Commutable Towns and Cities close to London

blue_max_3

GDB2222 said:

Just in case it helps, I live in East Finchley (a suburb of London, in case you don't know). It's on a direct tube line to London Bridge, and the journey time is showing as 26 minutes currently. It takes a LOT longer in rush hour (double, probably).  So, depending on when you need to get to work, the journey time may not be that much different from where you are right now. 

The travelcard is £2k, compared to £4k+ where you are. At an interest rate of 2%, that difference in travel costs pays the interest on roughly £100k of extra mortgage. Of course, property prices are higher here, so, as some of the other posters have said, it all rather cancels out.

Personally, if I were in a position to move, I'd consider moving somewhere like Yorkshire, where property prices are much lower. Salaries are lower, too. But, depending on your skill level, possibly not commensurately lower with property prices. In short, you may find yourself much better off if you abandon London completely. 

Howdy neighbour! I live in Muswell Hill
He's going to need at least £350,000 for a one bed flat here. Guessing he's not expecting to be paying that kind of dough.
You can get a three bed house in Birmingham for less and Manchester and York are slightly more expensive. All depends on area though.

hazyjo

Consecca said:

hazyjo said:

Have you even given a budget yet or have I missed it?

No because as I've said to others, my budget will be decided for me by the Mortgage advisor based on what I could realistically afford.

Surely you must have some idea from mortgage calculators! The YBS one was spot on for me. Even just a hundred grand bracket, or it's pointless recommending Rayleigh, Leigh and E4!

another_casualty

I like these kind of threads . 

I won't say too much to derail things , but I've left London 3 and a half years ago after living there all my life. 

My last job was not a million miles from where the o p currently works . To me it has turned into a dump. Too much building work going on . Buses curtailed randomly. Bicycle lanes being built causing massive disruption and a useless arrogant mare( spelling correct) just coining it in and doing absolutely nothing . I heard that TFL eventually apologised for the upheaval about a year after I left .
My question to the o p is , can you do your job eksewhere ? 

Please bear in mind , I knew the cost of living was rapidly deteriorating since 2007 imho and knew I couldn't afford to survive in a place that disappoints me . 

I could see a lot of young 20/ 30 somethings jumping on the property ladder in the place that I was working. But, in a changing world , I was asking how they were gonna be able to continue paying in 10 years time when jobs and people are more expendable than ever.
Then we had coronvius ..

I think that unless you have a job that is always there , then think everything through.
Or find a rich partner ..😼

hazyjo

In ten years' time, they would've probably paid off half their mortgage and be earning substantially more than before...

GDB2222

My crystal ball is in for repairs at the moment. 

Browntoa

Rochester in Kent , lots of brand new housing being built on the Riverside right next to the brand new Train station. Decent high street with loads of small independent shops.

45 minutes to cannon Street via London bridge

Mickygg

hazyjo said:

Consecca said:

hazyjo said:

Have you even given a budget yet or have I missed it?

No because as I've said to others, my budget will be decided for me by the Mortgage advisor based on what I could realistically afford.

Surely you must have some idea from mortgage calculators! The YBS one was spot on for me. Even just a hundred grand bracket, or it's pointless recommending Rayleigh, Leigh and E4!

That’s what I thought. With not so much of a sniff of approx budget it shows OP isn’t serious yet about moving as that’s the first thing to do before you look at areas. Plus it takes seconds to do on these on line calculators as we all know. After Covid and a few years down the line many suggestions here may be very differently priced in terms of affordability for OP.

i know many good areas 45 mins or so from London from my London commuting days but no point in suggesting if I don’t know the budget. Someone suggested Guildford, that could be hundreds of thousands over budget for all we know!

GDB2222

The OP is just window shopping at the moment, but did say so at the outset, and this thread may be helpful for others.

lisyloo

It’s a common dilemma.
a lot of people have similar desires e.g. not a complete dump and not an intolerable commute.
i think opinions on places are valid as there are areas of London where you risk getting stabbed, acid thrown in your face etc. We’re not talking about picky personal preferences here.
if it was me I would use one of the many online calculators (maybe more than one) to get an idea of budget.
my guess is this will rule out the nicer areas.
i chose somewhere a few years ago, it was rented but the compromises were the same.
It’s a trade off between size, money and niceness.
you need to work out where the red lines are (for us, separate living space I.e. not a studio for 2) was a red line and of course not living in a dump e.g. next door to a crack den.
after that it’s a trade off. 
We chose somewhere min size, max budget but great commute.
you'll get better suggestions if you spend a little time working on the budget as I suspect it will rule out a lot as couples and people older and further in their careers can afford more than you.

also note that not all commutes are equal in cost. The her reading line is expensive. Virgin from Birmingham is quite cheap also anywhere inside tfl will be good

Windofchange

Consecca said:

penners324 said:

Wouldn't touch Luton with a barge pole. 1 of the villages nearby though is a different issue.
Leighton Buzzard and surrounding villages, Milton Keynes and surrounding villages...

Me neither pal, that is why I am going to rule it out like East Croydon, both close but cheaper for a reason - and it is not a good one! 

I’m not sure you’ve got your research right. East Croydon is not a bad place at all. Lots of leafy streets and commuter types if you head in the direction of Addiscombe, Shirley, Lloyd park. Bishops walk which is about a 15 mins drive is one of the most expensive streets in the UK. There are lots of new build flats going up opposite east Croydon station which certainly aren’t my cup of tea, but there is a large regeneration going on. Who knows if Westfield will ever get built, but if it does, expect to see considerable growth and further gentrification.

It is West Croydon / broad green that you want to avoid. Basically anywhere in spitting distance of Croydon hospital. If you can stay clear of there then with the fast trains into London and an abundance of green space such as the Shirley hills then I would say it ticks a lot of boxes. The issue you have is that assuming a budget of 200k, you cannot afford east Croydon. You will only scrape a 1 bed flat near the hospital, and in that case, I agree, don’t do it. 

Issue is is that all the commuter towns are going to charge a premium. Reading, Guildford, Brighton etc. Pretty much London prices minus maybe 5%. You’ve got to get waaaaaaay out of London before you’ll notice any increase in property for your money. I wonder if you’ve ever thought about leaving London? If I were still single I’d certainly think about it - I work in the nhs so I could easily find work up north. Take 200k to Manchester and you’re talking 2 - 3 bed house. Perhaps you’re looking at this the wrong way round if you prioritise ownership over everything else. You’re single, and once you’ve taken legal costs etc out of your 30k, it leaves you with very few options anywhere within an hour of central London. Food for thought perhaps.