With a population of around 110,000 Bracknell, has continued to grow over the years into becoming the major administrative and commercial centre it is today. It's a town which is presently seen as a property hotspot for a number of reasons, one being a £240m town centre regeneration project currently taking place. Due to be completed in 2017, an integral part of this town centre regeneration is the building of over 300 apartments by Comer Homes which will include leisure a gym and restaurants.
Even before this regeneration of the town centre, Bracknell's location meant it has had no problem attracting big business. Testament of this is it being home to an impressive list of major companies which includes Hewlett-Packard, Seimens, Dell and Panasonic. Waitrose has had its head office in Bracknell since the 1970's. As such, it attracts a good number of young professionals and, according to the latest census, the average age of a resident in Bracknell Forest (the local area which includes Bracknell) was just over 37.
In terms of property, there are a significant number of terraced properties in the town which in turn form a large part of property sales. As a property investment opportunity Bracknell has often been overlooked in the past, perhaps unfavourably being compared to its more upmarket neighbour of Ascot or the larger town of Reading. Now, however, more people are seeing just the potential Bracknell has, hence this being one reason for the regeneration project. A spacious home in Bracknell could cost far less than one in a smart satellite village just outside the town. Shared Ownership properties, meanwhile, are available through Thames Valley Housing.
Bracknell was originally one of eight towns built within 30 miles of London after the Second World War and its proximity to the capital still makes it a popular commuter town today. Train journeys from Bracknell to Paddington take 55 minutes. A yearly season ticket from Bracknell to London Travelzones 1-6 would cost approximately £4,300 as of October 2016. Once Crossrail is completed and journey times become even quicker, house prices are expected to rise further. Bracknell is also handily placed for towns such as Farnborough, Wokingham, Slough, Ascot and Woking.
Another major advantage of living in Bracknell is its relative proximity to Heathrow Airport. The M3 and M4 are also just a short drive away. Bracknell has a number of good schools, perhaps the most well-known being Ranelagh School which has been in the town for over a hundred years. Major leisure and amusement parks are also within easy reach including Legoland and Windsor Great Park.