Swanley in Kent has come out on top in a comprehensive new ranking of London's best commuter towns, closely followed by Bushey and Watford in Hertfordshire.
The average house price starts from £221,000 in each of the top five commuter hotspots, making them a tempting option for cash-strapped Londoners looking for more space as the average house price in the capital reaches £491,000.
TotallyMoney.com analysed 89 commuter towns to come up with its report, taking into account everything from house prices and life satisfaction to the cost of a season ticket and the time it takes to reach the capital by train. This handy interactive infographic allows buyers to narrow their options according to the factor they feel is most important.
Homes in Swanley cost £353,854 on average, with the commute into Victoria taking just 29 minutes and costing £3,428 a year, while Bushey to the north-west is a more affordable option thanks to its lower average house prices of £318,484. Commuting is cheaper in Bushey, too, at £3,092 a year for an enviable 21-minute journey into Euston, but Swanley reported a slightly higher life satisfaction rating.
Virginia Water in Surrey emerged as the worst place for commuters to live, with sky-high average house prices of just over £1.4 million.
Here are the towns to look out for, depending on your priorities:
Cheapest house price
Essex is the county to focus on if you want affordable houses, with five of the top 10 cheapest towns. Purfleet takes the number one spot with its average house price of £210,321, followed by £213,768 in nearby Tilbury. Ebbsfleet and Chatham in Kent, Bletchley in Buckinghamshire and Luton in Bedfordshire are also worthy of consideration, all with average prices under £260,000.
Unless you have cash to splash, steer clear of the most expensive Virginia Water in Surrey, a popular area for golfers, but where the average house costs just over £1.4 million and the journey into London takes 47 minutes.
Surrey is the most expensive county, with Esher, Weybridge and Leatherhead also breaking the bank for average prices. Esher and Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire both have eye-watering average house costs of over £1 million.
Speediest commute
If travel time is high on your priority list, you’ll find the most choice to the north and west of the city. You may wish to consider Slough in Berkshire, where trains into London take a mere 17 minutes and season tickets cost £3,344.
If you want to buy south and have a bigger budget, Esher promises a 23-minute commute, while Ebbsfleet is the best overall bet, offering an 18-minute journey into St Pancras and affordable average house prices of just over £220,000.
Most affordable season tickets
Season tickets from Erith near Dartford in Kent cost just £2,408, with journeys into Cannon Street taking 41 minutes. House prices are just over £275,000 on average, too. Season tickets from Banstead in Surrey cost the same, but the journey takes 12 minutes longer and houses cost an average of £590,000. Tonbridge in Kent is the priciest option here, with season tickets setting you back a shocking £6,900 for a 44-minute journey into Charing Cross.
Happiest place to live
Sevenoaks in Kent ties with overall winner Swanley in the happiness stakes, with a score of 8.15 out of 10. Homes cost just under £660,000 in this attractive town, which came seventh overall, with the journey into Charing Cross taking 32 minutes. Farnborough near Woking in Surrey recorded the lowest rating, but at 7.35, it seems that life satisfaction in the commuter towns is high across the board.