House vs. Flat - Struggling to Decide

aoleks

House, anytime.

zagubov

Windofchange said:

Do what I did a number of years back and get a motorbike. I commute 12 miles each way from the London suburbs into zone 1, and it takes 30 mins if traffic light, 40 mins if its a war zone. You don't have to worry about leaves on the line or being squashed against someone's armpit, and the petrol on my big boy bike is about £15 a week. On the 125 scooter you could do 140 miles on a fiver. Don't listen to people saying you're gonna get knocked off every day either - if you are sensible then it is a very safe way of commuting. T

I'd be wary of this, as you being sensible can't compensate for the semihemidemimorons who drive cars around without ever finding out how to activate their indicators.
There are some drivers who I swear drive around probably wearing blindfolds and using The Force.
They make this very much not a two-wheeler's city

TripleH

I live about an hour away from Waterloo by train in Hampshire. It took less time to get in than it did my friend who lived in Mitcham. Have a look at train options and if they are frequent stoppers or not.

lookstraightahead

AFF8879 said:

AdrianC said:

There's more to it than simple zones, of course.

I used to live in zone 7. Commuting by train from there was a damn sight easier than from where I spent student years, which was non-zoned but by distance would have been 3-4.

And, of course, it also depends on where in the centre you're going to. Sometimes, the trawl across the centre can be the slowest and worst bit.

Great point- I’d MUCH rather commute for 1hr each day on a nice, comfortable, air-conditioned National Rail service with seats available than do 30 minutes stood up/crammed in like sardines on a noisy, rattly, swelteringly hot tube line

If it's not snowing / delayed of course.

It's amazing how much money you spend waiting for trains / buses etc. 

When I lived in zone 5 if I missed an evening train I had to wait another hour. I filled this time by buying coffee / food etc. 

When I lived in zone 2 my rent was higher but I spent less on everything else and it was more cost effective. My working day was 3 hours shorter as well.

I personally hated having to clock watch in my job so that I could get home.

steampowered

It makes sense to pick a property that works for you, with your current lifestyle.

Commuting over an hour each way, in standing room only public transport, is grim. Been there done that. It takes an enormous chunk out of your day and makes you feel exhausted.

I moved to a more central location and haven't looked back. I make the most of my weekends now - London offers endless "things to do". There is lots you can do here that you can't find anywhere else in the country - and you certainly won't find in an outer London commuter town. I suspect I will move outside London or to the suburbs if I have kids, but wouldn't move now.

If a flat closer to central London works for you, then buy a flat. There is always going to be strong demand for good flats around central London. 

You should not worry about property prices dropping further. You are already exposed to London property prices. There is no real reason to think that houses will outperform flats (or vice versa) in the future - you don't have a crystal ball - the desirability of houses over flats is already reflected in the price of the property. There are not many people that can afford a house in and around central London.

steampowered

Sunsaru said:

I used to live in Welwyn Garden City. 30 mins to Kings X on BR and for near on a £mill you could have your pick of houses.

30mins on the train, plus the time taken to get to the station, plus waiting on the platform for a train, plus 10mins getting out of Kings X station, plus the time to get from Kings X to wherever your work actually is.

No thanks. I could stomach that if I was working a 9-5 job. No way would I do that in a job which involves longer hours for higher pay (as many jobs in London do). 

bouicca21

I’m with steampowered - even though I’m retired and don’t have to commute any more.  I’d always pick closer into central London than a commuter town.  It comes down to lifestyle, and only OP can decide what sort of area he/she wants to live in.

As for a motorbike - I have acquaintances who commute by motorbike and they seem to find it safe.  Now that I’ve taken up cycling again, I’d recommend commuting by pushbike, ebike if you really have to.  Central London has now got much better infrastructure for cyclists.  Possibly not a good option if returning home after a boozy night out though. 

funnyvideo

Unless you always stick to visiting one specific area there will always be inconvenient places in London to get to wherever you live. Likewise there are some pretty central places that are really inconvenient for getting to anywhere else.

When I lived in zone 5 there were numerous people who would write it off as being too far out. However it was a 5 minute walk to the station, 12 minute train journey to zone 1 and a 10-15 minute walk to the office. There were even parts of zone 1 which would have had a longer commute. 

When going out on a Saturday night once midnight hit people who lived in the trendier parts would have the dilemma of cutting the night short and getting the last tube or taking the dreaded night bus home. I on the other hand could get a train home at 2am.