The unfashionable commuter town named 1 of London's best where houses are £200K cheaper

When you think of London's commuter towns, places like St Albans, Iver and Reading probably spring to mind. Their close proximity to the capital and excellent transport links make them perfect for those tired of city life but still needing to commute for work.

However, London is surrounded by thousands of potential commuter towns and villages, so it would be a mistake to only consider the well-known ones.

Take Redhill in Surrey, for example. Located about 12 miles south of Croydon, this town often gets overlooked in the numerous annual roundups of 'where to buy' or 'where it's cheapest to buy'.

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Granted, it may not win any beauty contests, but it's far from ugly. On the surface, it seems fairly unremarkable, but dig a little deeper and you'll find it's one of the most practical options for today's commuter.

For starters, you can expect to pay around £450,000 for a property here, which is a saving of roughly £200,000 compared to London.

Even better, trains can get you to London Victoria in less than 30 minutes, meaning you could actually reach Central London quicker than many people who live in the city itself. Plus, Redhill station is part of TfL's Oyster scheme, giving it an advantage over most other Home Counties towns.

For those who love to travel, it's a mere eight-minute journey to Gatwick airport, and bus route 405 will have you in South London within 15 minutes.

The town's property and transport benefits are substantial, so much so that property expert Phil Spencer included it in his list of London's top commuter towns for movieiq.com.

As an appealing commuter spot, the town boasts all the key amenities - a shopping centre, cinema/theatre complex, several high-performing schools, a selection of beautiful parks (including the esteemed National Trust site Gatton Park), and a major hospital just south of the town.

While the town centre may not be the most visually pleasing due to its somewhat brutalist architecture from the post-1960s era, it is undergoing progressive regeneration.

In summary, Redhill presents a solid and more affordable choice for commuters. Living there won't break the bank, and thanks to its excellent connections to London, it can actually be quicker to reach the city centre than if you were living in the capital itself.

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