Commute or location

boxer234

badger09 said:

If driving, I'd say it depends on the type of roads you're using, volume of traffic and what else you have to do each evening. I did slightly longer drive for a couple of years. It was ok in spring & summer but absolutely awful in winter. Arriving home after a long day, an hour's drive in the dark, and then having to put food on the table took its toll. Totally different to sitting on a train & reading/listening to music.  

It’s motorway but I tend not to travel at rush hour and I’m not out all day.  I conduct visits but might work from home 2 hours a day.  We no longer have offices to go to.  I’m also term time only. 

boxer234

Thrugelmir said:

boxer234 said:

400ixl said:

Is the 50 minutes each way?

What method is the commute, car, train? If car, how much is in heavy traffic? Who pays the commuting costs?

Is the number of days you can work from home likely to increase?

I travel by car.  I do get paid some mileage.  The days I work from home are flexible I manage my own diary so some weeks I’m in 5 days a week others not. I’d have to arrange myself better if I moved away.  It’s 50 minutes each way.  

Home to your permanent place of work isn't eligble business mileage. 

Anything over the distance to our old office I can claim so a huge amount wouldn’t be covered.  I am very concerned about petrol costs. 

SaintJudy

Go for the village! 50 minutes is nothing. When I lived and worked in London it still took me 1hr 15 because I was going NW to SE. Now I live in Kent and the drive is 1hr and I can see fields from my living room  

getmore4less

I found ~45min regular ok with the occasion where it took longer(sometimes a lot snow) with a bit quicker on really good days/times, 

MysteryMe

From what you are describing of your working week I'd do the commute.

It's not like you are driving to the office every day having to get there for 9am and leaving at 5pm

mark55man

In a car 50 mins is sustainable indefinitely unless you have unusual circumstances.  Spotify/podcasts are your friend - or the radio/  When it gets to 75/80 minutes it becomes a real drag especially in winter  

walwyn1978

I can be in the car for upwards of 5 hours a day some days. Podcasts make that much much more bearable. I’d do the commute in your position 

yksi

There's many ways to solve the equation.

What's 50 minutes worth to you? If you added it to your work hours then divide your daily pay, is that an hourly rate you're still happy to do this work for? Don't forget to add the travel cost into it, including wear and tear.
If you weren't at this workplace, would that change how you felt? How long do you plan on staying there - a year, ten years, don't know? If you moved, would this make finding employment more difficult if you had to change jobs? Easier? Is yours a role that's in demand? Or might you struggle to find somewhere else? (Some employers don't want to take on someone who lives an hour away, if we aren't talking about London.)

You're wary about the commute cost but you haven't said much about the time you're giving up. Do you/will you have children, this can be a big consideration for village life, plenty of people think it's idyllic and plenty would never want their kids to be isolated from "things to do". Is there a partner to consider? Might that change in future?

Have you considered something half way to give you the best of both?

zagubov

That's a reasonable commute. Podcasts and audiobooks will be less repetitive than the radio will get to be.

boxer234

yksi said:

There's many ways to solve the equation.

What's 50 minutes worth to you? If you added it to your work hours then divide your daily pay, is that an hourly rate you're still happy to do this work for? Don't forget to add the travel cost into it, including wear and tear.
If you weren't at this workplace, would that change how you felt? How long do you plan on staying there - a year, ten years, don't know? If you moved, would this make finding employment more difficult if you had to change jobs? Easier? Is yours a role that's in demand? Or might you struggle to find somewhere else? (Some employers don't want to take on someone who lives an hour away, if we aren't talking about London.)

You're wary about the commute cost but you haven't said much about the time you're giving up. Do you/will you have children, this can be a big consideration for village life, plenty of people think it's idyllic and plenty would never want their kids to be isolated from "things to do". Is there a partner to consider? Might that change in future?

Have you considered something half way to give you the best of both?

Thanks no children or partner.  No plans on this changing just divorced and know exactly what I want.  I love my job so have no plans on leaving. I do have two dogs and it would mean I’m out the house longer. I live in a village now and love it. If I come closer I can’t afford what I want so it will be looking at a town. 

 I should add today I’m travelling to the area I would be buying in so sometimes visits take me that way but more often than not it will be a longer commute.