spencer, Moss Bros and Skechers, as well as a whole host of places to eat. Gyms, bowling lanes, and even performing arts academy Italia Conti will make Victoria Place their home in the coming months.

Indeed, if the arts are your thing, Woking won’t disappoint. The Lightbox is a firm favourite in the local area, showcasing art and heritage of world-renowned quality with a social purpose to improve the community’s well-being and quality of life. In addition, the New Victoria Theatre hosts first-class theatre from the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company, National Theatre and the Peter Hall Company, as well as comedy, children’s theatre and musicals.

For the past ten years, Woking Borough Council has also organised Celebrate Woking to highlight the borough’s best cultural attractions and bring communities together. It includes free public events, community activities and sporting events.

If you prefer spending your free time outdoors, the 59-acre Lightwater Country Park is worth visiting. With areas of heathland habitat, ponds, woodland, meadows and scrub, it’s home to a variety of wildlife, birds, mammals, plants and insects, as well as an adventure playground, café, walking trails, grazing livestock, fishing, educational services, tennis courts, football pitches and a gym.

Woking Park, a large park and leisure complex, is also particularly popular with families as it’s home to Woking Leisure Centre and Pool in the Park, complete with flumes, lagoons and family swimming sessions. The biggest community event in the area - Party in the Park – is held in Woking Park every summer, along with Woking’s Firework Extravaganza in November and the CAMRA Woking Beer Festival.

Schools in Woking

Woking also benefits from a wide range of high-performing schools. At primary level, St Dunstan’s and Goldsworth have both been rated Oustanding by Ofsted, while Beaufort, Kingfield, Sythwood and Maybury are among those ranked Good. Hoe Valley Secondary School and St John the Baptist Catholic Comprehensive School are also judged to be Outstanding. In addition, Woking College is a top-performing sixth form, boasting a 99% pass rate at A level and BTEC.

Transport links

There’s no denying that Woking has excellent transport links, whether by road, rail or air. Twenty-five miles southwest of central London, the town benefits from frequent direct trains to London Waterloo that takes around 25 minutes. Prices start at £13 for a single ticket, although season tickets and flexi season tickets are also available for those not travelling every day. Woking is also on a direct train line to other major towns and cities, including Bristol, Exeter, Bournemouth, Cardiff and Portsmouth.

In addition, the M25, M3 and A3 are each within a 10-minute drive of the town centre, while Heathrow and Gatwick Airports are 15 and 35 miles from Woking, respectively.

House prices in Woking

According to Rightmove, the overall average price of a property in Woking last year was £519,418. The majority of sales in the town were flats, which sold for an average price of £276,372. Detached properties sold for an average of £924,936, with terraced properties fetching £406,974.

Woking has a good supply of impressive detached properties of all styles and ages, many of which come with large gardens too. Expect to pay £1,000,000-£2,000,000 for these exclusive homes.

Where to live in Woking?

The borough of Woking offers an extensive choice when it comes to areas to live, from the vibrant town centre to villages such as Brookwood, Mayford, Pyrford and Old Woking, which retain strong individual identities.

Maybury, Hook Heath and Worplesden have a good supply of large family properties, while Woodham and West Byfleet attract professional families. Bisley, Sheerwater and Goldsworth Park offer good value with four-bedroom homes in the region of £700,000, while Sheerwater also has a substantial supply of larger houses offering 6+ bedrooms.

Buy to Lets in Woking

As a relatively affordable commuter town with much to keep families entertained, the rental market in Woking is highly active. Average rents are around £350 per week, with areas such as Horsell, St. Johns, Knaphill and Bisley popular with renters. There are plenty of options when it comes to buy to let, with numerous high-rise developments offering flats that require little maintenance – expect to get around £250 for a one-bed. Of course, Woking is also known for its larger houses with a four-bed bringing in around £600 a week.

Novello in Woking

At over 63sq km, the borough of Woking is a large and varied area in which to buy a house. Its proximity to London and great schools also make it a particularly active area, so once you find the right house, you’ll want to do everything you can to secure it in good time and at a fair price. Novello, with its extensive experience of the Woking property market and its unique Private Client Surveying service, is here to help make that happen. From an initial onboarding call where we’ll discuss any concerns, questions or areas of focus you may have to the most extensive building survey carried out by an RICS qualified surveyor. On to our unrivalled follow-on service and advice, we’ll guide you through each step of the property buying process to ensure it proceeds smoothly and you’re confident you’re buying the right home at the right price.

To find out more about Private Client Surveying and the many benefits it offers, including floor area measurements, building insurance cost assessment, an optional reflective market valuation add-on, help obtain quotations or arrange any further investigations, and advise on a negotiation strategy if needed, contact us today or book a free consultation.