Living in Wickford – A Complete Moving Guide

Are you thinking of living in Wickford?

This Essex town is one of the best commuter locations in the whole of the region.

Living in Wickford ensures residents benefit from a combination of affordable properties, superb transport links to the capital and well priced rail costs.

Wickford provides locals with superb transport connections to surrounding towns and the capital.

The local train line conveniently runs services to London Liverpool Street in under 40 minutes, meaning quick and easy access to the capital!

Alongside excellent links to the capital, living in Wickford also offers residents an ideal rural location.

Living in Wickford provides residents with easy entrance to the spectacular Essex countryside.

This includes the 50-acre Wick Country Park which is conveniently nearby.

Moving to a new area is never straightforward.

Before you start your move, it is vital to gather as much knowledge about an area as you can.

If you are thinking of living in Wickford, this is the perfect blog for you!

We hope to provide you with the top tips for those looking to move to this Essex affordable commuter hub.

Covering everything from property prices to the best schools in the area, we hope to provide you with a thorough guide to the area.

If you are thinking of living in Wickford, this is our commuters guide to the Essex town.

House Prices

Among Wickford’s many positive attributes are its property prices.

This largely residential town has long been a commuter hot spot for London workers which generally tends to push values upwards.

However, buying a home here is not as expensive as you might think with an average price paid of £381,821 over the past 12 months.

This average compares well to nearby Billericay’s which stands at £523,820.

By relocating to Wickford, you could potentially save yourself as much as £140,000!

Whilst Wickford may not be as posh as its neighbour Billericay it does, nevertheless, provide buyers with some stunning properties to choose from.

Plus, in recent years expansion has led to plenty of new developments since the local Council has instigated its Master Plan over 10 years ago.

Some of the most expensive homes in the town sit along Southend Road where it is not uncommon to pay as much as £875,000 for a large, detached property.

If you are looking to relocate to a home which won’t break the budget, it is possible to purchase a two-bedroom flat for £225,000 which sits well within walking distance of Wickford train station as well as to several good schools.

Renting in Wickford

Renting a home does offer some degree of flexibility, especially if you are new to an area.

Many former homeowners who have sold a home will often rent a house in the short-term, so they take their time finding another to buy. Students and those who cannot afford to get onto the property ladder have little choice but to rent.

Demand far outweighs supply unfortunately in Wickford. Currently there are only 9 properties available to lease.

Prices start from £625pcm for a studio flat, £725pcm for a one-bedroom flat, £895pcm for two bedrooms. There are no three or four bed properties on the market and just one five bed home which you can rent for 3402pcm.

Needless to say, as these homes are in such great demand, as an investor, rental yields are extremely profitable in Wickford, good news for landlords.

Cost of Living in Wickford

There are relatively few countries more expensive to live in than the United Kingdom.

Wickford is not necessarily a high cost of living area (compared to say London) even so, no matter where you live there is always room for improvement when it comes to preserving your hard-earned wages.

Being frugal does not mean you can’t enjoy yourself either. Sometimes just a small change in habits results in some surprising savings.

The hard part is actually starting the changes, once you have implemented them it does get easier to maintain a more “cash conscious” lifestyle.

Money-Saving Tips:

Save on travel costs by not getting the bus at the closest bus stop to your home, rather walk a couple of miles and then you will save on the ticket costs. If possible, ride a bike to work or hire an electric scooter – all saving you cash.

Buying a rail ticket from Wickford to Liverpool Street Station on a daily basis will work out far more expensive than a monthly pass. Plus, with a pass you can often use bus services too.

Wickford is surrounded by some very pleasant green areas. Take advantage of this fact and get outside more. The Wick Country Park is a prime example. Lots of space for all the family to enjoy and apart from the cost of a picnic it is free to all.

When it is time to do the weekly grocery shop, pop into the local Aldi situated along The Broadway or Iceland and Poundland located along the main High Street in town. These stores offer great deals and plenty of savings often on branded products.

There is nothing more rewarding than finding you have spare cash at the end of the month which you can save towards a holiday or splash out a little on a nice meal or an item of furniture you may have had your eye on for a while.

There is no doubt, you can definitely control your “cost of living” in all sorts of practical ways when you live in Wickford.

Best Schools

Access to good schooling is an important consideration when moving to a new area with a family.

Luckily, living in Wickford means locals have access a host of great local schools for younger children.

Top schools in the area include Runwell Community Primary School, Hilltop Junior School, Rettendon Primary School and Hilltop Infant School, which is currently ranked as outstanding by Ofsted!

If you are thinking of living in Wickford with older children they are also extremely well catered for.

Secondary school students have a choice of highly regarded secondary schools they can attend.

The most notable is perhaps Beauchamps High School which has received the highly coveted outstanding grade from Ofsted.

Other schools in the Wickford area include Castledon School.

This is a special, state-funded school for boys and girls and caters for both junior and senior students.

Clearly, living in Wickford provides locals with great choices when it comes to education.

If you are considering moving to the area you can be sure that the locals schools will suffice.

Things to do

If you are thinking of living in Wickford, you may want to know what some of the best things to do are.

Thankfully, this area of Essex has ample fun activities to sink your teeth into!

If you are a lover of everything outdoorsy, be sure to check out Wick Country Park.

Located within 50 acres of agricultural land, the now park houses a lake, a pond, several walking trails and also provides access to the nearby rivers of Crouch and Wick.

Other local attractions include the Wickford Swimming Pool, a recently renovated facility that offers visitors a stunning gym fitted with the best equipment.

Living in Wickford will also appeal to the children!

Nearby Partyman World of Play is located in Basildon and is an excellent spot to visit.

There is a football area, climbing frames and slides and it is home to the UK’s only indoor climbable volcano!

For a truly unique retail experience, head to Battlesbridge Antiques Centre.

The centre houses over 80 dealers all housed in a variety of old buildings and courtyards.

Here you can find people selling a range of goods from furniture, lighting, garden items, ornaments and jewellery.

This is certainly the ideal spot to buy a distinctive gift!

Ready to Start Living in Wickford?

Are you thinking of living in Wickford?

You have clearly made a great choice!

Whether you want to make the most of the transport links, find a dream home, or enjoy a day of shopping, living in Wickford has something for all.

Wickford is an excellent location with a choice of good value properties, meaning there is surely a great home for you.

GoodMove will make your move to Wickford a smooth and simple process.

We take great pleasure in ensuring your move runs efficiently and effortlessly, helping you to arrive at your new home in no time at all.

As well as our competitively priced removals package, we can also provide extra services such as short-term or long-term storage should you need it.

GoodMove cover all areas of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex and our friendly estimators can call round at a convenient time for you and strategically plan your move to perfection.

During these exceptional times, GoodMove are also offering a new video survey service.

Using our new technology, we can gather all the information required to assist with your move, from the comfort of your home!

Video surveys will help you save valuable time and go a long way to maintaining the best safety levels.

Find out more about how we could get you moving to Wickford or any other location by calling the number listed above.

Alternatively, fill out a quick quote form or click on our live bot in the bottom right and a member of our customer services team will be in touch shortly.