To quit my job because I can't afford to go

[Megapops]

I have my dream job, I absolutely love it, and thought I was on a decent salary. Recently the organisation has asked staff to go into the London office 2-3 days a week. Not a problem.

But.. just broke up with my partner who I've been livng with for a few years and I'm obviously looking at moving out into my own place now. To rent a modest, 1 bed place within an hour/hour and a half commute to work is more than my monthly salary. And to rent a room in a houseshare costs around half my salary. Living further out means more expensive train fares too. I'm looking right outside London too. (Considering moving back into a houseshare, and it costing half my salary is also making me die a bit inside).

I dont know what I'm going to do? The only solution seems to be to quit my job and move somewhere else because I literally can't afford to go to work. Although rent doesn't seem much better anywhere! Any advice?

I don't know London very well but have recently been applying for jobs there with hybrid working. Had planned to stay somewhere like a cheap Travelodge in Milton Keynes (£25/night sometimes) close to the train station, where you can get express trains into London Euston in 35 mins. This would have been for the office days. Is something like this an option?? Not necessarily just MK, but there are cheaper towns close to London with fast links into it. Good luck, the stuff I've read about rents is hair-raising and not getting enough attention compared to mortgages. xx

How about Sudbury suffolk/bures/chapel. 1hour 20 commute £600 would get you a house share £750 a tiny flat.

Is Kent cheaper to rent than Surrey?

If they are expecting you to work in London 2-3 days a week then they will have to pay you London weighting for those days...

It makes a significant difference for renting.

I'd also look at places like Chesham which is the poor relation to Amersham. Rental prices aren't horrific and you save as you're paying underground prices rather than train fares. Somewhere like Watford is also officially on the tube but has fast trains to London.

Furnished flat... https://www.zoopla.co.uk/to-rent/details/64981659/?search_identifier=b91107c5-20d8-4572-a981-ded7e9e6aca0 or for a little bit more rent a two-bed and split the rent?

If your employer is changing your terms of employment, they should usually pay for extra costs incurred. I appreciate you're already in limbo so this is difficult to quantify, but cost of travel into London on office days at a minimum?

When I worked for a company in central London, we moved to another central London location but had to do a full consultation and pay even small transport costs increase for two years, to cover those who were no longer able to get one bus to work, for example!

In essence, if contracts or terms change, you shouldn't be out of pocket. You could also argue that you need to move to a more expensive area, closer to London, to make the commute practical.

Have you looked at Fleet? Let's of nice lite 1 bed flats under £1000 and you can walk to the station 35 mins into London. I used to be able to get to my office quicker from Fleet than when I lived in South London. Not too far from the aces you are targeting. They do the flexible season tickets now. So that might work.

Try looking at the long distance bus routes in the suburbs of London, they take much longer, but are much cheaper. Eg Croydon if you need to get to South London.

Stop looking at the south east!

which station is your best way to get to work? Euston, King's Cross etc. Then look at train stations that terminate there. Then look at rail maps and see where you could live that's an hour/hour 15mins away.

If Euston's the station, it takes 1hour 11mins to go from bham international into London on the fast train - just around 1 hour from Coventry. Fares aren't cheap for 2 days a week but 3 days a week might work out OK.

Also, Bedford, Milton Keynes, Leighton Buzzard are 30-40 mins away.

Property is still relatively affordable too.

If it's Kings Cross, look at Leicester and Nottingham.

Property values need to reset don't they? It's carnage out there but this is what happens where is a dire lack of social housing.

Good luck OP, sorry this is happening to yiu 💕

You might find looking nearer your work with no commute costs works out better!

Good points upthread about the salary though, if this is a new thing they can't expect people to all of a suden find a way to fund a home a commutable distance nearer work or the transport.

Also consider Maidenhead on the Elizabeth line

Tonbridge. £1000 for a 1 bed flat, under 40 mins to London Bridge, £20 return if you travel off peak times.

I would check your contract of employment, does it include a clause allowing for changes like this (sometimes its a catch all as required clause) if not then it will potentially be a change to the terms and conditions of your employment contract and you can choose not to agree to it. If a member of a union ask them for advice or failing that call the ACAS advice line

I'd rather use the £1,260 - £1,575 a month rail fares that represents on accommodation closer to work, personally.

St Albans also is a nice place and looks reasonable rent wise

This. I live in Rugby. Small market town, Euston is 50 minutes on the fast train. 3 bed house is approx £975 pcm. 😁

My neighbour is retired now but he lives in Preston and he used to take train from Preston to Euston twice a week.

Or consider:
Northampton. Approx 1 hour to Euston.
Long Buckby. Just over an hour to Euston
Milton Keynes. About 30 mins

Hope you can work something out.

Widen your search.

Banbury is one hour from Marylebone.

Buckingham area.
MK..?

Look at South East London out towards Kent - parts of Bexley like Crayford, also Dartford, Greenhithe, Gravesend, all much cheaper than other corners of London. Train aren't cheap but cheaper rents might make it worth it.

Have a look at rentals in Abbey Wood - on crossrail, v quick into London, you can get a 1 bed for around 1-1.2k pcm. Not the greatest area but safe enough and lots of green.

Grantham in Lincolnshire is 1hr 10 into Kings X, or maybe Peterborough which is a shorter journey still. Both are much cheaper to rent and quicker commutes than some of the journeys being suggested from closer to London.

There may be some colleagues who are in the same situation, worth speaking to work about this, could lead to a flat share? Best of luck. X

Have you looked at boroughs such as Havering. Renting a 3 bedroom house for £1400 assuming you need smaller so will cost less. 20-30 minute walk to station or 5 minute bus ride. Costs about £13 a day into London on tube.