Home Sweet Home: Why We Are Happy To Commute For Our Dream House
According to research by ONS, the average adult commutes for almost two hours a day. However, our recent survey revealed that two-thirds of British 18-34-year-olds admit that commuting has an impact on their mental health.
So what is making us endure long commutes at the risk of our happiness and wellbeing?
Some of the most sought after home features that people will extend their commute for include open countryside, larger living spaces, a larger kitchen and a bigger garden. Apart from to tick off house wishlists, people from all walks of life are commuting to a different city for all kinds of reasons.
One of these workers is Tony Graham, 28, a retail manager from Exeter who said: “My girlfriend, Alison, and I moved in with her parents who live in Exeter for a bit of help with our young daughter. As I work in Plymouth and Alison works in Yeovil, Exeter is in the middle, meaning we both have to travel an hour in opposite directions, so it works out fair.
“My next move will be promotion related, but I’ll look to make sure the job is still commutable from Exeter though, as it is working out for us.”
Another professional who chooses to commute for their family as well as her perfect house, is 27-year-old Jess Birch, a midwife from Selby. Jess said: “It’s really tiring and time-consuming commuting all the way to Harrogate from where I live, but when I get home to my boyfriend and our lovely home after a long day, it’s worth it.
“We chose to buy our house in Selby as we both have family that lives nearby and the prices for the type of house we wanted were more affordable. What cemented our decision was the big garden – a spacious outdoor area was always something we have looked for. When we saw our home, we instantly fell in love and the commute doesn’t seem to matter while I’m there.”
Commuting isn’t something we only do because of our love for property and family, it’s also about the town we call our home.
Jamie, a 25-year-old Account Executive from York, explains: “For the last 18 months I’ve been commuting from my family home in York to my job in Leeds, roughly a 60-mile round trip.
“Although it costs me more money and time to do it this way, I’m more than happy to commute as it allows me to be near my family. I also love living in York as, despite the high house prices, it’s a wonderful city and has so much going for it. The culture, the buildings and history all add to the city’s character and I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.”
Sammi Hopkinson, 25, a marketing consultant from Hull agrees that affordability is key to finding the perfect home. She said: “I drive 50 minutes to work, each way, five times a week. I live in a cool, modern, newly built suburb and work in a sleepy village with sad lunch options.
“The commute is not ideal but is necessary. In the suburbs the houses are affordable and the play parks are new; whereas the houses in walking distance to my office rarely fall below six-figures and still rely on dial-up internet.”
If you’re saying “bring it on” to the daily commute in order to move to your dream home, be sure to check out our moving house checklist to make sure you’ve got everything in order:
https://goodmove.co.uk/blog/buying-advice/moving-house-checklist/
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