Faringdon or Farnborough: Which Is Better Value?
Faringdon averages £390,000 against £382,000 in Farnborough, a gap of £8,000 or 2%. You would need £800 more deposit and about £42 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Farnborough charges £323 less council tax at Band D.
Faringdon averages £390,000 against £382,000 in Farnborough, a gap of £8,000 or 2%. You would need £800 more deposit and about £42 a month more on a repayment mortgage at an assumed 5% over 25 years. Farnborough charges £323 less council tax at Band D.
Price and deposit
The headline gap is £8,000, or 2%. On a 10% deposit that is £800 more cash to find before you start. Detached homes average £400,000 against £420,000.
Faringdon against Farnborough
Town guides for each: Mortgage advice in Faringdon and Mortgage advice in Farnborough.
Schools and families
Farnborough holds its own on schools, with 1 graded Outstanding at their last graded Ofsted inspection (before September 2024) against 0 in Faringdon. Counting last graded Ofsted inspections (before September 2024), Faringdon has 1 school and Farnborough has 3 schools graded Good or better.
A strong catchment in the cheaper town can cost more than an average street in the dearer one. Compare catchments, not averages.
Running costs and getting to work
Band D council tax is £2,644 in Faringdon and £2,320 in Farnborough, a difference of £323 a year.
The honest verdict
Farnborough is cheaper to buy on these figures. Faringdon carries the higher price and, on this data, not the stronger school profile.
Neither is right in the abstract. If the deposit is your constraint, the £800 difference matters more than anything else here. If catchment is the constraint, price follows the school you need.
What each town is actually like
Price is one axis. These are the things people move for, and the things they find out afterwards.
Faringdon
In its favour- A characterful Cotswold-fringe market town
- More affordable than the towns to the east
- Good road links to Oxford AND Swindon/M4
- The Folly, the Old Town Hall & stone streets
- No railway station in the town
- Reliant on the car for many journeys
- Full A&E is a drive away in Swindon
- Older stone/non-standard homes need the right lender
Best for First-time buyers ★★★★☆
One of the more attainable towns in Oxfordshire, flats and terraces from around £220,000 to £320,000, plus new-build homes, a genuine way into a characterful market town, if you are happy to drive to the station.
Farnborough
In its favour- A fast London commute (~43 min to Waterloo)
- Value, more affordable than Fleet/Farnham
- A major A&E very close at Frimley Park (<5 miles)
- Outstanding post-16 college and plenty of employment
- A larger, more urban town
- Some aircraft noise (especially around the airshow)
- Higher crime than the surrounding villages (varies by area)
- Localised flood risk near the River Blackwater
Best for Commuters (to London) ★★★★★
Farnborough Main runs fast to Waterloo in around 43 minutes and the M3 is close, one of the quicker, better-value commutes in the area.
Faringdon and Farnborough, side by side
| Measure | Faringdon | Farnborough |
|---|---|---|
| Average property price | £390,000 | £382,000 |
| Average detached | £400,000 | £420,000 |
| 10% deposit | £39,000 | £38,200 |
| Illustrative monthly payment | £2,052 | £2,010 |
| Band D council tax | £2,644 | £2,320 |
| Outstanding rated schools | 0 | 1 |
| Good rated schools | 1 | 2 |
Local averages used for illustration. Confirm your own figures before acting.
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Questions people ask
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