Basildon named most affordable London commuter town

Basildon in Essex has been named the most affordable town in the London commuter belt.

Reasonable house prices and cheaper train fares are the reasons for its title, according to research carried out by property advisers CBRE.

The town is just a 35-minute train ride into London's Fenchurch street, with a season ticket price that comes in at £3,748 annually.

What's more, the average house price of £176,886 makes it affordable for homebuyers.

Jennet Siebrits, head of residential research at CBRE, told the This Is Money: "The combination of a lower average house price with affordable train fares into the capital means that areas such as Basildon, Luton and Harlow have maintained their top three position for increased value for money in London's commuter belt."

Indeed, it's the second year in a row that Basildon has been crowned the most affordable London commuter town.

Speaking about why Basildon's housing is affordable, Dave Smith, of Smith Latcher Property Services, said Basildon's New Town status is the reason for town's good value. It was built after the Second World War to rehouse bombed-out East Londoners.

Speaking to Homes and Property, he said: "Because the majority of the houses were built by the state they are cheaper than privately built houses."

He said that although Basildon is sometimes a victim of "the snob factor" and is looked down on by residents of neighbouring towns, like Billericay, it have "shopping centres and a hospital and everything you could possibly want.

He continued: "There are lots of trees and parks and open spaces, but I must admit that the post war architecture is not great. Pretty it is not."

Snapping at its heels in second place? Luton. The Bedfordshire town has average property prices of £176,921, while a train from Luton to London St Pancras will set you back £4,816 annually.

At the other end of the scale, Gerrard's Cross in Buckinghamshire is the most sought-after place to live in the London commuter belt, with a £774,361 average house price, and an annual train season ticket price of £3,216.

The 10 Cheapest Commuter Towns are:
1. Basildon
2. Luton
3. Harlow
4. Braintree
5. Gravesend
6. Crawley
7. Stevenage
8. Reading
9. Southend
10. Hatfield

The 10 Most Sought-After Commuter Towns are:
1. Gerrard's Cross
2. Beaconsfield
3. Rickmansworth
4. Sevenoaks
5. Amersham
6. Guildford
7. Potters Bar
8. St Albans
9. Windsor
10. Maidenhead

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