Top 10 Places to Live OUTSIDE LONDON Part 1 of 2 | Best Commuter Towns For Young Professionals

[@TheHumblePenny]

What commuter towns do you live in? What would you recommend? comment below :)

[@jonevansauthor]

I've not done it but my brother commuted from Winchester train station for years... from Southampton. All the way to central London. Of course, he looked like a zombie most of the time and he worked on the train too. It's possible to do, although I tend to think it's not the ideal solution.

[@joshuagarry8785]

Hitchin is on the same line as Stevenage. 3 minutes away from Stevenage. 25 mins away from Finsbury Park and 35 minutes away from London Kings Cross. Direct line to London Bridge as well. As good as any other line.

[@bowwowzchick05]

Brentwood, Chelmsford, Harlow and Colchester are also great options for people who need to get into the City

[@Caribbean_King]

Peace! I'm an African American and I would like to live in England someday. This is a well-done video and I am happy to see a lovely couple presenting this valuable information! Hope to meet you folks one day! Cheers! ✊

[@TheHumblePenny]

Peace! ✊🏾 And thank you!! We appreciate you.

[@2war2bray]

You can't beat going out of London going west. The Thames Valley with all the Thames towns and villages, very close to the Chilterns. I grew up in Bray/Maidenhead and whilst Maidenhead may not be the best the most attractive town centre in the area, it's what is around the town within a short drive that makes it so appealing - The Cookhams, Bray, Taplow, Cliveden, Burnham Beeches, Holyport, Waltham St. Lawrence, Pinkney's Green, Marlow, Ascot, Hurley. Aston, Sonning, Windsor, Henley. As a friend of mine who used to play cricket for Chiswick once said - "Me and the lads always were happiest when we played teams going west out of London. It was always the loveliest part of the Home Counties to see from a bus. Pricey though.

[@ptrisonic]

Very cheap.....

[@MJamilHoque]

Really appreciate the research carried out here. Awesome work. Thanks for sharing.

[@TheHumblePenny]

You're most welcome 🙏🏾. Took ages 😅

[@imi_xo]

Fantastic video!! Reading is dope - 23mins direct to Paddington, and with the Elizabeth line now it's now super easy, it's basically a London suburb!!

[@TheHumblePenny]

🔥🔥

[@ogopinions9082]

I live in a commuter town, all of my rental property is in commuter towns apart from one in Liverpool (lol long story). I also stopped commuting as I thought the saving on the annual ticket and being home to put the kids to bed was worth the drop in salary. I definitely don’t miss London Transport

[@TheHumblePenny]

Totally agree re not missing london transport 😆

[@spareyoutubeaccount]

Leighton Buzzard i recommend i moving there this month 30 minutes to euston

[@joshuagarry8785]

I live in an area close to Stevenage called Hitchin. I'd recommend it above Stevenage. Beautiful area. Diverse with some great schools. Great restaurants and links into London. Would benefit from some more schools built.

[@TheHumblePenny]

Great share 👍🏾. Sounds like we need to do a part 2 of this video 😊

[@LDNBikes]

Hitchin is beautiful compared to Stevenage but the value reflects that

[@TheWellnessAbbey]

Hitchen is beautiful and Hitchen over Stevenage I agree! A no brainer if you have the funds.

[@GrahamMacdonald-w9o]

It depends what you want. The traffic can be awful in Hitchin at rush hour and on Saturdays and there are four larger supermarkets in Stevenage than the largest one in Hitchin. Property prices are noticeably higher in Hitchin than in Stevenage despite it being slightly further away from London.

[@jt305]

St Albans for sure . .. Hertfordshire or Bedfordshire have direct train to London

[@TheHumblePenny]

We wanted to add St Albans to the list. It's crazy expensive though. A bit like Sevenoaks

[@jt305]

@@TheHumblePenny luton and Harpenden not far from it on the same train line -cheaper places too

[@TheHumblePenny]

@@jt305 noted ✅️

[@technophobe1912]

Yep, just this week moved to Dunstable (Conveyancing took longer than anticipated but got there in the end. Just so pleased to be out of London. 2 bed with garden for £210k!! WfH so it made sense to buy and move. So grateful to the Almighty for helping me finally get on the housing ladder after 10yrs saving hard. It’s been worth it!

[@thomastweedy6084]

@@jt305 Harpenden is even more expensive

[@magdalenapistova]

The best informative, honest video I've seen here. Thank you. Magdalena

[@TheHumblePenny]

Thanks a lot 😊. Please share with others

[@RomelAlibudbud]

Amazing detailed information! I appreciate your research efforts! Thanks.

[@TheHumblePenny]

Thanks a lot :). We'll be doing a part 2 very soon

[@sahnie82]

This was super helpful! Thanks for posting.

[@TheHumblePenny]

You're most welcome. Please share with others 😊

[@djbapeck]

Amazing insight very much appreciated, love your content and your efforts.

[@no1gifted]

I'm in Rochester not far from Chatham - get in while it's still affordable. Lots of property development happening in the area and it's a university town (Kent, Canterbury Christ and Greenwich) which is great for rental properties also.

[@TheHumblePenny]

Spot on!

[@TheWellnessAbbey]

Agreed!

[@ronylussari]

By far the best video I have ever seen on the topic. Brilliant!

[@TheHumblePenny]

Yay! 🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@karenfletcher6880]

Thanks this was very informative.

[@TheHumblePenny]

You're welcome :). Do share with others :)

[@leodass]

Thank You Guys. Wonderfully Done.

[@TheHumblePenny]

You're welcome 😊. Part 2 loading...

[@Thentherewasbim]

I've been seriously considering moving out of London to save money on rent. So many different towns to consider!

[@TheHumblePenny]

That's good news, right? What are paying in London now?

[@Thentherewasbim]

@@TheHumblePenny I flat share so £800 plus bills

[@jemseed]

I bought my house in 2019 in an area 45 min from London for £296000. Its has 4 bedrooms a garage, garden, 2 car drive and carport. Id be lucky if I could buy a 1 bedroom flat above a chicken and chips shop in a grotty area of London for that price. Fortunately I am an electrician and was able to pick up my business in my new area and its going well. my wife and children are all happy and we have many great neighbours some who are from London also. My mortgage is half the rent I was paying in London and is not just going into a black hole, I get to leave somthing for the kids. People who stay in London are crazy, I mean it is not easy to just up sticks and move out but it should definitely be an aim. Even prices up here have gone up a lot, my house is now valued at £335K

[@fbl9795]

Yeaa, I agree. Please tell me where. Looking for a value for money area anywhere outside London.

[@iamworthy222]

There is a whole pile of London people that have moved to Bristol and have driven up our house prices whether through purchase or rent. Lots of them commute either by train or they drive.

[@TheHumblePenny]

This will be a growing trend in many places as more of us work from home, etc.

[@Awarebynature]

Amazing that the costs you listed you find affordable not affordable for some of us working folk

[@TheHumblePenny]

Tbh, everything is generally expensive these days.

[@Awarebynature]

@@TheHumblePenny yes sadly

[@jonevansauthor]

I wonder if this would make a great regular series but instead assume people are coming in to Paddington, or Waterloo. An episode would be Five great places to buy or rent if you're commuting into London on the Waterloo line. If you're commuting in, you really want to come into a station that's close to your work because as good as the Underground and Elizabeth lines and the buses in London are, it's easy to look at a map and think it won't take long on public transport. I think the best solution for young professionals is probably to take advantage of their youth and lifestyle. Share a house with friends, live as far away as you can reasonably do with commuting, or start campaigning for tiny flats to be something developers can legally build (currently there are slum landlord protections in place which make them a non-starter apparently, which is insanely outdated because they'd be a perfect solution to first time buyers and young people and all our housing problems tbh).

[@TheHumblePenny]

Fab suggestion! 👌🏾

[@akocmatthew]

Monthly mortgage is cheaper but the commute to london for work is very expensive.

[@TheHumblePenny]

This is usually the case. Working from home at all?

[@akocmatthew]

Both of us work in london. I did the maths. More or less the same monthly including the travel cost. Tbf you’ll get bigger house outside london just need to sacrifice travel time.

[@queenh4073]

Yep I'm seeing this and it's swaying my decisions 😢.....not really I've got to get out of London

[@Blackbeardformen]

Wonderful video, great info. Thank you!

[@TheHumblePenny]

You're most welcome 🙏🏾. Do share with others

[@cgalvao1993]

I'm planning relocate from Berlin to London area and as far as I've researched it seems like when living outside London, the money you save on rent goes to public transportation. Am I wrong?

[@anacmarulanda]

It depends on where you live & work. Bought a home in a town just outside of Colchester from London and all the money we saved in the difference between rent and mortgage we spend it on a car (didn’t need one in london) and my commute to London 2 days a week. As it’s also a bigger place than our London flat, so the council tax and bills cost more. So whilst I love where I live and feel we made a great decision in leaving London it is absolutely not cheaper, just a better quality of life due to cleaner air, access to the countryside, nicer atmosphere as people are friendlier and access to nature based activities.

[@Samantha-xr4mx]

When you rent in London do you pay council tax on top of your rent?

[@natashaaustin3260]

Exactly, that's what I am looking for 🙏​@@anacmarulanda

[@alexandramacsim1422]

@@Samantha-xr4mxyes

[@beckyb76563]

@@Samantha-xr4mx Yes

[@erin8772]

I’m surprised you put Stevenage over Bedford they aren’t far from each other and Bedford has a quick train into London it might be the same line as Stevenage actually. I’m not sure if Stevenage has improved much but growing up I saw Stevenage go a bit down hill with some of its amenities. Bedford is a lovely market town and has had a lot of funding put into it over the years alongside plenty of events including the Bedford River festival. I used to rent a flat in the centre of town just before Covid. I’ve noticed even over that short period of time a lot of the rental properties and new rental developments are becoming more geared towards commuters. There’s a whole bunch of expensive flats fully furnished on short term lets, that specifically state ‘ideal for commuters’ and they know they can charge a premium for it too.

[@TheHumblePenny]

Hey Erin 👋🏾. We didn't quite pick Stevenage over Bedford. We just picked Stevenage for this video. For a part 2, we'd learn more about Bedford. We appreciate you sharing. Very helpful 😊

[@GrahamMacdonald-w9o]

The railway line from Bedford to Stevenage (via Hitchin) closed in 1964! These days, you would have to go into London and come out again to go from Bedford to Stevenage.

[@akosAdut]

Would you say Basildon is also upcoming? Quite a number moving there too

[@ayeshas.3727]

great video and very nicely put together.

[@TheHumblePenny]

Thank you, Ayesha 😊. Watch out for part 2 soon

[@ayeshas.3727]

Definitely. I am in the US but will be looking for property in the UK soon.

[@TheHumblePenny]

Fab! We're making it just for you :)@@ayeshas.3727

[@DBAR-3103]

Hi guys I like your videos. What do you think of Slough Berkshire?

[@oanalesnic79]

The properties in these places are still expensive and commute time/cost does not balance the pros

[@abm3853]

Romford, still fairly affordable and Elizabeth line is a game changer

[@TheHumblePenny]

Great share 👍🏾

[@GrahamMacdonald-w9o]

Having worked in Sevenoaks, I wouldn't think there would be many young professionals who could afford to live there. It is the sort of place where it is an unusual day, if you don't see a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley. The average age of the town's inhabitants seems to be older than the UK average and the social scene for younger people is a bit limited.

[@eventconsultants7010]

Happy I came across this channel. Lived in W. Ealing, Shepherd's Bush and Islington while studying twice and looking to invest in up-and-coming locations to commute into London or near Universities.

[@TheHumblePenny]

Welcome to our channel 😀

[@damianonana]

Good choice, however, you missed out the vibrant South West. With very good connection good to mention the 3 towns of Walton-on-Tames, Weybridge and Woking, on the same train line, fast train to London Waterloo, good schools,... Epsom is also a very good place I am still wondering why you missed the South West

[@TheHumblePenny]

No specific reason. Perhaps we'll share more in a part 2 :)

[@johnramos4715]

I brought a property in cardiff 5 years ago but I feel like relocating to london but it's so expensive.. I'm not sure if maybe I should relocate to Gillingham Rochester, Kent if I go back to work in London

[@daniella309]

London is crazy I’m actually trying to relocate to Cardiff myself or Sheffield. London literally drowns you 😭

[@Dominicwylai]

Great video! Some advice for future videos, sometimes it may be difficult for some viewers to comprehend some of the statistics, for example when mentioning x crime rates per 1000, is that considered high or low compared to other areas or the london average?

[@lauracortez4857]

Great video!!

[@TheHumblePenny]

Thank you 😊. Watch out for part 2.

[@JacobEdwinHouse]

Was born in Dartford but moved to Maidstone good commuter town

[@TheHumblePenny]

Great 👍🏾. Dartford is pretty expensive now

[@enavigatorE]

From Texas, n thinking about moving to london 😮

[@TheHumblePenny]

Awesome :). What questions do you have for us?

[@TH-qk6ez]

Don't, you will regret it....The UK as a whole is going down the drain...!!!...NHS deliberately being destroyed, cost of living...for the tax you pay in comparison to the US, the return isn't worth it...Never mind the weather, the UK has just become a depressing place to live...

[@aftablondon]

Wao,Maidenhead is more expensive than some London areas

[@Leo_Lise]

Loved this - such a helpful video, especially for me, as a first time buyer exploring options! (Outskirts of Ldn or further away?!?!) I’m hoping to purchase my first property mid-late 2023/ 2024 depending on how this economy goes 😂 I hope to see more videos like this, thank you both so much ❤😊

[@TheHumblePenny]

Awesome to read your comment. You're exactly the kind of person that we made this video for 😊

[@Sareex88]

Thanks for the video. Would you say that Dartford is good area for an investment property?

[@TheHumblePenny]

The deals in the area aren't stacking up at the moment. The purchase prices are too high as too many people have moved into the area.

[@TheChristianCollegeClub]

Hello do you have any neighborhoods you’d recommend for a young mom?

[@olufunmiesiso5088]

Thanks for this video. I would love to ask, If i work in North finchley, where would you suggest i live and very affordable.

[@MarcelOnyenaucheya2025]

hello i have a friend who is coming to work in hammersmith & fulham where can she live best advice pls

[@mrlumpeys]

Folkestone 40 mins to Stratford on the train and it’s by the sea

[@TheHumblePenny]

Nice. Thanks for sharing 👍🏾

[@thelittlesthobo7100]

How much is the season ticket?

[@MynameizAmi]

I live in Earlswood, next to Redhill. Redhill is probably one of the worst, ugly and poverty towns ive ever seen. Trains are always late, it is meant to take 35 mins to London, it always takes an hour if they bother to run. Don't move to Redhill.

[@jimbo6059]

Not the best place in surrey. Lived in Redhill for 18 years.

[@wizzardwacs]

Only someone from Surrey would consider Redhill impoverished. The local supermarket is a Sainsbury’s for goodness sake.

[@yeremiahangeles7252]

1:21 Does Reading have good health care for people of colour?

[@mcdougal0]

MAIDSTONE IN KENT LOOK IT UP.

[@ShivaniGupta-ig4ki]

Holmer green or Hazel mare?

[@TheHumblePenny]

Thanks for sharing

[@lordprotector3367]

Woking. Relatively affordable for Surrey, 15 trains an hour to Waterloo, taking 25 minutes. Near the M25, M3 and A3.

[@TheHumblePenny]

We covered Woking in part 2 kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnLXe2qXgcigoacsi=jaGK1UmRpUJDbmt1

[@babydeeeeeeeeeeeee]

Great video but i need advise I have a job offer in Stevenage but found a place to rent in hitchin . I am mot finding no reasonable place to rent in the town i live . Do u think its wise

[@Eby_100]

Chatham here we come.

[@TheHumblePenny]

✅️

[@thelittlesthobo7100]

High Wycombe?

[@TheHumblePenny]

Great shout :)

[@justliving83]

Why didnt Milton Keynes make this list?!?!

[@xoxstarxox7779]

Surprised Berkshire was mentioned as most videos like this only concentrate on East/South East.

[@TheHumblePenny]

It's beautiful in Berkshire :)

[@xoxstarxox7779]

@@TheHumblePenny It is. I moved to Bracknell in Berkshire from west London and like the proximity into London but also the ‘countryside’ aspect of the area.

[@nntpdump]

"Why settle for a shoebox?" Shorter commute to work. Everything you need being a 15min walk away. Just have less stuff that needs so much space!

[@danielokafor8027]

Honestly I wonder why people don’t look on the west coast mainline instead. Rugby is a 50 minute commute to London You can find a beautiful spacious newly build one bedroom flat from 600-800 pounds per month. There really isn’t a difference between 35mins and 50mins. I’ve lived in the south as well. But living in the midlands allows you see the whole country more!

[@TheHumblePenny]

Thank you for sharing this insight.

[@michealjustice1663]

For someone who schools in the university of East London, where would you advice one to get accommodation?

[@TheHumblePenny]

Romford?

[@ajnathan918]

Bishop Strortford ❤!

[@YTLJE]

This is a great video. However I know a couple of these places very well and wouldn’t recommend them as nice places to live in at all - that’s why they have stayed affordable. And as somebody else said demographics is important, my friend moved out of London to an area I grew up in and I only had one black person in my school year - it’s not diverse at all!

[@celiaguimaraes6610]

How about Abbey Wood? :)

[@TheHumblePenny]

It's London. SE2 :)

[@celiaguimaraes6610]

Yes, that's right. Sorry I've just read the video title again. 🤦‍♀️ An up-and-coming area in London though with lots of green spaces and particularly after the crossrail. 🙂

[@TheHumblePenny]

Absolutely agree. Hidden gem actually when you consider the Elizabeth line@@celiaguimaraes6610

[@daniella309]

its the cost of the train tickets that's the problem

[@TheHumblePenny]

True. If you can WFH, it's a win.

[@MENSA.lady2]

If my budget would run to it I choose Guildford.

[@deponentverb3954]

*Cries in how ludicrously expensive the railway pass is.

[@io4198]

Great research! Wondering why Woking is not on your list?

[@TheHumblePenny]

Part 2 😊

[@samuellarcombe4209]

In summary, I need to move up north...

[@TheHumblePenny]

That may not be such a bad idea 🤔

[@bernardshum2719]

Housing price, not too bad. Commute cost, terrible. What on earth is the country doing in terms of public transport? Money spent on commute is even more than food consumed.

[@fchas15]

Wow I can’t believe people pay £400/mo for the commute.

[@LavenderAnime211]

Anybody live in Chatham? These house prices 👀👀👀. 3 bed 2 bath meeee plssss😂

[@TheHumblePenny]

It's getting popular :)

[@Hlynb93]

I live in Chatham, don't bother, it's a veritable shithole

[@judahalexander2981]

Only south houses

[@rev2xs]

I think Reading shouldnt be on the list at all. According to the crime rate stats ive seen, yea youd be better off in Grimsby. In fact, Reading was rated the 12th worst place to live in the UK for 2023.

[@simp1eone]

Why are you British always showing AMERICAN HOMEs in your backdrop when talking about homes in UK. 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@meglomania2001]

Don't move to Reading ,as we're all right wing racists😢

[@Tippy257]

Don’t worry we’re coming.

[@MarketAppraisal]

Thanks for sharing! Great video 👍🏻

[@TheHumblePenny]

You're most welcome 😊