The increased number of people working flexibly is pushing the London commuter belt further out into the countryside. In a report published on Wednesday, the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) said that in some areas it was now possible to work from home and commute by train or bus without having to leave home. This working pattern means being near a railway station and within an hour's commute of London are becoming less important factors for such homebuyers. Villages in Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire that are further from railway stations are becoming an option, along with Margate on the Kent coast.
The increased number of people working flexibly is pushing the London commuter belt further out into the countryside. Over 60% of full-time employees now work flexibly, with less rigid office hours and without the need to travel into the city every day. This working pattern means being near a railway station and within an hour's commute of London are becoming less important factors for such homebuyers. Villages in Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire that are further from railway stations are becoming an option, along with Margate on the Kent coast.