First time renter in London

[ShandyDrinker]

I know quite a few IT contractors who commute daily from Coventry to London - and there journey is less than an hour.....don't know about local rents/areas , etc. but might be worth an area considering...

It may be an hour from Coventry to London, as it is from Swindon station to Paddington. However, once I factor in getting from South Swindon to the station and from Paddington to the City it's more like 1hr 45mins each way (if I'm lucky 1hr 30 if I get all connections timed perfectly).

While long commutes are doable, it's a grind after months on end. See other threads on this forum for similar comments.

[Manic]

It may be an hour from Coventry to London, as it is from where from Swindon station to Paddington. However, once I factor in getting from South Swindon to the station and from Paddington to the City it's more like 1hr 45mins each way (if I'm lucky 1hr 30 if I get all connections timed perfectly).

While long commutes are doable, it's a grind after months on end. See other threads on this forum for similar comments.

Paddington is a **** to come into though. I remember doing that commute (well North Swindon) some years back to Canary Wharf, almost killed me after a year.

[ShandyDrinker]

Paddington is a **** to come into though. I remember doing that commute (well North Swindon) some years back to Canary Wharf, almost killed me after a year.

Yeah, I did the same from North Swindon to Canary Wharf for a while, not fun after a while.

I am really hoping that once the electrification of GWR is complete (at least to Swindon) and Crossrail (or should I say the Elizabeth line) commences from Paddington at the end of 2018 it should mean that, in theory at least, I should be able to get from door to door in approx 1hr 20mins which would be fantastic.

[SeanT]

I know quite a few IT contractors who commute daily from Coventry to London - and there journey is less than an hour.....don't know about local rents/areas , etc. but might be worth an area considering...

The fast train part of the journey is an hour and 3 minutes or so. It's usually a tiny bit late too. However, leave the house at 7:20, drop the kids off at school, get to e.g. Holborn at c. 9:30. Don't like doing it over the winter though, and some WFH is essential if you're going to meetups and getting the 23:30 home.

The 4 bed detached house for the price of a small flat makes it all worth it too.

[oilboil]

There are people here who commute from Stafford which is an hour and 15 each way. I expect rentals there will be much cheaper.

If you want to work on the train go first class. Free wifi and a much nicer seat, plus a meal/snack and coffee provided.

I did this for the last two years - and while you are doing it seems ok - now I've got a lovely work from home 5 days a week gig - now wonder how I ever did it.

If you do it you either need a house within a mile of the station - it's going to be at least £500 p/m for a two-bed that you'd consider living in. Any further out and you'll need a car and a £400 p/m car park pass as the buses don't run early enough to guarantee getting you onto the 6:20AM train to London (which is the last one you can get that will get you to your office in central London by 8:30AM)

A first class season ticket is £1,895 p/m standard is £1,144 p/m

So if you can find somewhere for £1,500 in London you'd be better off just going with that

[kaiser78]

Have you considered renting a bit further our in Kent and commuting in ? Good (well better) train links and rental is half as much as London.

[stek]

Have you considered renting a bit further our in Kent and commuting in ? Good (well better) train links and rental is half as much as London.

Or Aldershot/Farnborough/North Camp for Waterloo, all lovely idyillic places especially Aldershot, with it's thatched roof cottages around the village green and the lovely pubs all serving real ale and excellent lunches.

[Lockhouse]

Basingstoke. Cheap as chips and 45 mins to Waterloo.

[MyUserName]

Five minutes walk from Waterloo.

Live in Basingstoke. You can easily get there within an hour and the rent is much lower.

[Gibbon]

Or Aldershot/Farnborough/North Camp for Waterloo, all lovely idyillic places especially Aldershot, with it's thatched roof cottages around the village green and the lovely pubs all serving real ale and excellent lunches.

This isn't general you swine!