Where to buy in Zone 5: the homes hotspots with commutes into central London of 21 minutes or less
A new report, published today by Hamptons International, debunks the theory that the inner travel Zones offer the fastest travel - so, if your priority is a speedy journey to central London then you could be better off living in the depths of Zone 5 than in many Zone 2 neighbourhoods.
Though travel costs will increase by a few hundred pounds a year if you live a zone or two further out than you might dream of, you could save tens - if not hundreds - of thousands of pounds as beyond Zone 2& prices drop by an average of £86,000 between each zone.
Plus, if you are looking for areas where prices are growing, Zone 5 has seen 15 per cent average price growth in the last year, compared ot 6.8 per cent in Zone 2.
The Zone 5 homes hotspots where you can get to central London in less than 21 minutes
| Station | Operator | Zone | Minutes into Zone 1 | Zone 1 destination | Average price | 12 month price growth |
| Bromley South | Southeastern | 5 | 17 | Victoria | £413,676 | 11.4% |
| East Croydon | Southern | 5 | 17 | Victoria | £276,403 | 9.1% |
| Harrow & Wealdstone | London Midland | 5 | 18 | Euston | £421,591 | 11.4% |
| Harrow-on-the-Hill | Chiltern Railways | 5 | 18 | Marylebone | £479,327 | 12.4% |
| Chislehurst | Southeastern | 5 | 20 | London Bridge | £653,195 | 8.7% |
| Northolt Park | Chiltern Railways | 5 | 20 | Marylebone | £456,262 | 9.2% |
| Ponders End | Greater Anglia | 5 | 21 | Liverpool Street | £385,653 | 9.2% |
In Zone 5 the fastest commuter options include Bromley South, East Croydon, and Harrow & Wealdstone, with journey times into Zone 1 of just 17 minutes. Bromley and Harrow have seen annual property price rises of 11.2 per cent and Croydon has seen 9.1 per cent growth.
But Harrow-on-the-Hill, with its 18- minute hop to Marylebone, has had the strongest price performance in the zone, of 12.4 per cent, to an average of £479,327.