Good value places to live for London commuter.

kimmi_1983

Hi everyone,

I've been house hunting with my partner for nearly a year now. I live in Watford and grew up in Stanmore. He works in London and I am also searching for a new job. I wanted to know if you had any ideas of places to live with a reasonably short train journey to London Euston area and importantly reasonably cheap prices. We want to live within a mile walk of the station and with good amenities.


Prices seem to be shooting up now and when we started we were getting a lot more choice. We want to stay below £250,000.

We are considering a new build, but to use the help to buy scheme either way.

I'd love any advice you could give and opinions you may have.

GRM

Define 'reasonably short'.

Kettering is 1 hour from St Pancras and £250k gets you a 4 bed detached within a mile of the station.

Wellingborough is 50 mins from St Pancras and £210k gets you a 4 bed detached.

No idea about amenities for either.

kimmi_1983

Max 40 mins sitting on a train.

attila_

Basingstoke, woking,

Mrs_Z

How about Gravesend? Under 1/2h to St Pancras so I recon you could make it to Euston within 1h. <£250 will get you a 3 bed house there.

Jenniefour

Have a gander on here - see if Rightmove searches come up with suitable in your price range. http://www.commutefrom.com/

silvercar

What is wrong with Watford if you are used to it. A lot of development within walking sdistance of Watford Junction and Euston only 20 minutes on the train.

Some of these far flung places will have very expensive train season tickets attached.

pcgtron

You could get a decent sized house in Bletchley for that. 40 mins on the train to Euston. Season ticket price is about 4.5k though

zagubov

Maybe don't go into London. It's a bit of a desert for affordable livable areas, and there's ten million people looking for somewhere marginally better than their own current hovel/shed that they can trade up to, and you'll be competing with them.

Just outside may be better and cheaper but have decent schools (I don't know if kids are on the horizon). I'm the other side of London from you but live 35 mins from the centre, really close to the city boundary. Schools are really good but a bit further in it can be a bit iffy.

proc7400

Closer to London you live - more expensive your property is.

I used to live in Watford and commuted (on daily basis) to London. The season ticket wasn't (at that time) the cheapest. BUT! It takes about 18 minutes (fast train) to Euston station- and there are at least 4 trains per hour. Saying that, I am not sure what's going to happen if H2S goes ahead - the "mess" in Euston more likely will affect train arrivals/departures.

We bought a property nearer London (zone 5) 2 years ago. Monthly season ticket is half value of what it used to be - but property cost us at least 60k more than the equivalent of the same property in Watford. At current "crazy time" we wouldn't (probably) be able to get our property.




Your budget would get you (if you are lucky) 2 bedroom flat in "modern" development in my area.

I would suggest Hemel Hemstead or Milton keynes, Berkhamstead, Tring

northern_at_heart

I commute into Euston from Hemel Hempstead. It's 25 mins on the train and the service is pretty reliable. The trains aren't too grotty and I usually get a seat. It's just under 4K a year for an all-zones annual season ticket, less without the Tube obviously.

£250K would get you a 2-bed flat or v small terraced house close to the station: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/find.html?searchType=SALE&locationIdentifier=STATION%5E4472&insId=1&radius=1.0&displayPropertyType=&minBedrooms=&maxBedrooms=&minPrice=&maxPrice=250000&retirement=false&partBuyPartRent=false&maxDaysSinceAdded=&includeSSTC=true&_includeSSTC=on&sortByPriceDescending=&primaryDisplayPropertyType=&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=&oldDisplayPropertyType=&oldPrimaryDisplayPropertyType=&newHome=&auction=false

I think Hemel is one of the best value towns within that distance of London (northwards ie. into Euston/Kings Cross anyway): much cheaper than Berkhamsted or Tring. More pricey than MK but much quicker into London.