New research has revealed that that rising property prices could earn homeowners enough to pay for their annual commute in as little as eight days.
Homeowners in Surrey who commute into London fare the best. The average property in the town of Esher increased in value by £256.66 a day over the past year, meaning that the growing value of their property could cover the cost of an annual £2,080 commute to London in just over eight days.
Zoopla compared property price growth in some of Britain’s most popular commuter towns over the past 12 months to the cost of an annual train ticket.
In Solihull commuters pay £745 for their yearly train travel into Birmingham, with property prices increasing on average by £31,149 in 2016, or £85.11 per day to £377,890, meaning commuters could cover the travel cost in just under nine days.
Nearby Stourbridge also features in the top five most cost-effective commuter hotspots, with prices rising on average by £22,526 in 2016. The daily value increase of £61.55 would pay off the £745 yearly rail card to Birmingham in only 12 days.
Other commuter hotspots just outside the capital include Surbiton in Surrey, where you could pay off the yearly rail fare of £1,852 in just under a fortnight.
Despite boasting cheaper rail fares, lower house price rises in Northern England and Scotland could mean a longer wait to pay off the cost of an annual train fare for homeowners in these regions.
Stockport is the best performing commuter town in the north, thanks to a property price increase of £19,588 in 2016, which would pay off the £792 yearly rail fare to Manchester in just over two weeks.
Musselburgh takes the top spot in Scotland, with property price rises eclipsing the £664 yearly rail fare to Edinburgh in a little over 18 days.
Lawrence Hall, spokesperson for Zoopla, said: “Rising rail fares will have been unwelcome news for commuters heading back to work this week, but our figures may at least soften the blow slightly for those already living in the suburban locations at the top end of the table.”
Top 10 commuter towns
| Rank | Town | Commuter Route | Average Property Price (December 2016) | Rail card prices 2017 | Average Property Price Rise in 2016 (%) | Time taken to pay off ticket cost (days) |
| 1 | Esher | London | £1,109,098 | £2,080.00 | 9.25 | 8.10 |
| 2 | Solihull | Birmingham | £377,890 | £745 | 8.98 | 8.75 |
| 3 | Penarth | Cardiff | £304,569 | £516.00 | 5.52 | 11.86 |
| 4 | Stourbridge | Birmingham | £266,193 | £745 | 9.24 | 12.10 |
| 5 | Surbiton | London | £599,075 | £1,852.00 | 8.83 | 13.95 |
| 6 | Tandridge | London | £708,225 | £1,820.00 | 7.20 | 14.00 |
| 7 | Stockport | Manchester | £251,257 | £792.00 | 8.46 | 14.80 |
| 8 | Rotherham | Sheffield | £146,841 | £532.00 | 9.40 | 15.43 |
| 9 | Yatton | Bristol | £338,239 | £1,476.00 | 11.20 | 15.86 |
| 10 | Chippenham | Bristol | £337,245 | £1,996.00 | 14.14 | 17.49 |
Source: Zoopla, December 2016
Bottom 10 commuter towns
| Rank | Town | Commuter Route | Average Property Price (December 2016) | Rail card prices 2017 | Average Property Price Rise in 2016 (%) | Time taken to pay off ticket cost (days) |
| 1 | Greenock | Glasgow | £137,342 | £1,564.00 | 1.28 | 328.60 |
| 2 | Loughborough | Nottingham | £236,639 | £1,356.00 | 0.91 | 233.11 |
| 3 | Stirling | Glasgow | £188,856 | £2,084.00 | 1.77 | 231.63 |
| 4 | Lanark | Glasgow | £148,278 | £1,732.00 | 1.98 | 219.73 |
| 5 | Rochdale | Manchester | £147,042 | £1,116.00 | 2.58 | 110.48 |
| 6 | Pontefract | Leeds | £177,685 | £1,012.00 | 2.20 | 96.73 |
| 7 | Falkirk | Edinburgh | £143,713 | £2,072.00 | 6.06 | 92.30 |
| 8 | Mansfield | Nottingham | £145,743 | £1,124.00 | 3.51 | 83.21 |
| 9 | Kilmarnock | Glasgow | £145,720 | £1,632.00 | 5.64 | 76.82 |
| 10 | Livingston | Edinburgh | £168,197 | £1,516.00 | 4.64 | 74.38 |
Source: Zoopla, December 2016
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