The question readers often ask is: “Where can I move that is within an hour’s commute of the city where I work? I want a place where property is relatively affordable, with the possibility of appreciation. I also want a place where I can settle down, with decent amenities.” There are plenty of established locations where prices are prohibitive. We asked experts to name the lesser-known areas that will be popular with commuters in the next few years. Our selection is based on the potential for strong house-price growth, present and future regeneration and improved or improving transport links.
1. Bicester, Oxfordshire
Mention Bicester and most people think of the retail outlet. But is more going on here? A railway line is being built between Oxford and Bicester which will improve accessibility between Oxford, Bicester and Marylebone and, as part of the scheme, Bicester Town railway station is being rebuilt — and renamed Bicester Village. The government has given the council funding to carry out a feasibility study on a development that could provide 13,000 new homes under its new “garden town” status.
The market town is becoming more vibrant, according to Ronnie van der Ploeg, of Savills’ Oxford office. “It’s recently been discovered as an affordable commuter location. It is right by the M40, trains to London take 50 minutes and it is more affordable than Oxford,” he adds. House prices in the town have, on average, increased by about 15 per cent in the year to May, from £246,303 to £282,027, according to Savills.
2. Rochester, Kent
Rochester, with its Norman castle and cathedral and historic high street, is the jewel of the Medway towns yet it has always been affordable. The area has become more desirable since the redevelopment of Chatham dockyard; there is greater demand for housing at every level of the market and prices are increasing — up 19 per cent in the year to May, from £181,797 to £216,441.
Historic properties, such as the listed Boley Hill, are also attracting a lot of attention. The house has just gone on the market for offers over £2 million, a record for the town, and it has already attracted 16 viewings. Commuter rail services to London — you can get to Victoria in 45 minutes — are due to improve. A new railway station, with platforms for longer trains, is being built to meet demand. It is due to open in December this year.
3. Market Harborough, Leicestershire
Many people coming from London start looking in the Cotswolds but, finding values too high, head northwards to Leicestershire, according to James Abbott of Strutt & Parker’s Market Harborough office. Market Harborough ticks the boxes for many London commuters: trains to the capital take an hour, the area has good schooling, and it is a bustling town, with an active community, specialist shops and good restaurants.
Abbott says: “For the past five years, half of our sales have been to people who commute to London. Within the past two years, people have been asking to be within walking distance of the station. It is good value for money compared with London — a five-bedroom Edwardian house in the town costs about £400,000.”
4. Dalkeith, Midlothian
Seven miles from Edinburgh, Dalkeith is a busy market town that could become more popular. It is getting a new railway station, which is part of the Borders Railway,that will connect Edinburgh with Galashiels and Tweedbank. When it opens on September 6, the journey from Eskbank — a suburb of Dalkeith — to Waverley station will take 18 minutes. Improved transport links should boost its appeal as a commuter town as rush-hour traffic in the southern part of the city can be heavy. The new link may have already had an effect on prices; Rightmove says that asking prices for Dalkeith — including its four suburbs — are up by 15 per cent over the past eight months, from £161,061 to £185,691.
Sharon Zaremski, of Strutt & Parker’s country house department in Scotland, says: “The new train line has to have an effect on prices; the nearer the station is to Edinburgh, the bigger the house price rises will be. Being only 18 minutes away will make the town more desirable.”
5. Tonbridge, Kent
Although it has a castle and some great schools, it has long been in the shadow of Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks. This is mainly because the town is not as photogenic. David Johnston, of Savills’ Sevenoaks office, says: “People have realised the town has huge merits and the high street is improving. The property market has been strong for the past decade.” Recent additions include a Waitrose, Sainsbury’s and the butcher’s and delicatessen Ian Chatfield. The station has twice as many trains as Tunbridge Wells, as the Hastings and Ashford lines serve it. Houses here are not cheap but prices are 10 to 15 per cent lower on average than Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks, according to Johnston. Values have risen by 16 per cent in the year to May, from £287,791 to £333,955, according to Savills.
6. Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire
People commute to London from here — trains to King’s Cross take an hour — but the majority of commuters travel to Cambridge. There is no rail link but there is a bus route, which costs about £6 per day and takes under an hour. Commuting to Cambridge from Huntingdon by car will be quicker by 2020, when improvements to the A14 are to be completed. Adam Challis, of JLL, says: “It will improve congestion levels and help connect the town with employment in the Cambridge Science Park area.” Prices have rocketed in central Cambridge, so Huntingdon is good value for money by comparison. Rightmove says that asking prices have risen from £262,200 to £297,290 from August 2014 to August 2015, and the number of sales are almost at pre-recession levels, according to Adam Naylor of the Harvey Robinson estate agency in Huntingdon. At the higher end of the market, the former vicarage in the village of Great Gidding, 12 miles from Huntingdon, has six bedrooms, 1.2 acres and a coach house. It is for sale with Strutt & Parker for £1.1 million.
7. Bedford, Bedfordshire
The phrase “a well-kept secret” is overused but it can be applied to Bedford. “Bedford is 20 minutes farther along the line from St Albans but it is 20 to 30 per cent cheaper,” says Nik Kershaw, sales consultant at Taylors’ Bedford office. “It has a good mix of housing, it’s historic, has a beautiful embankment and some very pretty areas. It is also incredibly commutable.”
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The fast service to St Pancras takes 40 minutes and there are improvements being made to the Bedford to Brighton line, which goes via London and Gatwick airport, as part of the Thameslink programme. The town is becoming more popular with people commuting to Milton Keynes and Cambridge, now that a bypass offers better access to these areas.
8. Newport, Wales
The city centre will soon have the Friars Walk retail and leisure complex, in an area that was previously dominated by charity and betting shops. Challis reckons that Newport will benefit from the electrification of South Wales mainline: “The line [completion 2017] will improve connectivity with Bristol and Cardiff,” he says. Levi St John, of Haart’s Newport branch, says: “Cardiff and Bristol have made considerable gains since the downturn and people are looking at Newport because it offers better value for money. Prices dropped dramatically during the downturn but they are slowly rising; new-build flats which sold for £120,000 pre-recession are now selling for £80,000 to £90,000.”
9. Preston Park, Brighton
This suburb to the north of Brighton is leafy and full of characterful Victorian and Edwardian houses. It has traditionally been popular with families but it is now attracting more young professionals, many of whom commute to London. Tom Middleton, of King & Chasemore, says: “The park [called Preston Park] separates the suburb from the centre of Brighton, there are fewer parking restrictions and you can get to London in an hour.” A one-bedroom home here costs about £250,000. According to Savills, values have increased by 11 per cent in the year to May, from £315,665 to £349,917.
10. Preston, Lancashire
Preston has the Lancashire coastline and the Forest of Bowland on its doorstep and it is commutable from Manchester and Liverpool. JLL says that the city’s housing market will benefit from improvements to the Preston via Bolton to Manchester line. The line will be electrified in 2016, which will allow for longer and faster trains. Carol Shepherd, of Bridgfords’ Preston office, says: “Preston is underrated but is well placed for Liverpool, Manchester and London. The market has been levelling out and sensibly priced properties will sell.”