Blackwater's private rental market has changed considerably over the last five years. In 2021, the average monthly rent in Blackwater was £1,045. So far in 2026, that figure stands at £1,481. That is a rise of 41.7%. To put that into context, the average UK rent increased from £1,390 in 2021 to £1,744 in 2026, a rise of 25.5%.

As an agent in the Tadley property market, I believe it is important to offer local homeowners a balanced and realistic view of both the Tadley and national property markets.

For some homebuyers, the kitchen is the deal maker. For others, it is the number of bedrooms, the school catchment or the distance to the railway station. Yet for a sizeable group of buyers, the garden matters just as much as the house itself. Across Burghfield Common and its surrounding villages, there are 1,050 homes with large gardens.

Young people have been locked out of homeownership. Deposits are impossible to save. Mortgage rules are too strict. And ‘Generation Rent’ is now permanent. According to the narrative by the newspapers, younger generation homeownership has collapsed.