What is the true cost of buying a house in the 73 official commuter spots?

Value for money ranking
Area
County
Journey time (minutes)
Annual travel cost
Average house price
Average mortgage repayment
Combined annual commuter cost (mortgage repayment + travel cost)
1
Tilbury
Essex
45
£3,352
£183,658
£7,836
£11,188
2
Grays
Essex
34
£3,352
£190,065
£8,112
£11,464
3
Chatham
Kent
43
£3,876
£181,643
£7,752
£11,628
4
Ashford
Kent
38
£2,792
£212,651
£9,072
£11,864
5
Dartford
Kent
42
£2,336
£230,665
£9,840
£12,176
6
Gravesend
Kent
24
£3,908
£201,364
£8,592
£12,500
7
Basildon
Essex
31
£3,840
£203,757
£8,700
£12,540
8
Swanscombe
Kent
52
£2,912
£254,146
£10,848
£13,760
9
Gillingham
Kent
47
£3,876
£232,957
£9,936
£13,812
10
Crawley
West Sussex
49
£3,476
£245,952
£10,500
£13,976
11
Waltham Cross
Hertfordshire
27
£2,544
£271,053
£11,568
£14,112
12
Hatfield
Hertfordshire
22
£3,716
£255,934
£10,920
£14,636
13
Wickford
Essex
37
£4,468
£239,212
£10,212
£14,680
14
Stevenage
Hertfordshire
25
£4,776
£234,567
£10,008
£14,784
15
Rochester
Kent
40
£3,876
£257,856
£11,004
£14,880
16
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire
27
£4,412
£249,985
£10,668
£15,080
17
Hoddesdon
Hertfordshire
28
£3,496
£278,577
£11,892
£15,388
18
Welwyn Garden City
Hertfordshire
26
£3,924
£272,927
£11,652
£15,576
19
Harlow
Essex
36
£4,380
£267,767
£11,424
£15,804
20
Slough
Berkshire
17
£3,252
£319,314
£13,620
£16,872
21
South Benfleet
Essex
39
£4,480
£292,104
£12,468
£16,948
22
Letchworth Garden City
Hertfordshire
36
£5,168
£279,606
£11,928
£17,096
23
Rayleigh
Essex
42
£4,692
£290,871
£12,408
£17,100
24
Chelmsford
Essex
34
£4,704
£293,952
£12,540
£17,244
25
Baldock
Hertfordshire
39
£5,280
£282,987
£12,072
£17,352
26
Staines
Surrey
35
£3,152
£341,942
£14,592
£17,744
27
Egham
Surrey
41
£3,364
£341,071
£14,556
£17,920
28
Redhill
Surrey
29
£3,432
£343,509
£14,664
£18,096
29
Brentwood
Essex
40
£3,336
£346,226
£14,772
£18,108
30
Addleston
Surrey
62
£3,460
£343,629
£14,664
£18,124
31
Cheshunt
Hertfordshire
25
£3,008
£362,281
£15,456
£18,464
32
Horley
Surrey
47
£3,952
£344,752
£14,712
£18,664
33
Caterham
Surrey
39
£2,344
£383,263
£16,356
£18,700
34
Hitchin
Hertfordshire
32
£4,896
£334,264
£14,268
£19,164
35
Tonbridge
Kent
42
£4,052
£358,477
£15,300
£19,352
36
Watford Junction
Hertfordshire
16
£3,348
£387,102
£16,524
£19,872
37
Woking
Surrey
27
£3,052
£398,667
£17,016
£20,068
38
Chertsey
Surrey
65
£3,592
£386,645
£16,500
£20,092
39
Epsom
Surrey
36
£2,484
£413,308
£17,640
£20,124
40
Stansted Mountfitchet
Essex
41
£5,120
£352,618
£15,048
£20,168
41
Hertford
Hertfordshire
50
£3,600
£396,213
£16,908
£20,508
42
Dorking
Surrey
50
£3,096
£413,010
£17,628
£20,724
43
Sunbury
Surrey
49
£2,692
£423,744
£18,084
£20,776
44
Great Chesterford
Essex
70
£5,404
£360,738
£15,396
£20,800
45
Chesham
Buckinghamshire
61
£3,336
£415,825
£17,748
£21,084
46
Billericay
Essex
31
£4,260
£396,797
£16,932
£21,192
47
Bishops Stortford
Hertfordshire
38
£4,952
£385,945
£16,464
£21,416
48
Ewell
Surrey
33
£2,344
£449,434
£19,176
£21,520
49
Borehamwood
Hertfordshire
18
£2,344
£456,415
£19,476
£21,820
50
Potters Bar
Hertfordshire
17
£2,932
£445,058
£18,996
£21,928
51
Bushey
Hertfordshire
19
£3,008
£445,594
£19,020
£22,028
52
Loughton
Essex
27
£2,344
£466,345
£19,896
£22,240
53
St Albans
Hertfordshire
19
£4,128
£424,649
£18,120
£22,248
54
Epping
Essex
38
£2,344
£477,220
£20,364
£22,708
55
Maidenhead
Berkshire
19
£3,692
£463,843
£19,788
£23,480
56
Walton on Thames
Surrey
25
£3,008
£481,098
£20,532
£23,540
57
Warlingham
Surrey
33
£3,348
£483,776
£20,640
£23,988
58
Banstead
Surrey
52
£2,344
£512,275
£21,864
£24,208
59
Reigate
Surrey
42
£3,472
£503,938
£21,504
£24,976
60
Elsenham
Essex
55
£5,136
£469,035
£20,016
£25,152
61
Windsor
Berkshire
31
£3,488
£512,051
£21,852
£25,340
62
Rickmansworth
Hertfordshire
27
£2,544
£550,227
£23,484
£26,028
63
Leatherhead
Surrey
44
£2,840
£558,428
£23,832
£26,672
64
Tring
Hertfordshire
36
£4,872
£527,003
£22,488
£27,360
65
Amersham
Buckinghamshire
39
£3,336
£569,798
£24,312
£27,648
66
Berkhamsted
Hertfordshire
32
£5,220
£562,326
£24,000
£29,220
67
Weybridge
Surrey
30
£3,592
£621,886
£26,532
£30,124
68
Sevenoaks
Kent
33
£3,944
£623,618
£26,616
£30,560
69
Radlett
Hertfordshire
27
£3,148
£679,073
£28,980
£32,128
70
Harpenden
Hertfordshire
25
£4,392
£734,722
£31,356
£35,748
71
Esher
Surrey
31
£2,688
£842,428
£35,952
£38,640
72
Gerrards Cross
Buckinghamshire
19
£3,296
£836,246
£35,688
£38,984
73
Beaconsfield
Buckinghamshire
25
£3,788
£1,071,534
£45,720
£49,508

Click here to see the map on iPad. Analysis by Jennet Siebrits, CBRE.

Out of the 73 areas, the maximum train commute is 70 minutes, with the average at 35 minutes – less than the time it takes many Londoners to get to work each morning.

There are even some areas where, according to train companies, you are very likely to get a seat on a rush-hour train.

 

The most expensive commuter towns are Gerrards Cross and nearby Beaconsfield, where the average house price is £1,071,534 and the train journey is 26 minutes to Marylebone. The study found combined mortgage repayments and travel costs added up to £49,508 a year on average for those in Beaconsfield.

Esher, in Surrey, came in third with annual outgoings of £38,984. Esher and nearby Weybridge (the seventh most expensive commuter town) are smack in the middle of the so-called “broker belt”, an affluent, leafy part of Surrey, inside the M25 and with a fast line into Waterloo.

But it is not just the preserve of bankers – there are still more affordable spots in the area: Hersham is seen as an affordable alternative to Weybridge or Esher, and has all the usual amenities.

The cheapest commuter spots, where values are expected to increase the most, are all to the east of the City. Tilbury, on the Thames, ranks as the most affordable. The train journey to Liverpool Street takes 45 minutes, the average house price is £183,658, and the combined cost of mortgage repayments and train fare is £11,188. It overtook Basildon for the top spot, which moved into eighth place.

Travellers at Woking railway station  Photo: Alamy

“We are seeing a continuing wave of outer gentrification,” says Russell Quirk, founder of the online estate agent, eMoov.

  As Brentwood, St Albans and Sevenoaks become more expensive, first and second-time buyers are inevitably moving further out to the likes of Grays, Basildon and Tilbury.

“There is a sacrifice being made. People are adding 30 minutes to their journey to move to an area that is not as salubrious as the one they have been renting in or where they bought that first flat,” Mr Quirk says.

“Yesterday’s Brentwood buyer is today’s Basildon buyer.”

Jennet Siebrits, head of residential research at CBRE, said: “While London maintains its wide-spread appeal and attracts an ever increasing population, the lure of the suburbs remains strong, particularly when factoring in recent prices rises across the capital. Many of these buyers are recognising the value opportunities in moving slightly further afield from these increasingly popular locations.

“The recent surge in activity throughout the commuter belt has in turn pushed up prices in areas such as Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross. However, there are still many pockets in the commuter belt which remain affordable to a more modest budget, leading to an inevitable surge of interest in areas including Tilbury, Dartford and Basildon.”

What can you buy in the commuter belt?

Dartford

Horton Kirby, Dartford, Kent, DA4  Photo: Knight Frank

This four bedroom house which backs onto a river is on the market at £750,000 through Knight Frank.

Dartford in Kent is just 42 minutes from London on the train which gets in at Cannon Street, Victoria or Charing Cross. It has a combined commuter cost of £12,176.

Dorking

This two bedroom bungalow in Dorking is on the market at £495,000 from online estate agent eMoov.

Dorking in Surrey is 50 minutes by train to Victoria or Waterloo, and has a combined commuter cost of £20,724.

Bushey

This five bedroom house in Bushey is for sale with eMoov for £1,595,000.

Bushey in Hertforshire is just 19 minutes from Euston and has a combined commuter cost of £22,028.

Egham

This five bedroom, Grade II listed house in Egham is for sale with Knight Frank for £1,595,000.

Egham, in Surrey, is 41 minutes from Waterloo and has a combined commuter cost of £17,920.