Living in Luton – The Ultimate Moving Guide

If you are considering relocating to or living in Luton, there are numerous advantages to consider.

Homes that are not too expensive, excellent transport connections, well-regarded schools, and a location that is easily accessible to London!

The town was once not seen as a highly regarded area.

However, Luton, like many other towns within an hour’s drive of London, has seen a huge revival.

It enjoys a reputation as a trendy, up-and-coming area, ideal for first-time home buyers looking for a good deal.

Living in Luton now provides residents with everything they need to enjoy life to the fullest. There’s plenty to do, great accessibility, affordable housing, and well-rounded educational options.

Before you decide to relocate to a new area, you will understandably, want to find out as much about it as possible.

This article will provide you with exactly that, an insight into what you can expect should you decide to start living in Luton.

Here are some of the top reasons to choose Luton!

House Prices in Luton

Full of variety, there are currently 662 homes for sale across the town, so you certainly won’t be stuck for choice.

Homes vary from retirement properties to large, detached houses.

Having an average property price of £294,453 means prices are above the UK national average but, compared to London’s £735,375 average they are a snip.

Hence the current high demand for homes in Luton.

Properties found close to the town’s three railway stations are always sought after.

Equally, small districts such as Caddington the Sundon’s, and Bushmead supply a huge amount of leafy green areas many buyers find desirable.

Families will be focusing on schooling options.

Homes within the catchment area of Luton’s only “outstanding” secondary, Woodlands Secondary, are also considered hot property.

As a basic guide, you will pay an average of £432,321 for a detached home, £336,626 for a semi, £268,283 for a terraced house, and £156,501 for an apartment.

Stats as per Zoopla.

Rental Cost in Luton

With a surge in demand for decent letting property across the region, Luton’s rental homes are being snapped up as fast as soon as they drop onto the market!

Plenty of buy-to-let investors have focused their attention on Luton.

There is good money to be made here.

Out of the 324 properties ready to lease, 150 of these are either one or two-bedroom lets.

With the remaining being a mix of three bedrooms or larger.

As for cost, you will pay an average £976pcm for a one-bedroom flat and from £ 1,438pcm for two bedrooms.

Three-bed family-sized homes average at around £1,733pcm.

Rental stats as per home.co.uk

Cost of Living in Luton

Everything is rising in price, that is a fact we are all well aware of.

One positive is that it does cost less to live in Luton rather than having to suffer the high cost of city living in London.

The huge exodus from the capital in recent years is a testament to this fact.

We may be stuck in the middle of a global financial crisis, but we can still be clever about how and on what we spend our money.

Whilst the government is doing its best to support those who are in the greatest need, it very often falls to the middle earners to foot the tax bills which fund the benefits system.

There are all sorts of changes we can introduce to our spending which will hopefully take the pressure off our finances.

Here are some helpful tips you may want to try.

Best Ways to Save Money When living in Luton

Some of our outgoing costs are beyond our control and living in Luton sadly, doesn’t mean you will automatically save a ton of cash.

But there are still plenty of things we can do to help cut back which all add up, in the long run, no matter if you live in Luton or anywhere else in the UK.

Gas and electric bills have surged to new highs making it even more imperative to get clever with our usage.

Switching energy providers used to be easy and a good way to cut costs.

Now it is not so simple.

Here are some alternative ideas to help you to cut the cost of your bills.

• Ensuring you have adequate insulation
• Get an energy-efficient boiler when you need to replace your old one
• Make sure you are not losing heat from old windows. Replace them with double glazing when you can.
• Change your light bulbs to energy-efficient versions
• Get an energy meter so you can see exactly what and how much you are using and spending
• Forget the tumble dryer, use drying racks, not so attractive but much cheaper
• Wash clothing on a lower heat setting
• Don’t leave appliances on standby mode. Switch them off when not in use.

These are all ways we can take the load off of our energy usage, thereby saving us money.

For over 100 money-saving ideas check out the Savings 4 Savvy Mums website.

Best Things to do When living in Luton

Living in Luton opens up a world of great ways to entertain yourself and the rest of the family.

Here are just a few of the activities you can expect to discover:

• Stockwood Park Golf Club
• Wardown Park
• Barton Hills National Nature Reserve
• Whipsnade Zoo
• Wrest Park

Working in Luton

If you are unfamiliar with Luton, you will find plenty of employment opportunities.

Total Jobs is currently advertising almost 767 positions within a 10-mile radius of the town centre.

Historically the success of the town’s economy was due to car manufacturing, engineering, and millinery.

However, today Luton leans more towards a service-based economy, mainly focusing on the retail and airport sectors with a little light industry as well.

The busy Luton Airport employs large numbers of local people plus, a good number also choose to commute the 34 miles into London.

There are regular trains to and from London which only take 25 minutes via St Pancras International.

Luton Town Council has predicted that there is going to be substantial growth to come over the next 20 years providing even more scope for job hunters.

Already located in Luton are some very large corporations such as Easy Jet, Tui, Vauxhall Motors, Whitbread, and Ernst & Young.

There is no doubt that despite the UK going through a difficult time, you still stand a good chance of gaining employment in Luton.

Transport Links in Luton

Great transport links make getting around the area easy, and driving around the region is a breeze.

Major motorways such as the M1 (Junctions 10 and 11 serve the town) and the A6 provide access throughout the region.

Alternatively, you could let the train take the strain and use the local rail network.

Luton, Leagrave, and Luton Airport Parkway railway stations are served by East Midlands Railway and Thameslink services.

Rail services into the capital are frequent and timely, making commuting very viable.

Many of the towns and villages surrounding Luton are also served by buses.

Plus, a bus rapid transit called the Luton to Dunstable Busway, connects the town with the airport, Dunstable, and Houghton Regis.

When it comes to connectivity, there is a host of possible options.

Shopping in Luton

Luton has a particularly diverse multicultural population.

This has resulted in a diverse shopping experience, particularly in the food department.

Bury Park, one of the major shopping areas, has many shops catering to Luton’s ethnic residents.

The retail hub of the town is mainly centred around the Mall Luton.

Around 100 stores are located here, including a market, a butcher shop, fishmongers, and a fruit and vegetable shop.

The shopping centre recently underwent construction and re-design work, and it now features a new square for hosting a variety of leisure events.

Luton Retail Park fulfils the out-of-town shopping experience.

The park, which is about a mile from Luton town centre, has a large number of shops, including Argos, Pets at Home, B&M, and Halfords, to name a few.

With London literally on your doorstep, a day of retail therapy in the capital is a must and is simple to accomplish.

Best Schools in Luton

For parents who may be considering living in Luton, it has a reputation for having great education options.

You may be interested in a religiously affiliated school, a special school, state or private.

Luton has a number of each, ensuring all bases are covered.

According to Ofsted, pretty much all schools perform to a “good” rating or above.

Richmond Hill and Denbigh Primaries have performed exceptionally well achieving an “outstanding” rating following their latest inspections.

Schools for the 11–16-year age group also perform well with a high number of secondary’s have gained excellent GCSE results.

The popular Woodlands Secondary school has also been awarded Ofsted’s highest rating of “outstanding”.

Luton Sixth Form College and Barnfield College have received Learning & Skills Beacon Status, both have become prominent choices for post-16 education.

The University of Bedfordshire is the closest university to Luton.

UOB has five campuses and boasts a recently built £46 million, ultramodern library, located at the Luton campus.

Around 20,000 students choose to study at the university from over 120 countries across the globe.

Ready to Move to Luton?

Having been in the removal industry for 35 years, Lund Conlon has built an enviable reputation based on good value, and reliable removal services.

We not only cover all areas of Bedfordshire we also carry out removals all over the UK, Europe, and internationally.

Don’t hesitate to contact us today so that we can provide you with our no-obligation free-of-charge quotation.