Downsizing in Cricklewood: What You Would Actually Release
Selling at the £550,000 Cricklewood average and buying at £385,000 releases about £144,800 after costs. Fees, stamp duty and moving take roughly £20,200 of it.
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
Selling at the £550,000 Cricklewood average and buying at £385,000 releases about £144,800 after costs. Fees, stamp duty and moving take roughly £20,200 of it.
The downsizing sum for Cricklewood
Start with the gap. Selling at £550,000 and buying at 70% of that, £385,000, leaves £165,000 before costs. Costs are the part people underestimate.
Agent fees at 1.5% are £8,250. Stamp duty on the purchase is £9,250. Total £20,200, leaving £144,800 in hand.
Moving within London rather than out of it keeps you near family and known services. The average price across the county towns we cover is £732,469, against £550,000 here.
Where the sale proceeds go
The commercial page for this town sets out the introduction itself: Equity release in Cricklewood.
Moving or borrowing, compared honestly
A lifetime mortgage at 65 on the same property would release about £187,000. Downsizing nets £144,800. The difference is that downsizing costs you the house, and equity release costs you the estate.
Over twenty years that £187,000 release grows to roughly £658,922. The downsizing figure does not grow at all, because there is no debt.
The parts of downsizing that are not financial
Council tax follows the property, not the person. Band D in Cricklewood is £2,133, and a smaller home may sit in a lower band. Check the band before you offer, not after.
Downsizing works best when you are not in a hurry.
What a move within Cricklewood looks like
The schools families ask about here are St Agnes' Catholic Primary School, Mora Primary School, Anson Primary School, Gladstone Park Primary School and Clarion (formerly Whitefield School). 5 local schools were rated Good or Outstanding overall at their most recent graded Ofsted inspection. Ratings age between inspections, so read the latest report before you rely on one.
On getting about: Cricklewood to St Pancras International takes about 12 min.
By price, Cricklewood ranks 206 of the 320 London locations we cover, at £550,000 against a county average of £732,469. Band D council tax here is £2,133, against an average of £2,121 across the towns we cover in the county.
Is Cricklewood right to stay in?
Cricklewood is a busy, diverse and well-connected north-west London district.
The full local guide covers schools, transport and the market in detail: Cricklewood property and area guide.
- A busy, diverse, well-connected NW London district
- Cricklewood Thameslink & the new Brent Cross West station
- More accessible prices than Hendon or Golders Green
- Good and Outstanding local schools
- Brent Cross & Brent Cross Town regeneration
- A busy, urban district threaded by big roads
- No Underground station in Cricklewood itself
- London prices for the space
- Traffic and noise on the A5/North Circular
- Flats & conversions need lease checks
| Who it suits | Out of five | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Commuters | ★★★★★ | Cricklewood station is on Thameslink (St Pancras in around 12 minutes, plus Farringdon, the City and out to Luton and Gatwick), and the brand-new Brent Cross West station is close by, a genuinely fast commute into town and to the airports. |
| First-time buyers | ★★★★☆ | One of the more accessible ways into well-connected north-west London, purpose-built and converted flats from around £350,000 to £475,000 with Thameslink on the doorstep, though prices are still at London levels. |
| Buy-to-let landlords | ★★★★☆ | Strong, diverse rental demand from commuters and young professionals, good Thameslink links and regeneration upside from Brent Cross Town support the investment case, check yields, lease terms and the additional-property SDLT surcharge. |
| Young professionals | ★★★★☆ | A diverse, lively district with a busy Broadway, more accessible prices, fast Thameslink links and Kilburn and West Hampstead close by, well suited to professionals, if not to those wanting a quiet, leafy setting. |
| Families | ★★★☆☆ | Good and Outstanding schools nearby (St Agnes' Catholic Primary is Outstanding; Mora, Anson and Gladstone Park are Good), Gladstone Park and the Brent Cross Town regeneration, but weigh the busy A5 and North Circular, the denser urban feel and A&E being a drive away. |
Cricklewood is known locally for The Handley Page works & Cricklewood Aerodrome, and The Welsh Harp (Brent Reservoir). Cricklewood was a cradle of early British aviation, the Handley Page aircraft works and its Cricklewood Aerodrome built and flew aircraft here for decades, a proud if largely vanished part of the district's story.
Practical detail for Cricklewood: the NW2 postcode district, Cricklewood (Thameslink), to St Pancras, Farringdon, City & Luton/Gatwick; new Brent Cross West station close; nearest Tube Kilburn/Dollis Hill (Jubilee) & Brent Cross (Northern) and nearest A and E is The Royal Free (Hampstead) or Northwick Park (Harrow) (a drive), verify with NHS.
Cricklewood has history behind the price. In Medieval & early, A rural hamlet of crooked-tree woodland along the old Roman road (Watling Street, today's A5) on the higher ground of north-west Middlesex.
Cricklewood at a glance
| Downsizing line | Cricklewood figure |
|---|---|
| Sale price, local average | £550,000 |
| Purchase at 70% of value | £385,000 |
| Estate agent at 1.5% | £8,250 |
| Stamp duty on purchase | £9,250 |
| Legal and moving | £2,700 |
| Total costs | £20,200 |
| Net released | £144,800 |
| Lifetime mortgage alternative at 65 | £187,000 |
Figures are local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own numbers before acting on them.
Ask about Cricklewood
Three details is all we need. You are told before anything is passed to a partner firm.
Your checklist
- A real valuation of your home, not the £550,000 average
- The council tax band of the property you are buying
- Total moving costs of about £20,200
- The equity release comparison, in writing, before you decide
The introduction costs you nothing. If you go ahead, we may be paid a fee by the firm we introduce you to. There is no obligation.
Check broadband before you make an offer in Cricklewood
Broadband speeds can vary street by street in Cricklewood, so check the exact address before you commit. Ofcom's free checker shows which broadband speeds and mobile coverage are available at any UK property.
We can introduce you to a specialist who can combine your mobile, broadband and utilities into one bill. There's no fee for the introduction.
We don't provide these services ourselves. Switching household bills is not a regulated financial service, so FCA protections and the Financial Ombudsman do not apply. We'll only pass your details to the specialist if you ask us to. See our privacy notice.
Questions people ask
How much would I release by downsizing in Cricklewood?
Is downsizing better than equity release?
What are the costs of moving?
How do I check broadband speed at a property in Cricklewood?
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