Phil Spencer shares ‘best’ London commuter towns

Phil Spencer lists the worst things to do when buying a property

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

The last couple of years have seen many Britons work from home, which has shifted priorities in terms of the best places to live. Green spaces and home offices resulted in lots of people moving away from the capital, but the attraction to London and the need for fast commuting times is still needed amongst city workers. Phil Spencer shared the top commuter towns on Move iQ taking the best commuter towns into account as well as the best commuter towns with the fastest train times.

The property expert said the “best commuter town” to London, not taking transport links into account, is St Albans in Herefordshire. St Albans is the closest city to London and has both historic buildings and new buildings to offer as well as plenty of shopping opportunities.

1. St Albans

The average journey time between London and St Albans is just 37 minutes, although this may be slightly longer on the weekends. According to Rightmove, properties in the town will set Britons back an average of £635,291.

The majority of sales in the city over the last year were terraced homes, selling for an average of £571,111, while flats sold for £329,953. Semi-detached homes sold for an average of £693,007, according to the property portal.

2. Hatfield

The second best commuter town on Phil’s list was Hatfield in Hertfordshire, just a 20 minute drive away from St Albans. The area is popular with walkers, runners and cyclists and there are a variety of shopping opportunities in the town.

Hatfield house is also a popular attraction in the area, a fine Jacobean house and garden set in a spectacular countryside setting. According to Rightmove, properties in the town had an overall average price of £382,386 over the last year.

The majority of sales in the town over the last year were terraced homes, selling for an average price of £369,330. Overall, sold prices in Hatfield in the last year were eight percent up on the 2019 peak of £354,802.

3. Reading

The third area on Phil’s recommended commuter town list was Reading, Berkshire, which can access London in just 23 minutes, according to the property expert. Reading is a large town on the Thames and Kennet rivers, known for the annual Reading Festival.

It is also popular for its shopping centre as well as riverside restaurants and is home to the University of Reading. It is situated in a great area of the country, with fantastic transport links into London and the wider country.

DON’T MISS:
‘Effective’ and ‘safe’ method to get rid of aggressive English ivy [EXPERT]
Five ‘little care’ tips to make orchids ‘bloom for years to come’ [COMMENT]
Ideal heating temperature to ‘avoid’ condensation on windows [EXPLAINER]

Properties around Reading had an overall average price of £412,962 over the last year, according to Rightmove. The majority of Britons purchased a terraced home in the last year, which sold for an average of £344,598.

Semi-detached properties sold for around £437,000, while flats fetched £229,608. Overall, sold prices around the large town over the last year were one percent up on the previous year and nine percent up on the 2017 peak of £377,624.

4. Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

Borehamwood is a town in southern Hertfordshire, just 12 miles from Charing Cross. The town is commonly known for being home to Elstree Studios which films various different programmes.

The town has become popular in recent years, being so close to London but offering lots of green space at the same time. There is also a wide range of properties for sale in the area, including semi-detached, detached, town houses as well as apartments.

Looking for a new home, or just fancy a look? Add your postcode below or visit InYourArea

However, they don’t come cheap, with the average property price in Borehamwood setting Britons back £563,256, over the last year, according to Rightmove. The majority of sales during the last year were semi-detached properties, selling for an average price of £592,851.

Terraced homes sold for £497,629, while flats sold for an average of £305,681. Overall, sold prices in Borehamwood over the last year were six percent up on the previous year and 23 percent up on the 2016 peak of £459,446.

5. Iver, Buckinghamshire

Iver is a large civil parish in Buckinghamshire, and the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park. The village is close to the popular town of Uxbridge and just a 20 minute drive away from historic Windsor.

The village sits on the Greater Western Main Line, with daily services available to London Paddington, a great destination for London commuters. Iver is popular amongst families since it falls in the catchment area of a number of good schools.

According to Rightmove, properties in the village had an overall average price of £503,398 over the last year. The majority of sales in Iver during the last year were semi-detached homes, selling for an average of £546,527.

Terraced homes sold for around £400,000, while flats fetched £249,579. Overall, sold house prices in the last year were three percent up on the previous year and four percent up on the 2019 peak of £482,569.

Top 21 commuter towns to London:

1. St Albans, Hertfordshire

2. Hatfield, Hertfordshire

3. Reading, Berkshire

4. Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

5. Iver, Buckinghamshire

6. Stevenage, Hertfordshire

7. High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire

8. Horley, Surrey

9. Twyford, Berkshire

10. Redhill, Surrey

11. Beaconsfield, Chiltern Hills

12. Hitchin, Hertfordshire

13. Brentwood, Essex

14. Luton, Bedfordshire

15. Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire

16. Three Bridges, West Sussex

17. Guildford, Surrey

18. Amersham, Buckinghamshire

19. Epping, Essex

20. Cambridge, Cambridgeshire

21. Henley-On-Thames, Oxfordshire

Source: Read Full Article