The largest town in Buckinghamshire, High Wycombe is regarded as one of the best London commuter towns and particularly attractive in terms of schools. Situated just to the north of the M40 it's a lively, modern town which was once the centre of the furniture industry. Though, today its employment opportunities centre are more likely to centre around finance, IT and construction.
As a result of its industrial past, High Wycombe has many Victorian properties along with semi-detached houses built in the 1930s and more modern houses including new homes. The housebuilders who have had new homes on offer in the last few years include Taylor Wimpey and Bellway. Opportunities to buy can be relatively scarce here because when new homes do come along they're snapped up quickly. Nevertheless, for first-time buyers, it's still a promising market with a number of one- and two-bedroom flats and maisonettes available at lower prices. At the same time you can buy a larger detached home in the town if that's what you're after. Many of these bigger properties will be in the more upmarket areas such as Bourne End, Daws Hill and Downley.
For buy-to-let opportunities, the potential market is based around young professionals commuting into London. The town can command high prices in regards to rent although initial costs could similarly be high.
If you're looking for good schools then High Wycombe won't disappoint, its schools are one of the town's strongest assets. Wycombe High, John Hampden, Wycombe Abbey public school and the Royal Grammar for Boys are just four of many schools in the town that have an excellent reputation. High Wycombe is also home to the main campus of Buckingham New University.
The town centre has grown in recent years and benefited from regeneration so that now, apart from the usual array of bars and restaurants, it also includes a 12-screen cinema. The town also has its own highly-regarded theatre, The Swan. Another reason many wish to move here is the beautiful Chiltern countryside which surrounds the town on all sides.
With High Wycombe being close to the M40, it's excellent for commuting not just to London but Oxford as well. The M4 and M25 are also nearby. A train from High Wycombe to London Marylebone takes under 30 minutes. There are usually five trains an hour peak and off-peak. An annual season ticket for that journey would cost around £3,376 as of October 2016. It's an indication of how high the town is regarded that in spite of its relatively high rail costs, it's still regarded as one of the best commuter towns you can find.