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FTB – Advice on areas to buy c. £230k 3 bed house with good commute into central London

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  • scott89
    scott89 Posts: 2 Newbie
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    you could look at some coastal areas like Folkestone Sandgate Hythe
    very good high speed link to london and for 250k you could get a very nice 3 bed house. i just sold mine for 230-250k 3 bed townhouse in very good condition. paid 180k for it a few years ago
    lots of money being pumped into Folkestone and huge regeneration going on. who dosnt like living by the seaside !!
  • csgohan4
    csgohan4 Posts: 10,587 Forumite
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    Ashford in kent, 40 mins to King's Cross
    "It is prudent when shopping for something important, not to limit yourself to Pound land/Estate Agents"

    G_M/ Bowlhead99 RIP
  • ibizafan_2
    ibizafan_2 Posts: 920 Forumite
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    Rugby has the quickest commute for the distance with trains only taking 50 minutes. There are a lot of Londoners living there and lots of new builds within walking distance of the station. The trade off is of course the cost of the season ticket, but the house prices make up for that. My nephew commutes from Peterborough every day, and doesn’t seem too bothered about the distance, so you have some options to look at.
  • victoriavictorious
    victoriavictorious Posts: 358 Forumite
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    Huntingdon or St Neots, Cambridgeshire, both attractive riverside towns with every facility, not run down, reasonably priced houses - direct trains into Kings X, takes around an hour.
    Essex way, there's Braintree, direct trains into Liverpool St.
    Slightly further afield, on the Suffolk/Essex border is Sudbury (lovely historic town, a bit more upmarket great for period property). Sudbury is on a branch line so it would involve one change / 2 hour journey into Liverpool St.
  • Out,_Vile_Jelly
    Out,_Vile_Jelly Posts: 4,842 Forumite
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    Does it have to be a 3 bed if you're single? I bought a 2 bed in zone 4 a few years ago on a similar budget.
    They are an EYESORES!!!!
  • Candyapple
    Candyapple Posts: 3,384 Forumite
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    Whereabouts in London do you work or what would need to be your nearest tube station?

    The thing about living outside London and commuting in is there are 4 parts.

    1. The distance/time it takes to get from your door to your local train station.
    2. The time it takes for your train to actually get to a mainline London station e.g. Victoria, Paddington etc.
    3. The length of time for any other tube interchanges until you reach your tube stop
    4. How long it takes to get from the tube stop to your actual workplace.

    Don't forget that if at any point your train/tube is delayed/cancelled then you could be looking at adding anywhere to an extra 20 mins - 2 hours onto your journey time.

    These are things you absolutely must take into consideration because a "nice" 1 hour journey could easily turn into a hellish 2 hour commute each way.

    Don't forget you need to factor in the cost of your season ticket plus any London zone travelcard extensions you may need to add on. Plus the cost of station parking (if you are going to be driving to the station each morning) or cost of bus pass.

    Why the 3 bed house if you are single? I get that you want to future proof somewhat if you are intending to have a family later down the line, but right now if you are single then a 1 bed flat should suffice. Not only will it be cheaper, but it will also mean that your options open up a bit more as you may be able to afford to live slightly closer. Why not save buying the 3 bed house for when you have a partner, that way the double earning power along with any possible equity you may have built up from your flat will stand you in good stead.
    I'm a Board Guide on the Credit Cards, Loans, Credit Files & Ratings boards. I'm a volunteer to help the boards run smoothly, and I can move and merge threads there. Any views are mine and not the official line of moneysavingexpert.com
  • DonPatch
    DonPatch Posts: 55 Forumite
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    Absolutely, CandyApple is right. My train journey is technically 30 minutes but unlike the underground the overheads just take you into the City. But that may not be the part of the City you need so then you have to walk or do underground. So in all I take 70 minutes.

    If you are used to inner London then you will be used to shorter journeys. My whole life I had only ever done 30-40 minutes commute. That extra 25 minutes almost send me over the edge!

    And overheads do not run like the underground so when they are cancelled that journey can be a nightmare.

    But to answer your question, my sister bought a very nice 2 bed semi in Wickford for £290 beginning of last year. She said there were cheaper houses in slightly different parts of the area. But she works locally, I think the train cost from Wickford is quite pricey.
  • Hillwalker11
    Hillwalker11 Posts: 93 Forumite
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    Colchester, 50 minute fast train to Livrpool Street, but a season ticket will cost you around £4000 per annum.
  • hutman
    hutman Posts: 104 Forumite
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    If freedom of movement from Europe was eliminated you'll find you might stand a chance of affording house near London without losing small fraction of your life to long commutes.
  • hazyjo
    hazyjo Posts: 15,470 Forumite
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    hutman wrote: »
    If freedom of movement from Europe was eliminated you'll find you might stand a chance of affording house near London without losing small fraction of your life to long commutes.
    On the other hand - I'd much rather my commute to Leigh-on-Sea than living in London! I chose to move out - not cos I was priced out.
    2023 wins: *must start comping again!*
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