Blog

Commutability counts.

Monday, August 7, 2017

The weekend flashes by and just like that it’s Monday again. The average British worker spends a staggering 11 working weeks every year commuting to and from work, so it’s no surprise to find commuters looking for properties with great transport connections. Simply by moving to a new home in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire or Middlesex for example, they could cut the time and money they spend commuting with significant cost savings over central London property prices.

But the decision to commute is not all about financial benefit; quality of life is a crucial factor and spending 2 hours on a train each day may be just too much. So where’s the balance, the middle ground where the benefits of lower house prices are not consumed by travel costs and where commuting time is still acceptable? For each commuter the tipping point will be different as personal circumstances come into play, but broadly speaking Middlesex, the Thames Valley and Chilterns areas offer many of the benefits without a lengthy commute.

For affordability and a commute of just over half an hour, the Staines area is hard to beat with a riverside lifestyle that mirrors that of the capital, excellent leisure facilities and an average property price of £351,392*. Nearby Wraysbury is somewhat more expensive at £468,443* for the average property in TW19 and has a slightly longer commute but is well under the hour and offers a distinct out of town feel in its village community. Take the average price down to £420,608* in Ashford and just £333,037* in neighbouring Feltham and the financial savings over central London are clear. With mainline journey times into London Waterloo of just over 30 minutes, the commute puts them very much on the right track especially for young professionals.

Families looking to move further outside the capital without having to commute for 10 hours each week often look west of London to the Chilterns area around Gerrards Cross or Beaconsfield with journey times of 20 – 25 minutes into London Marylebone and season tickets currently costing £3,896 a year. The financial benefits may not be as great here but the Chilterns area adds significant value in terms of excellent schooling in both the state and independent sectors at primary and secondary level. This coupled with extensive leisure options, access to Heathrow and the motorway network and the picturesque Chilterns countryside and villages make it an excellent balance between commute and lifestyle.

With the Crossrail effect set to add £5.5 billion to property values across the South East and to dramatically cut journey times into and across London, there are already property hotspots coming to the fore. The Elizabeth line will be completed by the end of 2019, but house prices are rising along its route in towns such as Langley, Slough, Windsor and Burnham. The development of the high speed line will also benefit such areas in terms of regeneration of residential, office and retail space, particularly in Slough where a massive redevelopment programme is already well underway.

Reduced journey times are the obvious benefit as 1.5 m more people will live within 45 minutes travel time of key London business districts. From Burnham and Langley, journey times to central London will be cut by around 30 minutes. Slough, which already enjoys a rapid train service into London, will see a cut of around 15 minutes. Slough, Iver, Burnham and Langley also have the advantage of excellent grammar schools without being under the Heathrow flight path. Smart investors are looking closely at the neighbourhoods being thrust into the spotlight by the new route and the opportunity is clear. With house values in the area at record levels, the Thames Valley is still viewed as a potential gem for investors as prices continue to rise.

Journey time is important but comfort is also key to commuting. Renting a property allows you to try commuting over an extended period before putting down firmer roots and deciding to buy. You can check, for example, how often you get a seat on your particular route.

It’s a good idea to keep your options open by looking at areas with multiple transport links. If you live anywhere along the Brighton line, there’s no alternative in the event of strike action. But elsewhere you could have a choice of services to London, so that if one line has problems you could take the other. From Windsor for example there’s Great Western into Paddington, or South West Trains to Waterloo. Amersham offers both mainline and underground stations with a 33 minute journey to London Marylebone from its mainline railway station or 47 minutes on the Metropolitan line into Baker Street. There’s also easy access to the M25 and M40 and the A40 direct into central London.

To put your commute firmly on the right track and find your perfect home see our full range of currently available properties for sale or to let across Bucks, Berkshire and Middlesex or contact your local Frost Partnership office.

*Figures from home.co.uk at April 2017