Typically, the ‘London Commuter Belt’ is seen as London and surrounding areas such as Kent, Essex and Hertfordshire. This is the area that is seen as a practical commute to work in London. The question can then be asked what is a practical commute to London . . . 30 minutes? 1 hour? Let’s face it . . . nobody wants to wake up at 5am just to get to the office in time for your 9am meeting. According to ONS’s Labour force survey people who work in London have the longest journeys, 931,000 people spend at least two hours travelling to and from work each day. . . that equates to 3 full weeks of the average person’s year , before they have even stepped foot in the office.
Many people may ask, why anyone would travel for hours every day to get to work . . . Central London property prices are out of reach for many people on average salaries. The average price for a home in London currently sits at £471,986 whilst the average London salary is £34,473 . . . the two figures don’t quite go together, right?
The argument could be made that the London commuter belt should be measured by time and not location. With advances in transport services with Crossrail reducing journey times significantly and HS2 coming in by 2026, the question could be asked is Birmingham soon to be in the London Commuter belt?
HS2 . . .
The highly anticipated HS2 is now well underway and is set to connect the North and the South, once fully completed, the new high speed line will provide fast, frequent connections between all of the UK’s major cities. The first phase of HS2 will see the journey from Birmingham to London Euston cut to just 49 minutes, the same time many Londoner’s travel day in and out between home and work.
Since the announcement of HS2 many investors have flocked to Birmingham to take advantage of incredible investment opportunities in the UK’s second city. With new developments in Birmingham offering high quality living at very competitive prices, offering the chance for many to purchase their first property or to investors who are looking for a high yield in a highly promising area.
Top pick in Birmingham
The Axium, Birmingham . . . an exclusive new development of 304 high end apartments, carefully designed with luxury kitchens & bathrooms. The Axium is ideally located within minutes ‘ walk from the City Centre, New Street Station, Mailbox shopping centre & HSBC’s new headquarters. Click here to see Ernest Brooks’ current availability in this development.
Ernest Brooks International have some of the best new investment opportunities across the UK’s major cities. You can contact the New Homes & Investments team on 02036218881 to discuss your upcoming investment.
If you have an off plan property you are looking to assign, or are looking to request a free valuation from one of Ernest Brooks specialist investments consultants click here.