Croydon is not known for expensive housing, however is this all about to change? It seems that Croydon’s reputation is rapidly on the rise and so is its housing prices. Brochures on selling our house have been frequently placed through our letter box, with others that insist that they can sell our house in “48 hours”. It almost seems impossible that someone would want to buy a house that quickly, however looking at all the “to sell” signs littering the streets of Croydon, it is quickly becoming a reality.

Speaking with repair men under the Croydon council and various residents who live in Croydon, It has become very clear that the reason that estate agencies have been pestering residents, is all due to the polished stores and refurbished buildings that is Westfield.  

Unfortunately, many residents of Croydon have been duped into selling their houses now for large sums of money. However, what the real estate housing agencies have failed to mention, is that by 2022 when Westfield is built, the prices for their houses will increase or could even double depending on their area.

With the prices for houses increasing, many paying rent fear they will not be able to keep renting their house. So far, house prices have risen by nearly fifteen percent in just a year. What will the house prices be like in just five years? 

Croydon is a place with easy transport links to London and other good connections, however with all the enthusiasm  surrounding Westfield, it is easy to become ignorant about the severe impact Westfield will have.The people who have quickly sold their houses will have lost huge amounts of money that would have been theirs, if they had waited a few more years.

You need only look at what happened to the house prices in the boroughs of Hammersmith & Fulham and Newham since the centres opened there, to understand why the people of Croydon are already discussing the “Westfield effect”.

House prices still continue to rise as plans for the £1bn redevopment go ahead. Will the residents of Croydon be able to cope with these significant changes and sky rocketing house prices or will the “Westfield Effect” become too much for them to handle, resulting in more people selling their houses?

Diana Adebimpe, Sutton high school