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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to refuse to move house - again...

56 replies

Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 17:10

The crux of the matter is this: We live in city A, and dh's office is relocating to city B. This will mean we either move to city B, or dh will have a 3 hour (1 1/2 hour each way) commute every day. Put quite simply - I don't want to move house, but I worry that this means I am committing him to a greatly extended working day, and that he will resent it.

Now for the longer version of the story, complete with several years worth pof back story (in the name of not drip feeding - please feel free to skip this bit if I am going on a bit!)

My husband was offered a job in City A following a redundancy and 2 years out of work. At that point I left my (not very well paid) job and the entire family moved to a town close to City A - this was a significant move to a different country, and so was a huge wrench for all of us. We were not in a position to buy a property, and so rented. During this time our 2 youngest children attended a school in City A, and I went to university there.

After 3 years (one year ago now) our landlord wanted to sell the house we lived in, and so we moved into City A. This has worked so well for the past year - we are close enough to dh's work that he can cycle in, we are just around the corner from the children's school, and our eldest has a place starting at the local 6th form in September. As for myself, I have over the past 4 years forged some links with the area - although I have yet to find a permanent job, I have been working as a supply teacher in the city for the past year and have build up a fairly secure network for myself, as well as several social ties. The street we have moved to has several children the same ages as my youngest two, and for the first time in their lives they are in the position of having children call to ask them over to play and vice versa. Middle child is looking forward to moving up to secondary next year, where she will be in the same school as the children she plays with at home. All in all, with the exception of my not having a permanent job, it is pretty perfect.

However, my husband's office are now moving to City B. We have to decide, in the next couple of weeks, whether to take the company's relocation package, or to suck up the commute. And I am worried that my reasons for not wanting to move (see above) are quite selfish when it isn't me who will be doing the commute. In honesty, the commute will make things more difficult for me too - dh will no longer be able to help out with any of the school runs, which in turn will reduce the areas I can accept work. Furthermore, I can forsee that the help I get in the house from him will reduce to pretty much nothing, because of his extended day and the children will see a lot less of him too. However, the alternative - us moving - would potentially make it easier for me to find a permanent post (there do seem to be more posts advertised in City B) but would hugely impact the children and, not to put it too finely, my social life, such as it is. Not to mention I love the house we are in a the moment (although it is rented) and I quite simply don't want to move.

Am I being unreasonable to just say "No, I don't want to", even though the negative impacts of my saying so affect him more than me?

Sorry this is so long!

OP posts:
Preciousbane · 11/08/2014 17:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 11/08/2014 17:27

Let's see:
You don't have a permanent job, but have regular work doing something which is easily transferable to City B
Your husband was out of work for 2yrs following his last redundancy
A daily three hour commute would mean little or no support from DH and I suspect impact quite negatively your ability to teach
You rent your home and therefore can relocate with relative ease
I'm sorry, but YABU

Not at all unreasonable to be dismayed and wishing there was an alternative, but unless DH is confident of securing work in City A easily now that the worst of the recession is over I think you are all going to have to deal with it.

Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 17:33

Sadly the area dh works in is very specialised, so there are only a handful of companies nationwide in which he could find work. And none, I think, in City A, once his current office relocates. So changing jobs is not an option - he has to work in City B. The only options are move or relocate.

Honesty - I would be gutted to leave our lovely house in a lovely area, and move to a city with much higher living costs which will mean a smaller house in a less nice area. And probably without the excellent schools just around the corner.

And I don't want all the upheaval for the children... They have had such a lot of bloody moving around due to dh's work (DD is just going into Year 6, and has been to 4 different primary schools so far). I had just so hoped this was it and we were settled here. :(

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Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 17:37

move or commute - not relocate!

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outtolunchagain · 11/08/2014 17:37

Thing thing that would make me stay would be the children's education, you can't move half way through A levels so I think you are stuck until they are sorted.How easy would it be to get school places for your other children?

My dh by the way does a commute which is brought one and a quarter hours each way , it's OK he manages .But I have a job here which is not very transferable and our children always seem to be at the wrong time to move schools

Skiingmaniac · 11/08/2014 17:40

Would you consider moving a little of the way between city A and B......to village/town C? Then you might have a little more of a drive to kids's schools (20-30 mins) but you DH would have an hour or less to commute - which is doable. House prices should be lower and countryside is wonderful for kids :-)

Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 17:45

Also - we are contracted to this house til Nov 2015, although we would possibly be able to get out of that if the landlord could find a new tenant. But any move after this September would impact ds1's A levels (hah! unless he has failed his GCSEs and has to retake them, which is not impossible :S). So then if we take that into account we can't move til he finishes A levels, which would be 2 years time. And I don't think it is realistic for us to move before September! So that is an important factor too.

I don't know. I don't think it is just me being selfish. It is more that I wonder how many changes my family have to blindly submit to for the sake of my husband's job.

And then every time I say that, I am reminded that I am not the one who will be commuting, so is it fair for me to be the one deciding "no"?

OP posts:
TreadSoftlyOnMyDreams · 11/08/2014 17:48

Does he have to be in the office every day or can he work from home at all ? Even 4 days in the office or a compressed 9 day fortnight takes the edge off a long commute.

Sorry - my first post was a bit off-hand. Plenty of people do a 1.5 hour commute each way every day. It will impact your family life though.

What does your DH want to do? The reality of living in a smaller space, and sending his children to lessor schools might also be influencing him towards commuting for a while to see how it goes.

Is there anywhere outside of City B which is a better option?

Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 17:54

The commute would be 15 mins to get to the station here, an hour on the train, and 15 minutes to get to his office in City B. I have thought about us moving partway there, but to be honest I suspect that it would make as much sense for us to just move altogether in that case. I can't see commuting back to City A for school as a sensible option.

Ack, I don't know what the solution is. I don't know if I should suck it up or if he should... The thing is I know I would do a 90 minuter commute fairly uncomplainingly - in fact I have been applying for jobs near city B with the intention of commuting if I should get them, but I know that he will HATE having to travel any great distance.

OP posts:
Chocolategirl7 · 11/08/2014 17:59

My DH does a commute to work which is 2 hours each way. It's tough. He is tired, not able to help out much during the weeks and we spend a fortune on petrol.

However, my kids are younger but I still wouldn't move now that they are in the school system and have established friendships. My friendship network means I have help if I need to be in work early or late and we are all quite used to it.

It's not ideal but it is manageable. Though saying that, my DH is happy to do the commute rather than move us all somewhere we don't know, where the kids may not get into the same school and where we would have to start again.
You need to discuss the implications as a family ( in my opinion!).

Good luck!

Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 18:03

The company aren't wild about people working from home - they have let him do it in an emergency (for example when ds2 got chickenpox and needed 2 weeks off school) but they don't like it as a regular arrangement.

When we first married and had DS1 he used to work 12 hour days (with an extra hour of travel) so leaving the house at 7:30am and getting back at 8:30pm. We barely saw each other on working days, and he didn't see DS1 at all. This wouldn't be quite as bad, but would be stepping back towards it (I reckon he will have to leave at about 7:15 and get back at 7:45pm). The only plus point is the children are older now and stay up later, so could see him briefly before bed.

It is going to be crap, isn't it? But I think moving will be heartbreaking for the children, and probably for me too. He will be OK, because he has no social life outside his computer and as long as we have a study for him to shut himself into he will be contended.

Aaaaargh! Indecision.

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Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 18:05

Financially the commute would not impact us as the company will provide him with train season tickets for the next 3-4 years. Which is something.

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Jumpingjuly · 11/08/2014 18:06

Oh you are so not unreasonable i am just in the process of moving for the 4th time in 7 years (in 3 different countries ) and have told DH that is it. The next move he is on his own . I too have one going into sixth form and another at secondary and this is definatley the time to put the DC first . Mine have also clocked up 4 schools each . Is there a short term alternative such as him living away during the week just untill you can get your eldest through sixth form and research a good school for your DD. How do the DC feel about the move would they be up for it? What are school places like in city B could you get them in a good school in time for September (Otherwise another potential school move for them) . These would be my first concerns

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 11/08/2014 18:10

Could he work during the commute (dh does, as long as he gets a table on the train), and if so, might that mean a shorter working day?

Jumpingjuly · 11/08/2014 18:13

Just seen your other posts . Looking at his journey it dosent look that bad especially as most is on a train . I used to do similar in London and it was fine. I would let him suck it up untill you have properly researched schools, housing, job opportunities etc

OnlyTheWelshCanCwtch · 11/08/2014 18:13

Is it possible for him to stay over during the week?

sausageandorangepickle · 11/08/2014 18:19

On the plus side for moving - you didn't know anyone in City A but have found a nice house, nice friends, work and schools you like - you have done it once so could do it again.

Have you found much out about city B? What are the schools like? Is there a nice enough school, in a nice enough area?

What is the relocation package like, and how long will it be offered for? There is no point in staying to see how the commute goes, and then deciding you'll have to move once the package is no longer offered. You said his work will pay travel costs for some time, but what about after that?

Not trying to sway you either way, just some things to think about. (My DH would like us to move near to his brother, a cheaper area, but less jobs about, 5 hours away from where we live now, and these are related to the things I have been thinking about, but your DH has a job in city B already)

landrover · 11/08/2014 18:26

What about him staying for 4 nights a week in city B (house share etc?)
In all honesty, that commute is really not too bad, how does he feel about disrupting kids education? How permanent is the job relocation? xx

Agggghast · 11/08/2014 18:27

I do a similar length commute and it is awful. If my parents were not frail and elderly I would move. I think your DH could come to resent you for forcing him so you need to make it a joint decision. In many ways your DC are the perfect age to move.

Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 18:27

I don't think we could afford for him to stay over during the week - although it would be a good solution in a lot of ways. I don't think he could work during the commute either - but he could maybe do some reading and stuff!

We need to talk about exactly what changes this would all include. Talking this through has made the issues a bit clearer.

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PetulaGordino · 11/08/2014 18:31

my commute is 1.5hrs by car each way. it nearly killed me full time and i now work from home two days a week. even so, i'm looking for a new job because my quality of life is not good

is the train a comfortable commute (i.e. is he likely to be able to get a seat, are there lots of changes or is it direct?) and how hard is it to get from home to station A and from station B to work and back again. are the trains regular?

Thenapoleonofcrime · 11/08/2014 18:40

There is a website called 'Monday to Friday.com' for week time only rentals- may be worth having a quick look at prices for that and considering whether say 4 nights there and 3 at home may work. I think the SpareRoom site also have them. Many people don't want a lodger over the weekend, but are happy to have someone in the week.

I think I would be thinking- is this likely to be the last move? When would be optimal for the children to move- perhaps after Year 6 for one of them? Could he commute for a year, see how it went, then move if you don't like it?

I hate moving though and I wouldn't be moving my lot again after how long it took them to settle this time around, not for a few years anyway.

eyebags63 · 11/08/2014 18:42

That commute sounds crippling, he would be doing 11 hour days? You will hardly see anything of him during the week and at the weekends he will be knackered.

I think given that your job is not permanent, you are renting and you have "some links" with the area at best, YABU.

Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 18:56

Another factor - I tried not to drip feed, but keep thinking of extra things - Eldest son has Aspergers and for the first time ever has made friends in the area too. I really so don't want to take that away from him. And I think moving house, as well as changing school, would wreck his chance at A levels. He could always restart when he was more settled, but it really would affect him.

I don't think the needs of the children necessarily outweigh the needs of adults in a family, but in this case I do wonder...

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Oakmaiden · 11/08/2014 19:00

Hm. I do wonder if, if we could afford it, "part time renting" in City B would be the solution.

After another discussion with dh I think we are going to play "suck it and see" with the commute. If, after a number of months, it is too dreadful for words, or if I manage to get a job in one place or another, then we might reassess the situation.

I hate the way life keeps throwing me these "curveballs" whenever I start to think I might be able to get comfortable...

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