Millions of people work in London every day. But house prices in the capital are beyond the reach of many of us, which is why so many of the capital’s workers commute in from towns outside London itself.
So, which towns offer the best value – and why?
Estate agent Yopa has crunched the numbers to come up with its own commuter belt highlights that it reckons are worth considering for homebuyers and investors alike.
Let’s take a closer look at the top five, and why they may appeal.
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St Albans
St Albans in Hertfordshire is top of the tree for London commuters, according to the study.
There are plenty of important factors that go into that result, including the fact you can get into central London in just 21 minutes, making it an incredibly accessible commuter area.
That access comes at a price though, with train season tickets costing an average of £3,712.
St Albans is not just attractive based on its travel time either. With 36 primary schools and 11 secondary schools ranked good or outstanding, and a low crime rate (65 per 1,000 people), it’s an attractive place to raise a family.
Be warned though, house prices are on the high side, with an average price of a whopping £600,857.
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Redhill
Redhill in Surrey is well worth considering for commuters, with the fastest train into London Victoria taking a very reasonable 30 minutes.
That commute is kinder to your bank balance too, with season tickets costing an average of £2,908.
Property itself is a fair bit cheaper too, with an average house price of £401,271 ‒ the best part of a third cheaper than St Albans, for example.
It’s a solid bet for parents as well, with 17 quality primary schools and four top notch secondary schools to choose from, and has a low crime rate at 67 crimes per 1,000 people.
Reading
Head west to Reading in Berkshire and you’ve got another excellent choice for commuters.
Property prices are on the high side, with an average price of £435,354, while getting into town is pricy too ‒ season tickets come to an average of £4,736.
For that, you can get into Paddington in as little as 27 minutes.
There’s no shortage of schools to choose from, with 46 primaries and 12 secondaries ranked good or outstanding.
But it has a crime rate of 102 per 1,000 people, which is a little higher than other towns on this list.
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Luton
Luton in Bedfordshire is an area on the up, with the Luton Investment Framework from the council bringing £1.5 billion of investment into the town to create 18,500 new jobs.
It boasts excellent transport links as trains take as little as 23 minutes to get into London St Pancras.
Luton has its own international airport, so it’s not exactly surprising that it is attracting the attention of homebuyers and property investors alike.
Property prices have risen 13% since 2016, with demand expected to surge, while current house building activity is way below what it needs to be to meet the demand.
The fact that Luton property prices are affordable is another big draw, with an average price of £269,302.
Luton boasts a similar crime rate to Reading, and also plenty of good schools (35 primary, seven secondary) to attract parents.
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Three Bridges
Finally, there’s Three Bridges in West Sussex, which is within the town of Crawley.
It has the longest commute of these five towns, with the fastest trains taking 38 minutes to get into London Victoria.
Despite this, it’s the second cheapest for travel costs, with season tickets coming to an average of £3,612 a year.
Property prices are steep, at an average of £471,828, and crime is also higher than anywhere else on this list, with 111 crimes per 1,000 people.
Nonetheless, there’s no shortage of good schools to choose from, with 25 primaries and seven secondaries nearby attaining good or outstanding status.
The Crossrail effect
If you’re purchasing for the long-term, whether for yourself or as an investment, it’s important to do your research on what infrastructure is planned for the town, which could boost the value of your property.
For example, people who have bought properties situated close to Crossrail stations have already seen substantial price growth in many cases. With Crossrail 2 planned, there may be a similar knock-on effect if you buy near one of the planned stations.
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