London commuter towns: Where are the cheapest areas to live outside London?
LONDON commuter towns have housed blue and white-collar workers with responsibilities in the city for generations, often favoured for their markedly cheaper living standards. Where are the cheapest areas to live outside of London?
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London commuter towns continue to provide a cheap alternative for workers whose jobs take them to the capital. They often provide prices half as expensive across the board and may see many people favour the areas as ideal to step on the property ladder. The COVID-19 pandemic has only hastened the mass exodus from London, as people relegated to working from home look to save some money.
Where are the cheapest areas to live outside of London?
As the capital of England, London is naturally amongst the most expensive places to live in the UK.
Housing, food and the average pint will come at a marked up price, which ultimately may deter people from planting their roots there.
COVID-19 has likely added to the appeal of cities outside - but still close - to the capital.
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The way to calculate the best possible commuter town is by combining a variety of financial variables.
These include the cost of factors such as rent, mortgages or the ever-important season ticket.
A report by property site Zoopla earlier this year did just that, while also factoring in travel time.
They discovered a total of 10 areas which would give city workers a good bang for their buck.
The cheapest areas to live outside of London are the following:
Grays
Average annual mortgage: £12,492
Season ticket cost: £2,516
Combined cost: £15,008
Travel time: 39 mins
Leagrave
Average annual mortgage: £10,971
Season ticket cost: £4,428
Combined cost: £15,399
Travel time: 55 mins
Crayford
Average annual mortgage: £13,523
Season ticket: £2,140
Combined cost: £15,663
Travel time: 41 mins
Basildon
Average mortgage cost: £12,786
Season ticket cost: £3,020
Combined cost: £15,806
Travel time: 37 mins
Harlow
Average mortgage cost: £12,415
Season ticket cost: £3,544
Combined cost: £15,959
Travel time: 41 mins
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Dartford
Average mortgage cost: £13,523
Season ticket cost: £2,628
Combined cost: £16,151
Travel time: 48 mins
Hockley
Average mortgage cost: £14,380
Season ticket cost: £1,792
Combined cost: £16,172
Travel time: 51 mins
Stevenage
Average mortgage cost: £12,289
Season ticket cost: £3,964
Combined cost: £16,253
Travel time: 36 mins
Billericay
Average mortgage cost: £12,786
Season ticket cost: £3,696
Combined cost: £16,482
Travel time: 38 mins
Gravesend
Average mortgage cost: £12,876
Season ticket cost: £3,672
Combined cost: £16,548
Travel time: 60 mins
Many Londoners may soon test out Zoopla's findings, with those primarily of the millennial generation looking to relocate.
In a poll for the Independent, London headquartered financial services company Legal & General found 15 percent hoped to move to cheaper homes either within or outside city bounds, compared with seven percent over the rest of the country.
Those aged between 16 and 34 make up the bulk of those hoping to switch circumstances at 18 percent.
A comparatively small crop of 35 to 54-year-olds (nine percent) would do the same.