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Homebuyers are prepared to travel farther than ever to get a bigger house for their money. The high property prices in and around London are pushing the commuter belt beyond the hotspots of Surrey, East Sussex, west Kent and southeast Essex. Now, wealthy buyers are heading down the M4 and to the Solent in search of better homes and a higher quality of life.

This exodus pushed up property prices in Hampshire by an average of 84 per cent between 2000 and 2007, as commuters settled along the South West Main Line which takes you to Winchester from Waterloo in an hour. Basingstoke, Micheldever and Winchester are the most popular hotspots with London workers, although some are prepared to travel as far as Southampton and Portsmouth.

Research from Savills shows that house prices fall by about £1,000 for every minute of travel beyond the M25. Over recent years, house price growth has been much higher at the edge of commuter limits. According to Savills, between 1996 and 2001 the biggest rise in house prices occurred in areas less than 40 minutes from the capital, whereas between 2001 and 2006 there was the greatest price growth in areas between an hour-and-a-half and two hours from London.

Jolene Bull, of the Knight Frank office in Southampton, says: “We sell to a lot of commuters - many can't believe the space they get for the price equivalent of a two-bedroom flat in London.” Bull is selling homes at Farriers Walk, a new development four minutes' walk from Micheldever station, where a four-bedroom townhouse is £400,000 and a two-bedroom is £230,000. The scheme is near open countryside, yet residents can be in London in 56 minutes.

It was the ease of the commute and the size of the house, plus the attractions of the local pub, that attracted Matt and Amy Patterson to their four-bedroom home in Farriers Walk. “You get lots of green space and somewhere to park, which is important as we have just started a family,” says Matt, 30, who commutes to a London bank, a 1-hour journey door to door. “You don't have to change trains so you can put that time to good use. And it's great to have that hour on the train on the way home to get work out of your system.”

The couple feel that their new home is a great place to bring up their two-month-old baby, Isabella. Amy, 28, says: “We have a lovely local pub which has just been refurbished. It's only two miles to the village, where there's a store, primary school and church.”

Micheldever offers better value than nearby Winchester, where the average house costs £362,079, according to the Land Registry. However, wealthy buyers from the City are pushing up some sectors. Simon North, at Strutt & Parker, in Winchester, says that it is hard to find a five-bed detached house for less than £1million: “The interest from London commuters has been building for 20 years, but it has really taken off in the last five to ten years. Journeys into London by car and train have improved, and Winchester has become a real commuting hub.”

Most of all, buyers flock to Winchester for its quality of life and for schools such as Winchester College, Twyford Prep and St Swithuns. North says: “I've just sold a former rectory which attracted 120 viewings. It was priced at £800,000 but went for well over £1 million after seven parties put in sealed bids.” Hyde is a cheaper part of Winchester - a three-bedroom late-Victorian semi costs £550,000 to £700,000, although this is three times what you would have paid five years ago.

Portsmouth and Southampton remain the most affordable places in the region, with the average property costing £176,968 and £179,392 respectively, although in the smart development at No1 Gunwharf Quays, Portsmouth, a one-bedroom flat is £185,000, a two-bedroom is £250,000 and you would pay £410,000 for three.

Lucian Cook, director of research at Savills, says: “We expect further expansion of the London commuting zone over the next ten years. The ability to work from home is also making a massive difference: a growing number of people work four days in the office and one from home. The search for better quality of life is key.”

Knight Frank : 02380 488760. Strutt & Parker : 01962 869999. Gunwharf Quays : 02392 851800

Hot Spots

THE South West has suffered the most from the affordability problems caused by 15 years of a house-price boom: intense demand from second-home buyers or lifestyle relocators with London money has not been matched by increases in local wages. Those areas where property values are within reach of local workers are often dependent on car ownership - but determined buyers have unearthed budget locations a short rail ride from the economic powerhouse of Bristol. Here are three of the best:

Weston-super-Mare. Real faith is required to believe in the reinvention of this coastal town, which includes the upgrading of the promenade. But for many, the 30-minute train ride to Bristol and the availability of such property as a two-bed flat overlooking the sea for £123,450 (Haart , 0845 3386887), is already convincing enough.

Nailsea, Somerset. This is a commuter town with a population of 18,000 just 15 minutes by train to Bristol from the station it shares with neighbouring Backwell. Heritage Estate Agents (01275 544477) has a studio apartment for £88,500 or for £529,500 you can buy a four-bedroom detached Edwardian house through Humberts (01275 858313).

Newport, Gwent. Just across the Severn, fast-regenerating Newport is 20 minutes by train to Bristol and Cardiff. Davis & Sons (01633 601771) has a small four-bedroom terraced house for £88,000 or a glorious five-bedroom Victorian semi in the centre of town for £394,950.

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