Would you pay £300 a month to walk to work?

[minkymu]

Aware this is a very London question, but how much would you pay per month to avoid getting the tube to work?

There’s a flat come up to rent that’s a 15 minute walk to work. Currently we live 40 minutes on the tube/walk to work.

Rent on current place is £1,800 a month. Rent on potential flat is £2,300 a month.

We are in the office 4-5 days a week so we spend £200 a month on tube fares. So current rent & transport costs mean the rent is really £2,000.

Would you pay the extra £300 a month to be closer to work and avoid the tube?

For what it’s worth we can easily afford the difference but it’s obviously still £3,600 a year that could be in the bank or a holiday.

Walking healthy. Yes.

Yes I would. You are actually buying time and a better quality of life so I would say £300 a month is cheap.

No brainer. Yes

Bargain. Walking around central London is one of life’s pleasures for me. Add in health, efficiency, convenience, headspace , flexibility it’s a no brainier. Lucky you!

If you can afford it, yes. One of the biggest improvements to my quality of life is being able to walk to work. Time outside, more exercise, fewer colds, no unexpected delays.

absolutely

If you can easily afford it (and have a financial safety net so you can continue to afford it if one of you were to be off work on long-term sick or get made redundant etc) then, yes, it's well worth it. I used to be able to walk to work and into town and it was brilliant.

It depends on the property/area really. I wouldn't pay more to be closer but compromise on other aspects of the property especially if there's a chance that you'll move jobs at some point

Agree with the others, pocket change to London standard for this luxury

Yes I would. Some of my favourite memories when I lived in London was walking. We didn't live in the centre but we used to walk as far as we could in both directions anywhere.

Depends on whether I wanted to live in the area, and stability / availability of work in the current location.

Is it comparable with/better than the current flat in terms of size/aspect and local amenities- is it juts as easy to get to a nice cafe, pub, yoga studio, gym class, green space?

100%. I’d love to be able to walk to work.

Massive increase in quality of life- absolutely yes!

Absolutely yes, as long as the flat is comparable. I lived in central London for a while and loved walking everywhere. Not in London now, but I currently have a 10 min bus journey followed by a mile walk to work and I value that time - it wakes me up, I can listen to a podcast or audio book or the radio plus weight bearing exercise is good for you.

Yes the flats are comparable. The one in St Pauls doesn’t have the same period features as our current place, but it is a fair bit larger.

Yes I would. Walking to and from work is a great way for getting ready and decompressing after, plus you'll avoid the tube.

I loathe the tube so yes I would.

I’m going against the grain but it would depend how much I earnt and saved. £3,600 a year is a lot and I’d be wanting to save for a flat. It’s not just the £300 but I’m guessing local pubs, shops and restaurants will also cost more.

Obviously if you’re on £200k a year then £3,600 doesn’t seem like much.

Depends if you are saving to buy. It is money you could be putting away for your own place if that is realistic. No way a lot of people can afford to buy these days, so if you aren't then go for the lifestyle instead. Walking and having more time is definitely preferable in that circumstance.

What a luxury!
Well worth it if you like the new flat. Bear in mind rent prices are increasing drastically so check you can hold that same fee for the entirety of your new lease if you decide to move

How much will you use the tube to get elsewhere, assuming you move to St Paul’s? Will you be using it to socialise, go out etc?

Are you actually saving money on fares though? Would you not have a travel card anyhow? Ergo- no saving really

Yes

I would definitely prefer it! And if I could afford the additional £300 then I would.