Living in Harlow – A Commuters Guide

Are you thinking of living in Harlow?

This Essex town is one of the top commuter locations in the whole of the region.

Harlow ensures residents benefit from a mixture of affordable properties, superb transport links to the capital and some great schools.

Harlow provides locals with fantastic transport connections to nearby towns as well as the capital.

The local train line conveniently runs services to London Liverpool Street, meaning quick and easy access to the capital!

Alongside excellent links to the capital, moving to Harlow also offers residents an ideal rural location.

Life in Harlow provides locals with effortless access to the stunning Essex countryside.

Moving to a new area is never straightforward.

Before you start your move, it is essential to gather as much knowledge about an area as you can.

If you are thinking of calling Harlow home, this is the perfect blog for you!

We hope to provide you with the top tips for those looking to move to this Essex affordable commuter hub.

Covering everything from property prices to the best schools in the area, we hope to provide you with a thorough guide to the town.

If you are thinking of living in Harlow, this is our commuter guide to the Essex town.

Property Market in Harlow

Harlow is a popular choice for many buyers.

According to Zoopla, the current average house price is £324,801.

This price indicates good value when compared to many regions of the UK, especially compared to London.

The average price for a property in the capital is a staggering £732,270, well over double the price of this Essex town.

With cheaper properties readily available, Harlow is understandably an appealing opportunity for many buyers.

So, what should you expect to pay for different property types in Harlow?

Currently, the average price of a detached home in Harlow sits at £529,746, with the average price of a semi-detached home sitting at £424,297.

If you are looking for a terraced home, the average price in Harlow is £324,190, with flats averaging at £232,930.

All prices are subject to change, so, if you are thinking of moving to Harlow, be sure to keep up to date by visiting Zoopla’s website for up-to-date average prices.

Cost of Living

When living in Harlow you will need to know all of the prices you can expect to pay for food!

It is essential to understand that with so many options, prices may fluctuate from place to place.

As a general overview, here are the prices you can expect to pay for different types of food when in Harlow (statistics from Numbeo)

• meal at a cheaper restaurant-£ 15.00
• fast food meal-£7.75
• cappuccino or latte-£2.50
• litre of milk-£1.23
• loaf of bread-£1.05
• 1kg chicken-£6.61

There are also several popular websites and apps to help choose between the massive variety of takeaway and restaurant establishments including Just Eat, Deliveroo and TripAdvisor.

But, there is no need to always order your food!

Harlow also offers all the common UK supermarket brands.

This means that making a lovely home-cooked meal is very affordable.

If you are considering relocating to Harlow is important to find out the cost of living!

Be sure to stay up to date with what you should expect to pay every month.

Numbeo is an excellent tool to keep up to date with the latest prices.

You can use the site to find out the cost of living in Harlow and compare these prices with other areas of the UK and the world!

Jobs in Harlow

Moving to Harlow ensures locals have access to a range of job opportunities.

Locally the town offers employment openings in both the manufacturing and retail sectors.

Harlow Enterprise Zone is one of 45 locations across the country that provides incentives for investment.

With the perfect location, Harlow is increasingly attracting more businesses to set up in the area.

Major investment has come into the area through the public health science industry.

The construction of world-class public health labs in Harlow has pushed the area to the forefront of the industry.

US defence contractor, Raytheon and pharmaceuticals giant, GlaxoSmithKline both have large premises within the town and one of Europe’s leading online golf stores, Onlinegolf, is based in Harlow.

Many firms take advantage of the M11 and the nearby A10 linking Harlow with London, Cambridge, Stansted Airport and the M25.

Shopping in Harlow

Living in Harlow ensures you have access to a range of excellent shopping options.

Much of Harlow has undergone major redevelopment.

The town centre was one of the very first to be totally pedestrianised.

Residents have access to a huge range of places to shop and eat ideal for relaxing and spending time with friends and family.

Each individual neighbourhood has its own smaller local shopping areas, however, when it comes to serious retail there is a choice of two main centres.

The Water Gardens is a large complex set of landscaped gardens with tranquil ponds and water fountains.

It has over 30 stores providing a good selection of fashion, jewellery, and shoe shops.

There is also a large Asda, a Barclays bank, a gym as well as an abundance of places to grab a bite to eat.

The Harvey Centre is the largest, busiest, and most comprehensive shopping mall in Harlow.

Home to 60 well-known retailers and eateries as well as a Cineworld, a Quasar game centre and a glow-in-the-dark crazy golf course!

It also has an Xercise 4 Less fitness facility.

A plan to promote further regeneration of Harlow town centre and the towns Playhouse Quarter is also underway.

Included in this scheme is the development of new spaces for pop-up markets and street trading facilities!

Schools and Education in Harlow

Well before putting any relocation plans into action, those considering a move to Harlow with children will most certainly want to know that their chosen location is going to provide good quality schooling.

Hare Street Community Primary School and Nursery and Longwood Primary Academy, two of the area’s primary schools have been rated as ‘outstanding’ by Ofsted.

Older children have a choice of 4 state secondaries within a two-mile radius of the town centre and of these two were found to be “good”.

Just one, Mark Hall Academy had an “inadequate” report from Ofsted.

Private schooling is provided by Saint Nicholas School (co-ed, ages two to 16) in Hobbs Cross Road, Old Harlow, is the only all-through private school available locally.

Beckmead Moundwood Academy offers exceptional education and support for traumatised children and young people with SEMH, autism and challenging behaviour.

Harlow College provides sixth form, further education, and some higher education courses.

St Mark’s West Essex Catholic School also provides sixth-form education.

Life in Harlow ensures access to some top schools.

Transport Links in Harlow

Transport links are a top consideration when moving to a new area.

Living in Harlow comes into its own concerning convenient transport links.

A large proportion of residents choose to commute to the capital for work!

Having a diverse industry base, many local transport companies take advantage of the M11 and the nearby A10 which link Harlow with London, Cambridge, Stansted Airport and the M25.

The M11 motorway is about 25 miles from London and Harlow also lies around 10 miles from the popular Stansted Airport.

Travelling by rail affords excellent travel times with regular services direct into Liverpool Street station in 30 to 40 minutes via Harlow Town station.

The journey takes between 37 and 44 minutes from Harlow Mill station.

Although the town is already well-placed for access to the M11, Essex County Council has helped to improve connectivity even more.

The installation of a new junction, 7a, north of junction 7, was completed in June 2022.

This project improved access to Harlow’s road network, helping facilitate growth and creating better connectivity for residents, businesses and visitors.

Healthcare in Harlow

A move to Harlow will ensure you have access to excellent healthcare options.

Princess Alexandra Hospital, situated on Hamstel Road in Harlow, serves as the primary healthcare hub, offering a comprehensive range of medical services to the community.

Its emergency department stands ready 24/7 to address any urgent medical needs that arise.

In addition to emergency care, the hospital provides various specialised treatments and procedures, ensuring residents have access to quality healthcare close to home.

The hospital also collaborates with local clinics and healthcare providers to deliver integrated care, promoting overall wellness throughout the Harlow area

Ready to Start Living in Harlow?

So now you know a lot more about the town, are you thinking of moving to Harlow?

You have clearly made a great choice!

Whether you want to make the most of the transport links, find a dream home, or enjoy a day of shopping, living in Harlow has something for all.

Harlow is an excellent location with a choice of good value properties, meaning there is surely a great home for you.

GoodMove will make your move to Harlow a smooth and simple process.

We take great pleasure in ensuring your move runs efficiently and effortlessly, helping you to arrive at your new home in no time at all.

As well as our competitively priced removals package, we can also provide extra services such as short-term or long-term storage should you need it.

GoodMove cover all areas of Suffolk, Norfolk and Essex and our friendly estimators can call round at a convenient time for you and strategically plan your move to perfection.

During these exceptional times, GoodMove are also offering a new video survey service.

Using our new technology, we can gather all the information required to assist with your move, from the comfort of your home!

Video surveys will help you save valuable time and go a long way to maintaining the best safety levels.

Find out more about how we could get you moving to Harlow or any other location by calling the number listed above.

Alternatively, fill out a quick quote form or click on our live bot in the bottom right and a member of our customer services team will be in touch shortly.