Understanding the Housing Market: Market Conditions

Before getting into details about housing, it is important to look at the "big picture". You are entering the housing market, maybe for the first time, and whether you are living in university of private sector accommodation, the main determinants of what you can rent will be decided by the particular factors of your local housing market.

• How expensive is it to live in your area?
• If there an accommodation surplus or a shortage?
• Is there enough good quality rented housing?

These answers to these questions will determine when you should look for housing, how much you can be expected to pay and how much you can negotiate and what you can expect to rent. It is not good trying to drive a hard bargain with a property owner if they can let the property to others that afternoon and it is no good paying a high rent when there are plenty of cheaper, comparative properties available.

To give you some idea of the housing market here are a few indicators:

Cost

• Although rents vary the average cost of rents in your area are £650 per calendar month
• This could be described as an high cost housing area
• The number of students housed directly by the institution is 30
• The number of students housed in the private sector is 270
• There is a small surplus of housing

Where do students at Cranfield University at Shrivenham live?

WATCHFIELD

• 2 – 3 bedroom properties (cottage-type / ex-council house). Average rent £600 - £750 p.c.m.
• 2 pubs; walking distance campus
• Bus Routes

SHRIVENHAM

• 2, 3 + 4 bedroom properties.
• £700 - £1000 p.c.m.
• Very sought-after village.
• 3 pubs, shops, bank, hairdresser, Indian restaurant, fish + chip shop.
• www.shrivenham.org
• Bus Routes

FARINGDON

• 1-bed flats, 2 – 4 bedroom properties.
• £500 - £800 p.c.m.
• Large market town, on bus route Swindon – Oxford.
• Pubs, shops, restaurants.
• www.faringdon.org
• Bus Routes

SWINDON

• All property types available.
• Cheaper rents than rural areas - £500 - £700 p.c.m.
• Good transport links, great shopping and leisure facilities.
• Bus Routes