Buying a home in Guildford
What official records show at 9 postcodes across Guildford: flooding, radon, ground conditions, old landfill, protected buildings, prices, crime and schools. Conditions change from street to street, so use this to know what to ask, then check the home you're buying.
Check a home in Guildford
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and seaOutside mapped flood areas at all 9 postcodes we checked
- Surface waterLow or very low at all 9 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 1–3% of homes above the action level
- GroundClay shrink-swell recorded nearby
- Average price£532,917 in Guildford (July 2026)
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of Guildford or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against the Environment Agency's flood zones.
All 9 postcodes we checked are outside mapped river and sea flood areas. Homes nearer a river or the coast can still be in one.
A home in a mapped flood area can cost more to insure, and some lenders ask more questions. Ask the seller about past flooding and any flood claims, and ask your solicitor for an environmental search.
Surface water flooding
Flooding from heavy rain that can't drain away fast enough. It can happen far from any river.
- Very low: 9 of 9 postcodes
Surface water risk changes over a few metres, with the lie of the land. Medium means a 1% to 3.3% chance of flooding each year, and high more than that. Ask the seller about past flooding and look at the drainage when you view.
Radon
Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground. The UK Health Security Agency maps the share of homes above its action level in each 1 km square.
At 5 of the 9 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 1–3% of homes above the action level.
The map shows the highest value in each square, not a measurement for any home. A three-month radon test, or an address report from UKradon, tells you about a particular house. Where levels are high, a sump or better ventilation usually brings them down.
Ground stability
The British Geological Survey rates natural ground hazards, such as clay that shrinks and swells, and old non-coal mine workings.
- Clay shrink-swell: significant near all 9 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is moderate or significant at all 9 postcodes we checked.
Ratings are for the surrounding area, not for a particular plot. Where clay shrink-swell or old workings are recorded, ask your surveyor to look for cracking and movement, and ask the seller about subsidence claims. A level 2 or level 3 survey is worth more here than a valuation alone.
Old landfill sites
Historic landfill sites within 500 m of each postcode centre.
- GU1 1RQ: 1 site within 500 m, nearest 400 m
Most old landfill causes no problems, but a home on or next to one can be harder to mortgage, and some sites give off gas. Your solicitor's environmental search lists sites near the address.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Whether each postcode centre falls in a conservation area, on a listed building's site, or under similar protections.
In a conservation area or a listed building you need consent for many changes, such as new windows, extensions or taking down trees. Check before you plan work.
House prices
The average price in Guildford was £532,917 in July 2026, down 2.2% on a year earlier. This covers every home in the council area, so a particular street can be well above or below it.
At the postcodes we checked, Land Registry has 3 sales in the last 3 years, with a median of £1,115,000 and a range of £1,090,000 to £5,000,000. A handful of postcodes is a small sample, so treat this as a rough guide.
Our postcode check lists recent sales on the street, which tell you more about a particular home than a town average.
Crime
Measured around GU1 1ES, near the centre of Guildford.
480 crimes were reported within about a mile of the centre in August 2026. Town centres usually have more, because of shops and nightlife.
- Violence and sexual offences162
- Shoplifting69
- Anti-social behaviour61
- Public order53
- Criminal damage and arson34
- Other theft28
Our postcode check shows crime around any postcode, so you can see the street you're looking at.
Schools near the centre
The nearest schools by distance. Distance doesn't decide a place: each council's admissions rules do.
- Guildford High School
Primary and secondary · ages 4–19 · Other independent school · 130 m
- Sandfield Primary School
Primary · ages 4–11 · Academy sponsor led · 620 m
- Tormead School
Primary and secondary · ages 4–18 · Other independent school · 650 m
- Royal Grammar School Guildford
Primary and secondary · ages 3–18 · Other independent school · 670 m
- Pewley Down Infant School
Primary · ages 4–7 · Voluntary aided school · 940 m
- Castle Garden School
Secondary · ages 5–18 · Other independent special school · 1.0 km
Surrey County Council: Primary admissions ↗ · Secondary admissions ↗
Postcode by postcode
Each row is one postcode centre we checked. Open a postcode for the full free area check.
| Postcode | Rivers and sea | Surface water | Radon | Ground | Landfill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GU1 1ES | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
| GU1 1RQ | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | 1 within 500 m |
| GU1 1XE | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
| GU1 2PS | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
| GU1 2HF | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
| GU1 3TL | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
| GU2 4HZ | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
| GU2 7TE | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
| GU1 1PX | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Significant: clay shrink-swell | None within 500 m |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 9 postcodes, not every street. Results can differ a few doors away, so check the postcode you're buying in.
- It isn't a survey, a search or legal advice, and it doesn't rate Guildford or any home.
- Planning applications aren't included here. The postcode check lists them for a particular address.
- Broadband and mobile coverage aren't included. Ofcom's free checker shows them for any address.
Sources
Checked 14 October 2026. We refresh these guides every month.
- HM Land Registry Price Paid Data
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- Environment Agency, Historic Landfill Sites (Environment Agency Conditional Licence). Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right.
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (Open Government Licence)
- Planning Data England (planning.data.gov.uk)
- UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland), Open Government Licence. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Contains Registers of Scotland data © Crown copyright and database right.
- Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (Open Government Licence)
- data.police.uk street-level crime (Open Government Licence)