Revealed: the new affordable commuter hotspots in Great Britain

The lowdown on journey times, season ticket costs and average house prices in places you should know about In pictures: homes for sale in new commuter hotspots in England The commuter belt is being redrawn. During Covid, in the hope that remote working would stick, buyers broke free from conventions and transformed the housing map. A race for space – and to the coast and rural areas – were the stories of the pandemic. As the call back to the office intensified, this trend unwound and homebuyers began targeting the more traditional commuter zones once again. Unfortunately, the homebuying landscape is very different to five years ago and some of those locations are unaffordable. The cost of living is significantly higher, as are mortgage repayment costs. There is arguably little help now for first-time buyers and, while house prices in London have softened (in some areas), the capital remains entirely unaffordable for many. Priced-out first-time buyers are competing with second and third steppers for homes in the commuter belt, and with downsizers who are relocating from rural locations to be close to transport links and grandchildren. “Britain’s traditional commuter belts have shrun