Top new property hotspots for commuting into UK cities

News - Top new property hotspots for commuting into UK cities...
The daily commute into work is a ‘necessary evil’ for many people across the UK - around 25 million people in Britain travel from the suburbs and rural areas to the nation’s cities every day to get to work. According to recent research by the RAC, the average daily commute takes 54 minutes – rising to 86 minutes if you commute to Central London.

Research by Savills Homes suggests that every minute spent commuting reduces the price of a house by £1000 – but commuters shouldn’t necessarily have to trade cheaper house prices with the length of their journey. So how can commuters help ensure they keep travel times to a minimum but still benefit from living in a well situated location? Here, Mark Cooper, Managing Director of Homeimprovementquotes.co.uk, takes a look at some of the emerging property hotspots for all those commuters across the UK.

Beside the Seaside
When it comes to choosing an ideal location, sun, sea and sand are high on the list. In England, sun might be hard to come by, but sea and sand are no problem! Most workers in London probably think that a life beside the sea is beyond their reach, but if you’re prepared for quite a trek every morning, it is possible. Herne Bay, near Kent, is a quiet coastal village just 65 miles from London and is becoming popular with city commuters. Far cheaper than the fashionable Whitstable and Sittingbourne, the average 2-bedroom terrace will set you back just £130,000.

Herne Bay is a traditional English seaside town, complete with pier and promenade. The only problem is the long commute – the journey to London Victoria currently costs £3088 per year and takes 90 minutes, which means very early mornings and very late nights! However don’t rule it out completely – with a new high-speed railway set for 2009, the commute will be cut down to 61 minutes, making Herne Bay a new commuter hotspot. Investing there now could prove valuable in the future.

Closer to home
If the lure of city life is just too strong, there are plenty of commuter locations close to Central London – but don’t be fooled into thinking that closer to the centre means a shorter commute – the commute from London’s Queen’s Park still takes around 50 minutes. Queen’s Park with its leafy gardens, parks and petting zoo has become a popular destination with celebrities, and as such, has gained a reputation for being expensive and out-of-reach of most commuters. However the area is surprisingly affordable, with 2-bedroom flats starting out at £350,000. Compare this to nearby Maida Vale, where the same property will cost upwards of £650,000. Queen’s Park is also good for renters – one-bedroom fully furnished flats cost as little as £250 per week. Close to Queen’s Park is Kensal Rise which, on paper, seems even better value for money, with one-bedroom flats staring at £230,000. However most overground rail and Tube links stop at Queen’s Park and don’t go as far as Kensal, making the commute less straightforward and more expensive.

Scottish City Living
Glasgow is Scotland’s largest city, and good rail and road links via the M8 make it ideal for commuting. Compared to travelling to London, commuting in Glasgow takes half the time – roughly 30 minutes – and the choice of commuting towns is vast. Bearsden, Troon and Loch Lomond are all within half an hour of the city and the new seaplane links from Oban will get you to Glasgow Harbour in 20 minutes.

Despite the excellent transport links, many commuters in Glasgow are swapping their daily journey for a trendy apartment, built as part of the city’s regeneration. Many ex-warehouses, docklands, factories and historical buildings right in the city centre are being converted into over 8000 flats aimed at young professionals, reflecting the changing urban demographic: the number of 20-29 year olds living in Glasgow stands at 42 per cent above the Scottish average. Property in Glasgow is also remarkably affordable for younger people and first time buyers – the average house price is just under £170,000, compared with £200,000 in England. Add to this the fact that you don’t need to buy an expensive commuter ticket, and property in Glasgow is extremely tempting.

The “ripple effect”
In the North of England, what is known as the “ripple effect” is pushing commuters further away from the cities. In and around Leeds in particular, house prices are pushing commuters further out of the market and traditional commuter towns are becoming less popular. This means that people are being pushed to locations which were previously considered ‘undesirable’ – places such as Kirkstall, once an industrial centre just north of Leeds. The average property price in Kirkstall is just £164,000 and 52 per cent of properties are small terraced houses, so there is not much variation on price.

Kirkstall is certainly being put back on the map: the commute from the town takes just 10 minutes on the bus and costs just £340 a year and the town is set for a £4 million railway in the near future, connecting Leeds and Bradford. The railway is part of the redevelopment of a huge brownfield site on the ruins of the Kirkstall Forge. The site will incorporate 1385 houses, offices, shops, bars, restaurants and a gym, and will be popular with commuters to Leeds, just 10 minutes away, and Bradford, 20 minutes by train.

A hidden gem in the North of England is Ilkley Moor – where demand for property is so high estate agents don’t even bother to put them in the window! Properties are often sold before they go on the market. As well as being in an area of outstanding natural beauty, Ilkley has one of the best comprehensive schools in the country and there is a constant queue of families and professionals waiting for a property to come up in the area. Due to the excessive demand, prices in Ilkley are going up, but you are paying for the desirability of the location, and whatever you pay is guaranteed to be a safe investment. Starter homes start at £125,000, but larger, detached townhouses can cost up to £700,000 – prices to rival nearby Harrogate, traditionally an extremely popular location for millionaire investors. Recent research by Euro Direct found that there are now more than 100 millionaires living in Ilkley and some houses in the area are fetching in excess of £1 million. Commuting from Ilkley takes less than an hour to Bradford and Leeds, and you can have your own slice of the luxury lifestyle!

Popular commuter towns across the rest of the country include Widnes, which will get you to Manchester in 34 minutes for £1528 per year. Living in Whitley Bay will get you to Newcastle in just 27 minutes and will cost just £399. Portishead is popular with commuters to Bristol – properties average at £240,000 and the commute takes just 45 minutes. Finally, West Bromwich will get you to Central Birmingham in just 14 minutes and property is much cheaper. The average house costs just £140,000 and the commute will set you back just £471 per year.

Commuting to work is a way of life
Regeneration is certainly bringing couples and young professionals back into the city. They are tempted by trendy apartment blocks and all the advantages of living just a stone’s throw away from work, clubs, pubs and shops. City life isn’t for everyone though and living out in the suburbs can mean you get more for your money when it comes to buying property, with some rural properties up to 35 per cent cheaper then a city location. Commuting to work is a way of life for many people and it doesn’t necessarily mean a horrendous journey every day (and if you travel on public transport or car-share it can be possible to work on the way to work). When buying property, be sure to consider what lifestyle best suits you and always keep your finger on the property market pulse – buying in the right place at the right time can save you money and valuable commuting time!