The WhatHouse? team explores some of the best places to live in Berkshire, focusing on the range of high-quality brand new homes currently for sale in the county’s favourite market towns.
Any special offers mentioned here are for a limited time and subject to terms and conditions.
Find out more about brand new homes for sale in the following areas:
Maidenhead , Newbury , Thatcham , Windsor , Wokingham
New homes for sale in Wokingham
The town of Wokingham and its surrounding district are just a few miles south-east of Reading and west of Bracknell. First granted permission to hold a market in the 13th century, the town became famous for bell-making and brick-making, though it is now better known as a base for service industries.
The town centre has a very good selection of shops and services, places to eat and drink, and options for leisure and entertainment. There are a number of state schools rated ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Good’ by Ofsted, and several well-regarded independent schools.
Proximity to the M4 makes it a great option for businesses and residents who want easy access down the Thames Valley, west London and the South West of England. Its railway station is on the line between London Waterloo and Reading, with occasional services to London Gatwick. It’s around half-an-hour’s drive from Heathrow too.
David Wilson Homes is busy in the north of town at its Ashridge Grange development, bringing one- to four-bedroom properties in the form of apartments and two-/three-storey house types. Right now, prices range from £272,995 to £711,995, suiting many different buyers, whether first-timers or those looking for a spacious family home, with the benefit of some 26 acres of open spaces on the development. Now 75% sold, there’s still great variety available and some excellent deals and buyer initiatives, such as Part Exchange and a Forces Help to Buy scheme. Find out more about Ashridge Grange.
Now on its final phase, there’s a range of three-bedroom houses for sale at Emmbrook Place, from Bovis Homes, which is within walking distance of the town centre and numerous shops and amenities. Would-be buyers can ask about the housebuilder’s Deposit Assist scheme, where the company gives a £2,000 reward to friends and family helping provide your deposit funds, and £5,000 towards moving costs. There’s also a current special £10,000 offer on one of the homes here, with the purchaser of ‘The Beech’ on Plot 697 able to choose to put that money towards things such as Stamp Duty or upgrades. Prices here start at £522,500. Find out more about Emmbrook Place.
Launching soon a few miles south of Wokingham in Crowthorne, Bovis Homes will be busy with a range of two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes. The price of the first releases with be announced soon. Find out more about Buckler’s Park.
Watermark from Countryside Properties
New homes for sale in Maidenhead
Like several other Berkshire towns, Maidenhead has been in the headlines over the past few years in anticipation of the arrival of Crossrail/Elizabeth line services, which are now in full operation for services through the centre of the capital, making this a popular option for commuters as well as those looking for convenient routes to places like Reading, Swindon and Bristol on the mainline.
Maidenhead is undergoing a major regeneration project to thoroughly update the town centre with new homes complemented by shops, community facilities and commercial offices. The current range of shops and services covers a lot of bases and there’s plenty to do for leisure too, with an Odeon cinema, several sports clubs and a number of parks and open spaces.
The River Thames passes the east of town and there are some notable places within easy reach of town, such as the village of Bray, home to two three-Michelin-star restaurants, the Dorney Lake watersports venue owned by Eton College, and with the M4 passing to the south, Maidenhead is a great place for road access to many major towns and cities.
Countryside Partnerships is playing a major role in the town’s redevelopment and its Watermark site is a collection of apartments close to its centre. 85% of the one-, two- and three-bedroom properties are now sold, and the remainder of these riverside homes come with an all-inclusive specification and some useful buyer offers. Prices start at £390,000. Find our more about Watermark.
Shanly Homes offers another range of apartments across three blocks nearby at Waterside Quarter, with one- and two-bedroom options still available from £355,000. Most have their own private outdoor space, plus there’s ample bike storage and secure underground parking. Residents have the service of an on-site concierge too. The sales suite is open seven days a week. Find out more at www.shanlyhomes.com.
The ‘Kennett’ house type at Donnington Heights from David Wilson Homes
New homes for sale in Newbury
On the edge of the North Wessex Downs AONB, four miles from the M4 and within a 30-minute drive of the likes of Reading, Basingstoke and Andover, Newbury combines its own great range of amenities with proximity to many others, from delightful countryside to some of the region’s main centres of business.
Cloth Hall is one of the numerous period buildings around the market square and it reflects the trade that made Newbury a successful commercial town. It’s position halfway between London and Bath made it a popular stop-over destination too. Canal, and later railway connections maintained its importance in the region, and most recently the M4 added appeal to Newbury as a great place from which to commute. By rail, Reading and Paddington are around half-an-hour and one hour away respectively.
The town has an impressive range of shops and supermarkets, including the Kennet Shopping outlet, and a real variety of places to eat and drink, from quaint teashops to the big-brand takeways. Sports clubs include bowling, cricket, and a host more at the Northcroft Leisure Centre. There are numerous well-rated state and independent schools in and around Newbury.
Already known for horse racing for around 100 years, the completion of Newbury Racecourse marked the town on the map for fans of the sport, and even led to the building of its own railway station, which still has regular services and many extra ones during events, which now include music concerts.
On the borders of the racecourse, David Wilson Homes has successfully been creating a new community and the latest part is called The Chase, which offers a prime position overlooking the course. Three-, four- and five-bedroom new homes here are currently priced between £440,000 and £620,000 with some great offers, such as £27,500 towards mortgage, deposit or moving costs on the £550,000, three-storey, five-bedroom ‘Bucklebury’. Find out more about The Chase @ Newbury Racecourse.
With prices from £477,000 to £860,000 right now, David Wilson Homes has an alternative range of three-, four- and five-bedroom house types at the Donnington Heights development, close to the Downs, less than two miles north of the town centre and within easy reach of Vodaphone HQ, one of the area’s largest employers. There are significant offers here such as Stamp Duty paid and Part Exchange, with the terraced ‘Kennett’ house type, from £477,000, on sale with the Deposit Unlock scheme. Find out more about Donnington Heights.
Pinewood Place from Beechcroft
New homes for sale in Windsor
With its royal connections, Windsor has long been a sought-after place to live. With its castle, royal park, golf courses, racecourse, proximity to the River Thames and England’s arguably most famous public school, Eton College, it has a well-to-do air with many heritage buildings and luxurious residential streets.
There are plenty of things to use and enjoy around the town for a modest budget, with some very familiar brand names in the wide choice of places to shop, eat and drink, in addition to many independent neighbours. There’s even a shopping centre in one of the town’s stations. Windsor Leisure Centre, Alexandra Park, a skate park, tennis club, cricket club and Legoland theme park are also great places at which to enjoy your spare time, and riverside walks are a free-of-charge way to combine exercise with scenic views of the area.
There are plenty of schools for all ages, both state and independent, with lots of them rated ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted.
For transport, the M4 is a short drive away and it’s only 20 minutes to the M25 and Heathrow Airport. There are two railway stations serving the town, one on a branch line to Slough on the Great Western mainline, the other offering regular service to and from Waterloo via Richmond and Clapham Junction.
For over-55s, Beechcroft has a range of brand new homes for sale at Pinewood Place, a gated development of two- and three-bedroom, pet-friendly and well-specified homes close to the centre of town. There are only 29 properties on this exclusive site, each with private terrace, balcony or garden with the convenience of allocated parking and EV charging points. Prices start at £595,000. Find out more at www.beechcroft.co.uk.
Nicholas King Homes will soon be releasing the first homes at Oakley Mews, to the west of the town, which will include a collection of 30 three- and four-bedroom private houses. The first completions expected this summer and prices start from £795,000. Find out more at nkhomes.com.
Turner House from McCarthy Stone
New homes for sale in Thatcham
Thatcham’s history started a very long time before its mention in the Domesday Book and there are still listed and protected buildings from the last 1,000 years illustrating this. But there’s plenty that’s up-to-date too, including a range of shops and amenities, medical facilities, sports clubs. The proximity of the river, two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its own Nature Discovery Centre makes this an ideal place for people who want to enjoy the outdoors.
Kennet School is rated ‘Outstanding’ by Ofsted, a real boon to families with teenagers, and for younger children there are many ‘Good’ rated schools in the area too. It’s around half-an-hour by road to Reading for a range of colleges and further education options.
Thatcham’s railway station offers regular services to Newbury, Reading and, 50 minutes away, London Paddington. The nearby M4 and A34 bring a lot of notable towns and cities a convenient journey away.
For retirees, multiple WhatHouse? Award-winning developer McCarthy Stone has an excellent selection of brand new homes designed especially for older buyers. For those aged 65 and over, Turner House has communal lounge and gardens to complement the private properties, and there’s a guest suite for visitors. For peace of mind, there’s a secure entry system, car parking and lift access to all floors. Prices for one-bedroom properties start from £319,500 and for two-bedroom properties from £430,900. There are options to purchase through Shared Ownership or to rent. Find out more about Turner House.
Next door to Turner House, William House is for over-75s and offers a similar standard of home and sense of community with the addition of a bistro, full-time on-site staff and the ability to arrange tailor-made care packages. Here, a one-bedroom homes starts from £361,700 and a two-bedroom property from £435,700. There are also Shared Ownership and rental options too. Find out more about William House.
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