Where to buy a home in 2020: three good-value London commuter areas with fast train links and good schools

Three commuter areas where home buyers will find a different world — only an hour away from London.
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Ruth Bloomfield10 March 2020

That thought you had about moving out of London by the end of 2020 might have been stalled by the bewildering number of destinations available to anyone willing to spend up to an hour each way commuting.

The options include remote and beautiful villages, small but bustling market towns, commuter dormitories with super-convenient train services and like-minded locals, or busy larger towns with plenty to do so you won't feel isolated.

Wherever you move to, decent train links back to London and — probably — good schools are going to be high on the wish list.

Good-quality homes at reasonable prices and open spaces will be there, too. And with the average age of buyers quitting the capital falling to 39, proximity to sports clubs and some nice pubs and restaurants are likely to be welcome.

As confidence returns to the housing market, these three commuter locations are all tipped by Homes & Property for buyers looking to have every box ticked.

Bedford is on the River Great Ouse
Alamy Stock Photo

Bedford, Bedfordshire

If you are looking for a busy market town with fantastic schools and masses to do, then this ancient spot on the River Great Ouse could be an ideal choice.

Bedford town centre is full of shops, pubs and restaurants, and there is a good supply of Victorian houses around it.

Trains to St Pancras International take from 41 minutes. An annual season ticket costs from £4,972.

You'll struggle to find a school in town without at least a "good" Ofsted report. And Priory Primary School, Renhold VC Primary School, Castle Newnham primary and St Thomas More Catholic Secondary School all get top marks from the schools watchdog.

Why Bedford is tipped as one to watch in 2020

Bedford town centre is on the up. The council is about to embark on a project to upgrade slightly tatty but historic shops on the high street, while an upgrade of the dated Harpur Centre, the town's main mall, has just completed.

Work has already started on a new train link between Oxford and Cambridge, which will give Bedford new direct links to both cities over the next few years.

The pros: Bedford is a hotspot for quality Italian bars and restaurants thanks to the strong Italian population who came to the town in the Fifties.

Bedford Park is lovely, and every other year the Bedford River Festival attracts around a quarter of a million people to the town. There is an annual regatta, too.

The cons: although Bedford is very pretty around the river — an area known as Castle Quarter — the rest of the town centre is too modern to have a lot of character.

Average house prices in Bedford ​ and what there is to buy

Property prices have been rising strongly in the MK40 postcode. An average home now costs £357,000 according to Rightmove, up from £250,000 five years ago.

On the river you could pay well over £1 million for a waterfront home, but you could pick up a roomy family Victorian semi close to the station for around half that.

Three-bedroom semis and terrace houses come in at around £220,000 to £300,000. You could buy a two-bedroom period conversion or purpose-built flat for less than £200,000

Blackmore is cheaper than similarly pretty villages in Surrey
Alamy Stock Photo

Blackmore, Essex

From its village green, complete with duck pond, to the festivities of the annual village fair, this is a lovely, traditional little country village nestled in spectacular Essex countryside.

Unlike many commuter villages Blackmore is thriving. There is a post office, pub, tea shop and brasserie. Chelmsford is eight miles away with an excellent range of shops and things to do.

Blackmore Primary School has a "good" Ofsted report. Older kids will need to bus it to one of the local towns where the senior schools are generally of a very high standard.

Becket Keys CofE Free School in Brentwood, four miles away, is rated "outstanding".

Why Blackmore is tipped as one to watch in 2020

When Crossrail finally gets going locals will be able to drive five miles to Shenfield, the eastern terminus of the line, for fast trains to the City and West End.

The pros: set in ancient woodland, Blackmore is cheaper than similarly pretty villages in Surrey.

The cons: there's no station. Commuters need to travel to Ingatestone, three miles away, for trains to Liverpool Street which take 29 minutes. An annual season ticket starts from £3,748.

Average house prices in Blackmore ​— and what there is to buy

Blackmore is in the CM4 postcode, where average prices stand at £578,000 according to Rightmove.

Five years ago the average price was £607,000, so it appears the uncertainty caused by Brexit has taken its toll on this affluent location. However, there could be a bounce as confidence comes back in 2020.

There is a wide range of property in the village, from timbered houses to almost-new homes. A three-bedroom period house would cost about £600,000 to £650,000.

Borehamwood is a popular commuter town with trains to Blackfriars or London Bridge taking just under 40 minutes

Borehamwood, Hertfordshire

About as far from Hollywood as you can possibly imagine, this pleasant and nondescript commuter dormitory is nevertheless on the cusp of billions of pounds-worth of investment in a state-of-the-art studio.

In the past Borehamwood's appeal has tended to be more about its accessibility than anything else.

Trains to Blackfriars or London Bridge take just under 40 minutes, with an annual season ticket costing from £2,032. It is also handy for the M1, surrounded by green belt farmland and endless golf clubs, and it's a nine-minute train hop to St Albans for shopping and socialising.

There is a wide choice of primary schools with "good" Ofsted reports.

Why Borehamwood is tipped as one to watch in 2020

Sky has just unveiled plans for a 32-acre film and TV studio — close to the BBC and Elstree Studios already in the area — slated to open in 2022.

It promises a £3 billion investment and 2,000 new jobs which Hertsmere borough council describes as a "fantastic opportunity" for the area.

Pros: affordability and an easy commute. There are some lovely pubs to explore in surrounding villages.

Cons: dreary and boring high street. One of Borehamwood's two senior schools "requires improvement" according to Ofsted, so parents of older children will need a Plan B. And there's a lack of character property.

Average house prices in Borehamwood ​ and what there is to buy

Average prices in WD6 stand at £445,000, up from £343,000 five years ago according to Rightmove.

You would pay £1 million-plus for one of the big trophy executive homes on and around Barnet Lane.

There are also new homes, including Bellway Homes' Hertsmere Road where you could buy a four-bedroom terrace house for £630,000.

A three-bedroom Thirties to Fifties semi would cost just over £500,000.

At Taylor Wimpey's Poets Rise a new two-bedroom flat is priced at £385,000.