Buying a home in Reading
What official records show at 8 postcodes across Reading: 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 Reading
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and sea1 of the 8 postcodes we checked in a mapped flood area
- Surface waterMedium or high at 1 of the 8 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 3–5% of homes above the action level
- GroundClay shrink-swell and soluble rocks (sinkholes) recorded nearby
- Average price£349,550 in Reading (July 2026)
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of Reading or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against the Environment Agency's flood zones.
1 of the 8 postcodes we checked is in a mapped flood area:
- RG1 8JS: Flood Zone 2
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.
- High: 1 of 8 postcodes (RG6 1JJ)
- Very low: 7 of 8 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 6 of the 8 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 3–5% 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 3 and moderate near 5 of the 8 postcodes we checked
- Soluble rocks (sinkholes): significant near 3 of the 8 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is moderate or significant at 5 of the 8 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.
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.
None of the 8 postcode centres we checked falls in a conservation area or on a listed building's site. Older streets and town centres often do, so check the address.
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 Reading was £349,550 in July 2026, down 1.2% 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 8 sales in the last 3 years, with a median of £420,000 and a range of £372,500 to £650,000. 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 RG1 2PD, near the centre of Reading.
879 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 offences249
- Shoplifting194
- Anti-social behaviour92
- Other theft75
- Public order73
- Criminal damage and arson56
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.
- Katesgrove Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Community school · 320 m
- The Deenway Montessori School
Primary and secondary · ages 3–16 · Other independent school · 410 m
- The Abbey School Reading
Primary and secondary · ages 3–19 · Other independent school · 590 m
- Coley Primary School
Primary · ages 3–11 · Community school · 610 m
- New Christ Church Church of England Primary School
Primary · ages 4–11 · Academy converter · 850 m
- Kendrick School
Secondary · ages 11–18 · Academy converter · 350 m
- Red Balloon Learner Centre Reading
Secondary · ages 11–17 · Other independent school · 850 m
Reading Borough 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RG1 2PD | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| RG4 8HL | Outside | Very low | 3–5% | Significant: clay shrink-swell, soluble rocks (sinkholes) | None within 500 m |
| RG6 1JJ | Outside | High | 1–3% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| RG2 7BN | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| RG2 0HG | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Moderate | 4 within 500 m |
| RG1 6DS | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| RG30 2JL | Outside | Very low | 3–5% | Significant: clay shrink-swell, soluble rocks (sinkholes) | None within 500 m |
| RG1 8JS | Flood Zone 2 | Very low | 3–5% | Significant: clay shrink-swell, soluble rocks (sinkholes) | 2 within 500 m |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 8 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 Reading 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
- Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (Open Government Licence)
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Environment Agency, Historic Landfill Sites (Environment Agency Conditional Licence). Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right.
- Environment Agency flood risk zones via Planning Data England
- data.police.uk street-level crime (Open Government Licence)
- Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (Open Government Licence)
- 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.
- Planning Data England (planning.data.gov.uk)