How much is your commute?

Kreacher

JP08 wrote: »

If your destination is in zone one and you only travel to and from the office it is probably cheaper to get the season ticket without the zones 1-6, and get an Oyster. Works out at £3548 + £750 ish or £4300. That £700 isn't to be sneezed at !

I'm in zone 3 unfortunately I did some quick maths but I think the season ticket with zones 1-6 is cheaper?

SailorSam

Same Question

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5488673

JP08

Kreacher wrote: »

I'm in zone 3 unfortunately I did some quick maths but I think the season ticket with zones 1-6 is cheaper?

Shame - though if that's North London (I feel sorry for you if you're going all the way to Zone 3 S London on the Northern Line !), there might be something to be had by going to Finsbury park and a bus ...

NewHomeOwner_2

You need to weigh up the total cost of your mortgage + travel in london and the total cost of your travel + mortgage outside of London rather than looking at them separately.

If you are looking at the same size mortgage for London and Stevenage then obviously it will be cheaper to stay in London. If you are looking at a cheaper mortgage in Stevenage then it will probably balance out.

BlaEm

£0* when I cycle, £6-ish a day when I'm lazy, 40 minutes door to door from Zone 3 to Zone 1.

It really depends on your priorities.

3 hours a day on the train is a long time, especially if you already work long hours - I personally would feel I wasn't getting the benefits of a more spacious suburban home if I wasn't getting to enjoy it in the evenings.

Saying that, if you can benefit from flexible working and work en route (or read, or watch Netflix, or any other kind of commute-friendly hobby) the travel doesn't have to be wasted time, and you may enjoy the bigger space more in your weekends.

My compromise was living in Zone 3, but in an untrendy area away from a tube so I could afford a little extra space and a garden.

Still being twenty-somethings we also thought about not choosing a place purely for the commute time - companies move offices, we may change jobs etc.

Get somewhere you know you won't outgrow in 5+ years - future proof against career changes or potential family growth, for example!

EDIT: Also bear in mind travel costs will go up every year - so include inflation if you're trying to work out total cost for each option.

* Bear in mind initial outlay, regular servicing, cycling gear, waterproofs etc aren't free!

Kreacher

JP08 wrote: »

Shame - though if that's North London (I feel sorry for you if you're going all the way to Zone 3 S London on the Northern Line !), there might be something to be had by going to Finsbury park and a bus ...

It would be to the South .. I already do part of my journey now on the northern line so I think I would know what I'm letting myself in for... maybe not :P

Kreacher

NewHomeOwner wrote: »

You need to weigh up the total cost of your mortgage + travel in london and the total cost of your travel + mortgage outside of London rather than looking at them separately.

If you are looking at the same size mortgage for London and Stevenage then obviously it will be cheaper to stay in London. If you are looking at a cheaper mortgage in Stevenage then it will probably balance out.

It's the same size mortgage for both, but London is a 1-2 bed flat and Stevenage is a 2-3 bed house! It would obviously be cheaper to stay in London but we'd sobviously stay in a house for longer than we would a flat..

NewHomeOwner_2

I think if I worked in Clapham I'd be looking at places outside London where the trains came into Clapham Junction, Waterloo and Victoria rather than the north. Not only would that save you commuting time but it would save you money on the travel if you don't need Zones 1-6 added to your monthly ticket.

Also remember you can save about £50 a month if you buy a yearly ticket rather than a monthly one.

Kreacher

BlaEm wrote: »

£0* when I cycle, £6-ish a day when I'm lazy, 40 minutes door to door from Zone 3 to Zone 1.

It really depends on your priorities.

3 hours a day on the train is a long time, especially if you already work long hours - I personally would feel I wasn't getting the benefits of a more spacious suburban home if I wasn't getting to enjoy it in the evenings.

Saying that, if you can benefit from flexible working and work en route (or read, or watch Netflix, or any other kind of commute-friendly hobby) the travel doesn't have to be wasted time, and you may enjoy the bigger space more in your weekends.

My compromise was living in Zone 3, but in an untrendy area away from a tube so I could afford a little extra space and a garden.

Still being twenty-somethings we also thought about not choosing a place purely for the commute time - companies move offices, we may change jobs etc.

Get somewhere you know you won't outgrow in 5+ years - future proof against career changes or potential family growth, for example!

EDIT: Also bear in mind travel costs will go up every year - so include inflation if you're trying to work out total cost for each option.

* Bear in mind initial outlay, regular servicing, cycling gear, waterproofs etc aren't free!

The thing is - timewise there isn't much difference. From West (zone 6) to South London takes me 1.5 hours which is the same as if we went to Stevenage.

I think we would outgrow a flat in 5 years .. but a house we obviously wouldn't. I doubt we'd ever afford a house in London ...

NewHomeOwner_2

Kreacher wrote: »

It's the same size mortgage for both, but London is a 1-2 bed flat and Stevenage is a 2-3 bed house! It would obviously be cheaper to stay in London but we'd sobviously stay in a house for longer than we would a flat..

A 2 bed flat in London is what these days? £400,000? You could get a 2/3 bed house for A LOT less than that within 45 minutes commute of London. In a lot nicer areas!