Hop on a Thameslink service at St Pancras and ride just 26 miles north of Central London and you’ll find the small city of St Albans . Its 16th-century cottages, Georgian mansions and Edwardian villas line the neatly paved quaint city centre streets, and every Monday to Friday it floods with the hordes of commuters looking to make their way into The Big Smoke. In fact, St Albans has recently been crowned as the best commuter town in 2024 by OnTheMarket, because of its transport links, nearby schools, and proximity to the capital.
And on paper it does sound very alluring. But as someone born and raised there, and who commuted the 20 minutes into London from St Albans City Station every day in her early twenties – I’ll never go back. Do I love my hometown? Yes (even if 63% of its commuter train services are delayed .
Oh, and the fact that it’ll cost you more than £4,300 per year for a season ticket if you’re in the office four days or more). But there’s a dark reality to moving to the Hertfordshire city that is often overlooked: house prices. Named as the most expensive city for first-time buyers outside of London, the overall average asking price of a property in St Albans is £635,680.
The most bought houses in the area last year were actually small terraced homes, which sold for an average of £556,293. For first-time buyers looking to secure themselves a flat in the area, it will still set you back £391,964. The typical monthly mortgage payment will sit at abo.