An hour and a half commute twice a week for work?

[Frevera]

Bad idea?

I want to live away from the city but wonder if I am being too optimistic about how I would handle a commute?

56 miles, probably easier to drive.

I do this commute. I wouldnt have chosen it, but it got me the job I wanted. I dont find it particularly bad tbh. I listen to a lot of audio books.

Perfectly normal for many people commuting into London, a lot don’t have much of a choice.

Is that door to door? What part is public transport - how many changes? Basically, how much is within your control? It stops being a novelty quite quickly.

Door to door yes. I could do part drive part train but feel like that could be quite stressful.

I’m worried I’m fine with the idea now but the reality could be quite different...I don’t want to live so close to a city when I’m working from home 3 days a week. And this place is where I know and family are there so it’s either move there or stay where I am on the edge of a city.

I did that for 7 yrs. it was fine

If you are only going to have to do the journey twice a week, it's a no brainier if it means you can live in your preferred area. Loads of people have to do that daily, so twice a week is piece of piss.

Ive done it 3-4 times a week for 20 years!

Oh, missed the only twice a week bit. That makes it more bearable. Daily = less of a laugh.

Are you sure you’re only going to be working from the office for 2 days forever? What happens in a year when things start getting back to normal (as they will)? Or if you change jobs? Only move if you’d be willing to do that commute every day at some point.

I drive it 6 days a week. I live rural so I’ve no choice. 2 days per week shouldn’t be an issue for you, to live in your preferred location

@Sunshineandsparkle this is the first time on MNet that i have ever seen anyone say that.

Its 1 reason why i am scared to move outside london, i am in my 20s and wouldn't be at a job for life. neither would DH. So even though we are wfh now due to covid (for me, its mainly because my employer doesn't have enough space for all of us to go back in), this could change in the future. But it seems a lot of people i know are buying property on the assumption that wfh is permanent including to places with 2+ hour commutes.

Our work has now put in a permanent flexible working policy.

After having worked from home successfully for 6 months, I would rather leave my job than commute into an office everyday..so wherever I live I won’t be going in 5 days a week anymore. It was insane that that was the was of life before all this!

Twice a week I reckon is doable then

@Desiringonlychild I just think it’s a bit short sighted that everyone thinks this is what life will be like forever. In the OP’s case, she says she would look for another job that offered the flexible work she wants but there are many people who couldn’t. 6 months ago, life was very different. It may take a year or two, but it will go back to how it was before. I think the main difference is that employers will be a lot more accepting of wfh when needed. I think we need to be so careful as currently London is a hub and for that we are paid a premium. If all jobs can be done from home, then we are too expensive. Without even talking about India etc., there are plenty of multilingual, well educated (2 degrees, masters etc) people in central and Eastern Europe who would happily do the job for a third of the price. Selling your house and moving across the country seems like a knee jerk reaction. I think you’re doing the right thing by staying put for now.

@Sunshineandsparkle i don't think that people moving out of london to the home counties would necessarily mean that our salaries would immediately drop. Its not that the ex Londoners are going to move to an ex industrial town in wales (or at least most aren't). They are moving to desirable areas like marlow and hampshire where the prices were catching up with London even pre covid and would probably be equal to london zone 3-6 in a few years. People are also getting larger houses which would cost more to maintain and probably cost the same as a small london house. So they would still require the London salaries to sustain their expenses. As for outsourcing, they were doing it pre covid. WFh may increase it but equally it may also mean that job opportunies from all over the world are available for Brits. However, being faraway from a jobs hub like London is not going to help your career so its probably better for someone who is established and is confident of always being able to get jobs on favourable terms.

It would also mean that London house prices would become more affordable and that many of the most expensive postcodes would no longer be in London. As a Londoner, i do welcome it (even as a homeowner) as I don't think high house prices are good for the city and I don't really want to live in a place where the next generation cannot buy anything and everyone is priced out except for the children of russian oligarchs. DH's sisters work in the arts and have already left for cheaper cities in the UK and abroad; and that isn't great for London.

I was WFH for most of the week for 6 years. Then in 2016 new work practices came in that said everyone needs to be co located. I didn’t have WFH contract, so I had no choice but to go in every day. Door to door is 70 mins. I wouldn’t recommend doing any more than that.

I'd say that's totally dobale. You'll probably even look forward to it! Myscu, audio books, city etc.

sunshine that is interesting...I have to say I can’t see working practices returning to what they were.

If you can work from home who is going to agree to going back to an office 5 days a week when they’ve worked fine exclusively from home for months? It’s crazy and people are standing up for themselves now - flexibility is actually a legal requirement for employers to consider and this office faced obsession, where not necessary, is outdated.