Commuting: Where the money goes further

Could you live in Nottinghamshire or Norfolk but work in London? Jonathan Christie catches the 6.50 from Retford with one of a growing number of long-distance commuters lured by great value

The journey to work is rarely a prospect that lifts the spirit. But for Matthew Hobson, a 39-year-old IT consultant, it's a more arduous daily undertaking than you might imagine. He leaves his house every day at 6.25am to drive 20 minutes to Retford station in Nottinghamshire. The 6.50am train takes him 143 miles into King's Cross, London, where he hops on the Tube to Liverpool Street and arrives at work (on a good day) at 8.25am. It's a trip of at least two hours each morning, and he does the return leg each evening.

"You do get tired," says Hobson. "But I'm from this area and you get so much more house for your money. Being a single dad with six children, the idea of moving closer to work would mean uprooting us all away from schools, friends and family. It would also be so much more expensive for the size of property we need."

The life of the long-distance commuter is not an existence many of us would seek out. One imagines spending several hours a day huddled on a train full of strangers with a ticket that's cost you nearly as much as your mortgage, only to be faced with countless delays and unexplained stops in the middle of nowhere.

But as more people look further out of London to get better value for money and a less compromised lifestyle, and with the promise of high-speed trains getting nearer, it's an option that's becoming more popular.

Despite the rail network's poor image, Hobson hasn't had too many problems. "The service is pretty consistent, the staff are helpful and I've always managed to get home, even on the occasional night of bad delays," he says.

Since he began his long-distance commute, Hobson has noticed an increase in his fellow passengers. "I've been doing this journey for 10 years now," he says. "After the Hatfield train crash, lots of people I travelled with decided to find local jobs as the speed restrictions made the commute to London just too long. But it's really picking up again. Quite a few live even further up the line than me, in Doncaster. By the time you get to Newark and Grantham, it's really noticeable how much busier the carriages are."

It may pay, he adds, to explore further along the tracks of a well-trodden commute, as sometimes a few extra minutes on your journey can make a big difference to the price you pay for a house.

For example, looking beyond the commuter hot-spot of Oxford, it takes until Evesham and Pershore before house prices begin to come into line with the UK average. Go a few extra few miles to Worcester itself, and the average house begins to cost less than in the rest of the country, with no compromise being made on location, countryside, amenities, schools or housing quality.

Yes, but aren't train fares expensive? True, and balancing the budget is vital to ensure that the investment in your commute is outweighed by the gains in your new lifestyle. Hobson's season ticket, Tube fare and costs of running a car to the station exceed 9,000 a year. But the house prices in and around Retford are typically 50,000 less than in the rest of the UK. This give-and-take between outlay and positive gains has kept Hobson firmly rooted near Retford.

Then again, some will consider the commute time to be wasted: after all, Hobson spends four hours a day on a train. But as far as he's concerned, life is sweet. He has a well-paid job in the heart of the City and enjoys the fresh air of the nearby Peak District with his family at the weekends. "When I get the train home," he says, "I feel I'm going back to reality."

It can also be fun, Hobson says. And yes, he's serious. "There's a strong social network on the train. Having a chat with a few friends makes the time fly in the morning and at Christmas it's not unusual to see a few parties going on. I even met my girlfriend on the train." Now, that really is exploring the outer limits of commuting.

Just the ticket: the new commuter hotspots

Norwich, Norfolk

Those old Alan Partridge connections should be put aside as the city of Norwich is pretty, commutable and affordable. Train services take from 99 minutes to go 110 miles into Liverpool Street, London, with the annual season ticket costing 5,640.

Another season ticket worth grabbing is for Norwich City Football Club and there's shopping galore at the six-days-a-week open-air market. Schools are well covered with Old Catton and Notre Dame shining out, and the building boom of the 19th century has left the city with plenty of solid, Victorian homes to choose from. Prices here are around 20k cheaper than the rest of the country.

Aldridge Lansdell (01508 531 434, www.aldridgelansdell.co.uk) has a period beauty on its books less than a mile from the centre for 595,000. Original details feature throughout the six-bedroom property.

East of the centre is the leafy suburb of Thorpe St Andrew where Prestige (01603 761 111, www.tops-property.co.uk) has the charming Ivy Cottage on the market at 375,000. Grade-II listed, it has four bedrooms, two receptions, a stunning kitchen and secluded grounds.

Worcester, Worcestershire

On the River Severn sits the historic city of Worcester. Trains from here travel 110 miles into London Paddington in 127 minutes for the annual sum of 6,140. Worcester's history goes back to Roman times and it's a city that retains a traditional high street.

All the usual shops are arrayed along The Shambles and Broad Street, and it also has three shopping centres. Pubs and clubs are plentiful as are good schools, with Red Hill and Nunnery Wood keeping the state system well served. Worcester also has plenty of established independent schools along with the recently named University of Worcester.

House prices are just below the national average and much better value than near neighbour Gloucester, although the stock is just as handsome. Andrew Grant (01905 23882, www.andrew-grant.co.uk) has a Regency house on Britannia Square priced at 685,000. Less than a mile from the centre, it has four bedrooms and three receptions.

Edwardian grandeur is also on offer with a five-bedroomed villa (left) selling at 299,950 from RA Bennett (01905 23344, www.rabennett.co.uk). Overlooking the park, it has three receptions and a smart kitchen, with nice details and a good sized rear garden.

Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire

Considered the home of the pottery industry, Stoke-on-Trent is a big city. Trains from here can travel the 155 miles into Euston in 91 minutes, with annual tickets costing 7,960. Retail therapy is served up at the Potteries Shopping Centre, mixing high-street brands with specialist shops.

Decent nightlife, including several theatres and an art-house cinema, are also on hand. St George & St Martin's primary and St Peter's comprehensive schools perform excellently, and the pretty Peak District is a few miles to the east. Terraced housing is a common sight, and in general, the nicer areas are away from the city centre. Property is cheap in Stoke, typically 100k cheaper than the average house in the UK, making house hunting a real eye-opener.

Butters John Bee (01782 622 155, www.buttersjohnbee.com) is selling a beautiful six-bedroomed detached house with an acre of grounds in Penkhull for 595,000 . Four large receptions with original features add the wow-factor, and outside there's garaging and outbuildings.

Four miles from the station is Wayside Cottage, a charming house forming part of the Duke of Sutherland Estate. Heywoods (01782 617 343, www.heywoodsproperty.co.uk) is asking 299,000 (right)for this three-bedroom property with huge gardens and amazing views.

Retford, Nottinghamshire

The market town of Retford, 30 miles from Nottingham, is the commute for Matthew Hobson. GNER covers the 143 miles to London Kings Cross in an impressive 78 minutes, and the annual season ticket will set you back 7,424. The A1 road is nearby for getaways both north and south, and the pretty Peak District is just a short drive away. Bracken Lane school and nearby Tuxford offer high standards, and a couple of lively theatres keep the town's cultural life ticking along. There are several squares lined with the area's distinctive rust-red brick houses and property here is good value, tracking around 50k below the national average.

Shuldham Calverley (01777 709 943, www.shuldham-calverley.com) is selling a Grade II-listed, four-bedroom former pub with a pretty garden which is just a five-minute walk to Retford station. On the market at 299,950, it was converted into a home in 1938 and includes three receptions, a good-sized kitchen and some useful outbuildings.

Nearer the town centre is a four-bedroom detached house with an imposing faade. It's about half a mile to the station and has three large, elegant receptions including a 30ft drawing room. Outside, the property is set back with plenty of off-road parking and a garage. The gardens are grand and Brown & Co (01777 709 112, www.brown-co.com) is asking 535,000 for it.