A Cheshire life is closer to London than you think!
In 'the north', temperatures never creep above -10 and it's dark for eleven months of the year (according to anyone further south than Northampton). However, we do have lots going for us, including the speed with which our inhabitants can be in London. Cleaner air, greener spaces, amazing schools, friendly faces and even indoor running water pale into insignificance when you compare travel times to the capital with some locations in the south. It's faster than you think!
Cheshire commute to London
Let's take a comparison between Cheshire and east Sussex: travel time from Crewe in Cheshire to central London is 1 hour 30 minutes, with the same journey from Robertsbridge in east Sussex taking 1 hour 10 minutes. Not much difference! Winchester to London takes 1 hour 10 minutes, Canterbury 1 hour 8 minutes, Maidstone 1 hour 3 minutes and Bath 1 hour 24 minutes. The time difference is the time it takes to gather your belongings together before you disembark, but the real difference is quality of life and the positive effect on your bank balance!
Cost of living We used data provided by
Numbeo - the world’s largest database of user-contributed data about cities and countries worldwide. The data shows some significant savings!
You would need around £2,968.87 a month in Manchester to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with £4,400.00 in London (assuming you rent in both cities). This calculation uses Numbeo's Cost of Living Plus Rent Index to compare cost of living and assumes net earnings (after income tax).
Restaurant meals, groceries, transport costs, sport and leisure, childcare costs, clothing, rent and importantly property prices are much lower in Manchester when compared to London. You could rent a three bedroom apartment in Manchester
and pay for a monthly train ticket to London for the same price as the rent for a three bedroom apartment in London!
Access to green space Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds beat London in the
top 10 UK cities with green space. We have acres and acres of it, and you'll have money left at the end of the month to actually enjoy them!
Network of cities With Manchester a mere stone's throw away, and Liverpool on the doorstep too, Cheshire and its inhabitants have access to some of the most vibrant and creative cities in the UK. London may always take the crown, but Cheshire, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds are home to world-class scientific research centres, renowned media corporations including the BBC, international financial institutions, Russell Group universities and some of the best secondary schools in the UK.
Prestigious postcodes If rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous is your thing, we have some of the wealthiest postcodes in the UK. According to a recent press release from Lloyds Bank, in the north west, the majority of expensive streets are located in Alderley Edge, Altrincham and Knutsford. Congleton Road in Alderley Edge is the most expensive street with homes selling, on average, for £1,985,000 followed by Park Drive in Altrincham (£1,820,000) and Legh Road in Knutsford (£1,801,000). York Drive (£1,777,000) and East Downs Road (£1,689,000) both in Altrincham, complete the top five.
Those with a more modest budget can bag a bargain in one of the most desirable postcodes in the UK. Four of the top ten most desirable postcodes in which to live are in the north west, with only two in the south east. Goes to show 'all that glitters is not gold'!
Flight of fancy Let's say you work in London and are considering the very sensible idea of commuting from the north. A property in Alderley Edge, a job in the capital and the best of both worlds. A train from Alderley Edge station will have whisked you to Manchester International Airport in 20 minutes flat. The flight time to London is 1 hour 5 minutes, so you could be at your desk with time to spare.
Living in Cheshire and working in London is a dream for many people, but it is closer than you think. The Cheshire commute to London is achievable.
Cheshire commute to London. If you're considering a move to Cheshire, do contact us for information about our properties for sale in Alderley Edge, Wilmslow, Prestbury, Knutsford and across Cheshire. We'd be delighted to discuss properties, schools, local amenities, transport links and local areas. Contact our Wilmslow office: 01625 540340, wilmlsow@jackson-stops.co.uk.
