Need guidance for job commute

rammster

I am currently living in Swindon.Where I have a 3 bed semi detached house which I have purchased only 1.5years ago. My baby is 1 yr old and my wife is part time employed at Nationwide bank.

I have recently been given a new job offer with a 40% pay rise but the job involves a commute to Portsmouth and Southampton 4 days a week. Having done the drive to Southampton it takes me 1 hr 15 mins to Southampton, but I haven't done a drive to Portsmouth so far but I understand that this would be an even longer commute . My question is whether this is a practical proposition over the next few years.

I would earn via hourly rate. Thus would be able to offset fuel expenses against tax.

My concern is in particular the peak hour commute into and out of Portsmouth. I need to work there on Mondays and Fridays.

I understand that most of this is motorway driving but I would need to start work at 9 and finish work at 6pm. Any Portsmouth residents / commuters who can advise me on the problems that I may encounter on the commute . I expect the journey time to be 1hr 30mins at least.

I am a GP by profession and would need to work at the John pounds center . The idea is to commute initially ,but if all well wouldn't mind settling somewhere nice around Portsmouth. I need any help/advice. I think the deal breaker for me would be a 2hr commute each way. I wouldn't mind if it was around 1 hr 30mins.

I have an option where I could work all 4 days in Southampton. Would people suggest that this was a better option. It seems the center in need is portsmouth.

Linus2864

I assume you will be coming down the A34, onto the M3, East along the M27 then down the M275 into Portsmouth.

Your main problems will be the M27 along to the M275 as it gets very congested, especially after the Fareham and Gosport junctions (J9 - 11) where a lot of traffic joins.

Also the M275 can get extremely busy into Portsmouth in the morning, and out in the evening.

You can expect to add quite a bit of time along these stretches.

Is commuting by rail not an option or does your job at John Pounds need you to use a car?

Hope this helps

If you are looking at somewhere near Portsmouth, you can try just to the North (Southwick, Waterlooville areas) although property can be a bit expensive there.

dzug1

I think rail is out - Southampton is near enough a 2 hour journey each way and Portsmouth 3.

Notmyrealname

rammster wrote: »

I would earn via hourly rate. Thus would be able to offset fuel expenses against tax.

No you wouldn't. It would be classed as commuting and therefore not claimable even though it is two different places of work. At best if your main base is Southampton and you occassionally go to Portsmouth you would only be able to claim the difference in mileage there is between commuting to Southampton and going to Portsmouth.

rammster

Many thanks for all your replies, I am left wondering whether renting a 2 bed flat may be a better option there. That does increase expenses but would be easier on family and self . Where would you rent if so in Portsmouth ? or somewhere outside. I quite like winchester.

LandyAndy

It's too far to commute daily for any length of time. I think you were lucky to do Southampton in 75 minutes. As others have said the M3, M27, M275 can be very congested at rush hour and there are frequently severe delays due to accidents. Given your job (and pay) renting may well be a good short term solution but moving house is the real answer. There are plenty of nice places to live in the area.

geordieracer

You need to ask yourself whether or not a full time move would be more beneficial to you and your family rather then the outlay of commuting from your present home in Swindon.

If im totally honest I would say a move would be your best bet all round really.

richard734

I worked down in Pompy for a while. It worked out cheaper (and better for my sanity) to rent a room for the week rather than try and commute from Milton Keynes.(approx 2Hrs)
The real question you have to ask yourself (From someone who has done this!) is if the extra pay/new job offsets the time away from your family. Its a personal choice thing, and for my sins, I decided Family First.

Limey

I live in Gosport (over the water from Portsmouth) and agree with the above posts that commuting into Pompey is a royal PITA.

The John Pounds centre is on Queens street which is fortunately only about a 5 minute walk from Portsmouth harbour Rail station.

If your Southampton office is close to a station I'd look for a rental/new home somewhere along the rail line that connects Southampton and Portsmouth. Fareham has some nice areas as do the towns between Fareham and Southampton.

If you were only working in Portsmouth I'd suggest Gosport for rental/purchase as you get a lot for your money and getting over on the ferry would be a doddle. However getting out of Gosport in the morning in a car onto the M27 is a nightmare.

Mark_Hewitt

I was in a similar situation, living in Durham and got a job in York - 1hr30mins fastest time. But it was for around £12,000 more than my current job which was ending anyway - so it was worthwhile doing.

Commuting by car every day just wasn't feasible - Over 3 hours a day driving and some 50,000 miles a year on the clock. So what I ended up doing was driving down one day, staying over in a travelodge overnight and driving back the next - suited me well for 3 years but at the time I didn't have kids.

Since you are working 4 days perhaps you could look at something similar, i.e. staying over 2 nights per week that way on any particular day you are only driving in one direction. Travelodge often do very good deals if booking in advance.

gilbert_and_sullivan

My daughter does contract work at outlying customer sites.

As a poster above she hotels it every other night and travels home in between up to 150 miles one way, keeps her relationship healthy too.

Could that work for a few weeks/months if you found a decent B&B and then check the area out on your stayover nights with a view to all moving to the area.