[caption id="attachment_1576" align="alignleft" width="225"] The eye catching Dorking cockerel on the Deepdene roundabout.[/caption] The New Year has started with a bang in Dorking and not just because we have seen the usual January flurry of people looking to sell up and move on, as well as prospective buyers, walking into our branch. We have also come out number one in the ranking of London commuter hot-spots for 2016, following research into property prices and commuting conditions to and from a number of traditional commuter locations orbiting the capital.   This week will have been a taxing one for many City workers following the Christmas break, especially given that the cost of train travel has increased again in 2016. Apparently we pay up to six times as much as European passengers, although some might find solace in the fact that the 1.1% increase annual increase in rail fares this month is the lowest in six years.   [caption id="attachment_1577" align="alignright" width="276"] This five bedroom family home in Dorking with fabulous views of Box Hill, is on the market for 1,350,000.[/caption] Our market town, nestled beneath the North Downs, has beaten other key commuterlocations followingan analysis of a range of factors which not only include average house prices in the region, but length of train journey to a London station, cost of annual train fare including travel card, cost of car parking at the station and the length of time between trains.   Dorking boasts an average property price of 400,302 (according to Land Registry data) which is significantly lower than the average across the London market, meaning people who choose to be based here can get more for their money than further in.   [caption id="attachment_1580" align="alignleft" width="275"] This Victorian period home in Dorking has five bedrooms and is on the market for 1,195,000.[/caption] The emphasis on quality of commute is also an important one. Research from the Office for National Statistics shows commuting negatively affects all aspects of personal well-being and given more people are commuting for longer (for 55 minutes a day on average up three minutes since 20014) ensuring the quality of that journey is as high as possible is paramount. In the morning, from Dorking, you can generally find a seat, the journey is less than an hour and the annual travelcard comes in at less than 3,500. If you miss a train in the morning you may even be able to board an alternative within three minutes.   If you are standing on a platform and have been waiting ages for a train you fear may never arrive, perhaps you should consider moving to Dorking! For the full table of results see the Daily Mail article featuring the research here.   Alan King, Partner at Jackson-Stops & Staffs Dorking branch