Define 'commutable distance', because to me that means 30-40 minutes door to door.
Hitchin is 33 minutes to Kings Cross on Thameslink and I could definitely do my commute from Hitchin station in ~50 minutes, which is roughly 10 minutes more than it takes me from Zone 3, door to door, now.
If you look around on RightMove, 2 bed flats going near Hitchin station (Purwell) are ~£335K and a 20 minute walk away, so my commute would be up to 70 minutes.
Then factor in that you're dropping £5K/year for a season ticket (roughly the equivalent to adding ~£100K to your mortgage at current interest rates), giving up a lot socially, still don't have a garden, still have a pokey little flat, is it worth it?
I respect your life choices, but it's not for me.
> People seem to think they have some sort of God-given right to live in central London.
I think anyone earning in the top 2% should be able to do this, yes. After all, central London contains 2.3% of the UK population. If they're all at the top then by definition it should be possible.
In any case, I don't want to get too personal. My partner works all over London also so being in London makes sense for us. I also respect that this is a nationwide issue affecting a lot of people worse off than me.
>I think anyone earning in the top 2% should be able to do this, yes. After all, central London contains 2.3% of the UK population. If they're all at the top then by definition it should be possible.
Ok but if you're barely in the top 2% that would sound like you'd afford the worst in London - is it the worst you're going for or are you expecting to be the quality of what you'd get other places?
Obviously I don't know if you're barely or not, just since you said top 2% and not top 1% it might be you are just at the edge.
>I think anyone earning in the top 2% should be able to do this, yes. After all, central London contains 2.3% of the UK population. If they're all at the top ...
If they are all in the top, then you are in the bottom 11% of londoners.
We’re talking about where all the people who work at costa and pret live more than the top 2% earners. I guess they all need to commute in from the outskirts to make the rich people’s coffee.
Hitchin is 33 minutes to Kings Cross on Thameslink and I could definitely do my commute from Hitchin station in ~50 minutes, which is roughly 10 minutes more than it takes me from Zone 3, door to door, now.
If you look around on RightMove, 2 bed flats going near Hitchin station (Purwell) are ~£335K and a 20 minute walk away, so my commute would be up to 70 minutes.
Then factor in that you're dropping £5K/year for a season ticket (roughly the equivalent to adding ~£100K to your mortgage at current interest rates), giving up a lot socially, still don't have a garden, still have a pokey little flat, is it worth it?
I respect your life choices, but it's not for me.
> People seem to think they have some sort of God-given right to live in central London.
I think anyone earning in the top 2% should be able to do this, yes. After all, central London contains 2.3% of the UK population. If they're all at the top then by definition it should be possible.
In any case, I don't want to get too personal. My partner works all over London also so being in London makes sense for us. I also respect that this is a nationwide issue affecting a lot of people worse off than me.