Anyone from the north work south during the week?

Miss_Moneysaver

Hi,

I have been offered a promotion in my field but in Colchester, not the north east where I live (there is nothing in the north east, I've looked 3 years). I would really like to accept the role as it is a jump up and is in the area which I have a strong interest.

However, hubby wants to stay here and thinks it is unfair to move the children (15 and 11) from their school (the youngest is due to start in September). I tend to agree as it is a great school and the eldest is half way through GCSE's. Plus, hubby would struggle to get another job as he is quite a bit older than me.

I may have the option of condensing hours into a 3 day week and travel time will be counted as working hours. I have also been offered a £10k relocation package but they have said I can use that for rent if I want (cheap onsite flats there). We have inherited money but it is in trust (property) but we are almost mortgage free up here in the north so will be £800 a month better off soon anyway (and I have been overpaying an extra £200 a month). I am thinking of possibly investing in a flat down south, if I can. This would be an investment towards retirement or for the children. Plus, we could use it as a holiday home. Or, simply rent.

Does anyone do this? Work south but travel back north at weekends. I have decided to turn it down if they don't offer condensed hours but they seem quite open to it.
I have to leave where I am now as frustrated and I'm struggling healthwise working long nightshifts now.

Any words of advice? I get free travel to and from London and only pay £6 return to Colchester.

Would it work?

greenbee

I don't personally - I'm home based, but have to do a lot of travel (the minimum is generally two weeks a month in Sweden if I'm not elsewhere). I have colleagues who commute UK to Sweden or north of England to South. They tend to get a early train down on Tuesday (arriving in the office around 10am) and head back on Thursday night. Some of them are home based so get hotels paid, others rent a room as a mid-week lodger.

As long as you can make it work for your family it can be very productive to have a regular 3 days in the office where you get all your meetings done, travel time to deal with admin/reading/reporting writing/research and then shorter, quiet days at home to deal with other bits of work.

I've been struggling to fit my reading in for the last couple of weeks, and have realised it's because I'm not flying for a month, which is my default reading time! You can soon work out a routine that maximises your productivity.

Miss_Moneysaver

Thanks for that. I would love to work Tues-Thurs like that tbh - I'd have a much better quality of life than I do now working mixed shifts all over the place.
It isn't an office based role 100% as 40% of it is in a lab (I'm a scientist) but I'm sure we can work something out. I had't even thought about working on the train! It was the manager that suggested that.
Anyway, I'll see what they say about my suggestions.

pinkshoes

One of my previous work colleagues lived in Liverpool but worked in Oxford.

He arrived Monday morning with a 10am start then drove home Thursday evening.

His wife and 3 kids remained in Liverpool.

His extra salary more than made up for Travelodge hotel for 3 nights and petrol and it meant he could afford to take his family on an amazing holiday each summer.

I'd say go for it!

motorguy

I commute to London Monday -> Thursday, staying over close to work and then i travel back Thursday evening and work from home fridays.

Thats from Northern Ireland.

It works for us and i know a lot of people who do it too.

Wyndham

I used to do it - but was working as a day rate contractor, so was earning £400+ per working day. I work in IT. I had a flat in the south-west, which I rented (furnished). Overall, on that rate, after travel costs and bills (rent, council tax, utilities), I was better off than I would have been in the north. I did a four day week, which meant going down on a Sunday, and returning on a Thursday evening (home around 9.30pm).

I'm now back on a payroll about two miles from home. While that's much better in some respects, in others it isn't. I sort of miss the travelling.... and, if I'm honest, the freedom of having my own space.

But, my last contract involved hotel living. I'm not saying I'd never do that again, but having my own accommodation, and therefore my own space, was much better. I also didn't have to move as much stuff each time.

I don't have children. I think that must be a factor to consider. If I had to move a family, I probably would not have done it.

Good luck whatever you decide - it's not easy at all. PM me if it helps.

Marcon

Would it work? Only you and your husband can being to assess that. The other thing you both need to consider is what happens if you don't take it - not the best recipe for a happy future together.

Remember that owning a second property carries a hefty second home stamp duty charge of 3% on top of whatever would normally be payable, and other costs such as insurance are often higher once they know the property is regularly left empty.

gettingtheresometime

Tbh it's not a case of work in the south but living in the north you have to consider, it's the 3 days of you not being in there and how that affects family dynamics that counts.

Many many moons ago oh worked away, often for a similar time period and yes we found it hard.... things that would wash over me annoyed him & vice versa.

How do you see your relationship coping with this enforced separation? I got quite resentful when hubby commented on how I did things.

motorguy

Wyndham wrote: »

I used to do it - but was working as a day rate contractor, so was earning £400+ per working day. I work in IT. I had a flat in the south-west, which I rented (furnished). Overall, on that rate, after travel costs and bills (rent, council tax, utilities), I was better off than I would have been in the north. I did a four day week, which meant going down on a Sunday, and returning on a Thursday evening (home around 9.30pm).

I'm now back on a payroll about two miles from home. While that's much better in some respects, in others it isn't. I sort of miss the travelling.... and, if I'm honest, the freedom of having my own space.

But, my last contract involved hotel living. I'm not saying I'd never do that again, but having my own accommodation, and therefore my own space, was much better. I also didn't have to move as much stuff each time.

I don't have children. I think that must be a factor to consider. If I had to move a family, I probably would not have done it.

Good luck whatever you decide - it's not easy at all. PM me if it helps.

Thats pretty much the same for me. Our son is 25 and lives in Australia, so no kids to factor in.

Personally i've always opted for hotel living as i'm away Monday -> Thursday, so just 3 nights away. It would cost me more to rent somewhere than i'm paying in hotel charges. The downside is though the moving about of stuff on a Thursday morning but i've it down to a fine art after 4 years.

Financially, its very worth it but being away from home does have its downsides.

getmore4less

My tiny experience was a Mon-Fri and that did not work due to arriving home late Friday and early start Mon, the weekend was a dead zone.

If you can absorb travel time and work longer hours it could work.

I would also try to build in flexibility so you can change which days and do some work from home.

Eg. Mon-wed one week followed by a Wed-Fri creates a useful period at home.

JayRitchie

Honestly, that deal is too good to turn down - especially if you've had no joy for 3 years and are in a specialist area. I work in greater London and have colleagues with children who commute from Scotland and Wales, plus other who live elsewhere in Southern England. Its not so unusual at all. They all do 4 or 5 days in the office so nothing like as nice a deal as you would get!

Not saying its ideal., but there may be no ideal options out there.What does your husband do for work?