Why Do I Work In London When I Can Live Here?
07 August 2002, 10:37 PM
#31
Nice one Colin - thanks
That grass is certainly looking a lot greener tonight after the conversation I had with my boss this evening
Salary review? Whats that? Went out with the ark didn't it? Or the door 6 years ago
FFS [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
That grass is certainly looking a lot greener tonight after the conversation I had with my boss this evening
Salary review? Whats that? Went out with the ark didn't it? Or the door 6 years ago
FFS [img]images/smilies/mad.gif[/img]
08 August 2002, 07:45 AM
#32
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Hi James
No, you're not mad. A lot of people (Sal and myself included) are considering similar options. Living in the same neck of the woods as you and having to commute to Slough 2 or 3 times a week, I can understand where you are coming from.
As far as I can see, short of winning the lottery, things will continue to get worse - house prices keep going up and so does your mortgage! We've seriously thought about having a new wide beam Dutch barge built (all in roughly 100K, give or take a few grand) and getting rid of the house. Barges don't appreciate in the same way that houses do, but then nor do they potentially lose their value like a house in a crash. With the money we've made on the house, I could probably halve my mortgage and get off the property ladder wahoo!! Life is too short to worry about houses, taxes etc.
Do it!!
Chris
No, you're not mad. A lot of people (Sal and myself included) are considering similar options. Living in the same neck of the woods as you and having to commute to Slough 2 or 3 times a week, I can understand where you are coming from.
As far as I can see, short of winning the lottery, things will continue to get worse - house prices keep going up and so does your mortgage! We've seriously thought about having a new wide beam Dutch barge built (all in roughly 100K, give or take a few grand) and getting rid of the house. Barges don't appreciate in the same way that houses do, but then nor do they potentially lose their value like a house in a crash. With the money we've made on the house, I could probably halve my mortgage and get off the property ladder wahoo!! Life is too short to worry about houses, taxes etc.
Do it!!
Chris
08 August 2002, 09:03 AM
#33
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WAKE UP!
you dont live there cause its a barron wasteland- notice how Alaska is pretty empty too? wonder why? not to many Pizza Huts around for when you want a bit of tucker!
I live in Reading which means i can get anything i want within 20 mins, i also back onto fields and a river so can get a bit of rural if i want.
you go live in the middle of nowhere then wonder why, on a sun am when the plumbing busts, you cant find a diy store within 5hrs!
T
ps "Life is too short to worry about houses" 95% of my clients are millionaires and 95% of them are millionaires because they bought a house 50 years ago. (none live in alaska either
)
you dont live there cause its a barron wasteland- notice how Alaska is pretty empty too? wonder why? not to many Pizza Huts around for when you want a bit of tucker!
I live in Reading which means i can get anything i want within 20 mins, i also back onto fields and a river so can get a bit of rural if i want.
you go live in the middle of nowhere then wonder why, on a sun am when the plumbing busts, you cant find a diy store within 5hrs!
T
ps "Life is too short to worry about houses" 95% of my clients are millionaires and 95% of them are millionaires because they bought a house 50 years ago. (none live in alaska either
)
08 August 2002, 11:51 AM
#35
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My sister moved to London about 6 years back. Australian cousin came over here for a couple of years and worked with my sister in London...
2 years later they are going to Oz - my sister is going to emigrate, and my cousin HATED London. Its a sh*t hole. They have been back up in Hull for about 3 months now, thoroughly sick of the "capital" and the people, prices, hassle, congestion, rudeness etc etc...
As soon as I can afford it (hopefully 10 - 15 years) Im going to go as well if I can possibly manage it, with the wife and our boy (and any other little buzzlettes)
Go for it Puff, if you can. Just make sure you wont get bored of the slow pace after a year or two, because it DOES happen. My wife lived in a little village, now she wouldnt go back. We have the convenience of local shops and town centre less than 3 miles away but we live in a conservation area full of grass and trees. Just needs a fence and private guards to keep the unwanted's out
PS - cheap holidays to the Isle for me then? :P
2 years later they are going to Oz - my sister is going to emigrate, and my cousin HATED London. Its a sh*t hole. They have been back up in Hull for about 3 months now, thoroughly sick of the "capital" and the people, prices, hassle, congestion, rudeness etc etc...
As soon as I can afford it (hopefully 10 - 15 years) Im going to go as well if I can possibly manage it, with the wife and our boy (and any other little buzzlettes)
Go for it Puff, if you can. Just make sure you wont get bored of the slow pace after a year or two, because it DOES happen. My wife lived in a little village, now she wouldnt go back. We have the convenience of local shops and town centre less than 3 miles away but we live in a conservation area full of grass and trees. Just needs a fence and private guards to keep the unwanted's out
PS - cheap holidays to the Isle for me then? :P
08 August 2002, 11:56 AM
#37
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Visting a place is one thing, but living there is another. We moved out to the country, but moved back to civilisation 11 months later. It was awful.
If you were brought up in a village, fine you know what it's all about. If you were brought up in a town/city, country life is probably not for you.
Geezer
If you were brought up in a village, fine you know what it's all about. If you were brought up in a town/city, country life is probably not for you.
Geezer
08 August 2002, 01:16 PM
#38
My wifes' best friend has just emigrated to Malaga. Nice vliia with pool and great weather and views etc. Trouble is that she misses her freinds and family like mad would this be a problem for you too?
F
PS the bonus is that we get to visit them and it's very nice.
F
PS the bonus is that we get to visit them and it's very nice.
08 August 2002, 01:38 PM
#39
Difference is that I was born & brought up over there, so too many reles/friends about
It is a question regarding wife though, as she is English. There are my reles, but that might not be enough. Cheap RyanAir flights from L'derry help (30 mins away)
That grass is getting lusher every day!
It is a question regarding wife though, as she is English. There are my reles, but that might not be enough. Cheap RyanAir flights from L'derry help
(30 mins away)That grass is getting lusher every day!
08 August 2002, 04:27 PM
#41
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I could live in this house in the South of France, for the same as I paid for my 3 bed semi!!!!
Ground Floor:
Large kitchen (22 m²) with fireplace
Large room to convert in to a living room (52 m²)
First Floor:
3 large bedrooms (from 16 to 22 m² each)
Shower room/ WC
The garden is level : (about 74 m²)
Spacious stone barn (105 m²) with attached hangar (101 m²)
The property is surrounded by19 628 m² of garden and fields
Ground Floor:
Large kitchen (22 m²) with fireplace
Large room to convert in to a living room (52 m²)
First Floor:
3 large bedrooms (from 16 to 22 m² each)
Shower room/ WC
The garden is level : (about 74 m²)
Spacious stone barn (105 m²) with attached hangar (101 m²)
The property is surrounded by
19 628 m² of garden and fields
08 August 2002, 09:05 PM
#42
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Not bad....but don't forget Wales
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/index.html
all the pics on this next link are within 10 miles of my den.
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/pg/gp/gp.html
Pete
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/index.html
all the pics on this next link are within 10 miles of my den.
http://www.wilderness-wales.co.uk/pg/gp/gp.html
Pete
08 August 2002, 10:14 PM
#44
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Have mentioned and looked at emigrating many times to oz, but half way through completing the most **** piece of paperwork for the australian computer society to attempt to gain permanent residency (they must have modelled there paprework system from our own!!!) the rug was pulled out from under my feet and my job struck off the modl list along with about 90% of the others, down from 100 it jobs that were previously almost 'walk-in' status down to less than 10 due to the continuing global IT recession
****.
Would now quite happily return to scotland with a decent perm or contract position, but if the IT recession continued, there would be more work in the south than ever in scotland and up north, kinda feel like im stuck here.....
****.
Would now quite happily return to scotland with a decent perm or contract position, but if the IT recession continued, there would be more work in the south than ever in scotland and up north, kinda feel like im stuck here.....
08 August 2002, 10:54 PM
#45
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Have the best of both worlds,, Ive heard of some people here, who work in london, and just catch a plane to/from work. They fly very regularly, and are pretty cheap too, and Im sure they would get cheaper if you had like a weekly ticket. Its less than an hour flight each way. If your work was close to an appropriate airport, then it may be feasable... it may sound like millionare stuff, but it may not be so far from some people ablilities.
Of course you will need all the money you earn, to pay your insurance premiums here. SUL is also becoming very very scarce, more so with Shell pretty much pulling out of Northern Ireland.
The grass may be greener, but thats because it always bloody rains here. Dont forget a raincoat, and warm cltohes.
Of course you will need all the money you earn, to pay your insurance premiums here. SUL is also becoming very very scarce, more so with Shell pretty much pulling out of Northern Ireland.
The grass may be greener, but thats because it always bloody rains here. Dont forget a raincoat, and warm cltohes.
09 August 2002, 12:19 AM
#46
Stevie
Derry to Stansted each week - could commute but TBH if I go, damned if I want to commute & spend qt away from family. Cost of flights (say av 50 each way) + cost of 4 nights in london flat means that I might as well get a job in Derry or the south for ~15-20k less than that in london & save the costs/grief.
Derry to Stansted each week - could commute but TBH if I go, damned if I want to commute & spend qt away from family. Cost of flights (say av 50 each way) + cost of 4 nights in london flat means that I might as well get a job in Derry or the south for ~15-20k less than that in london & save the costs/grief.
09 August 2002, 01:33 AM
#47
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I actually meant fly out in the morning, and home again in the eve. You say you commute for 2.5 hrs a day at present anyway, so would there really be much difference...
FFS, It takes me 15 mins to get to work, and I sleep in almost every day!!!! I cant even manage that, nevermind commuting like in England. Id never manage it.
FFS, It takes me 15 mins to get to work, and I sleep in almost every day!!!! I cant even manage that, nevermind commuting like in England. Id never manage it.
09 August 2002, 07:09 AM
#48
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Flying is a bargin these days. You can get a single flight from Edinburgh to Luton for £18.50 through easyjet!
For the first few months after I move to Scotland, I'll continue working in my current contract. I can fly from Edinburgh to City airport for around £100 a week (return) - which is only £40 more than I currently pay to commute in every day from Kent. Considering the flights will go through the company (hence pre-tax and no VAT) the net difference is about zero.
I'll stay in the City during the week; a girl here at work has a room for rent in Docklands for £400/month which is a bargain. Since I'll have no real commute, I can do a couple of hours more work each day, the earnings from which will easily cover the rent, and I'll still end up with an hour or 2 per day more spare time than I have now.
And of course at the weekends I'll be enjoying the peace and tranquility of the glens and lochs.
Okay, so it's not a long-term thing, but it means I'll have plenty of time to find a decent contract in Scotland (rather than just having to take the first one I come across).
For the first few months after I move to Scotland, I'll continue working in my current contract. I can fly from Edinburgh to City airport for around £100 a week (return) - which is only £40 more than I currently pay to commute in every day from Kent. Considering the flights will go through the company (hence pre-tax and no VAT) the net difference is about zero.
I'll stay in the City during the week; a girl here at work has a room for rent in Docklands for £400/month which is a bargain. Since I'll have no real commute, I can do a couple of hours more work each day, the earnings from which will easily cover the rent, and I'll still end up with an hour or 2 per day more spare time than I have now.
And of course at the weekends I'll be enjoying the peace and tranquility of the glens and lochs.
Okay, so it's not a long-term thing, but it means I'll have plenty of time to find a decent contract in Scotland (rather than just having to take the first one I come across).
09 August 2002, 10:21 AM
#49
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I looked at that Mark, but only worry was contract rates in Scotland particularly in an industry hit by large closures in the technology sector are not good, bout 40% of rates in the south from what i've seen.....
09 August 2002, 10:27 AM
#50
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Maybe a 40% reduction, but certainly not 40%. Guess it depends on what you do though.
But, as has been said before, it's more a psychological barrier. If I had to take a 60% rate cut, I'd still be fairly comfortably off, but my quality of life would be massively increased (as would my wife's).
And if there's not enough cash coming in, there's always the opportunity to nip down and do a couple of months a year in London.
But, as has been said before, it's more a psychological barrier. If I had to take a 60% rate cut, I'd still be fairly comfortably off, but my quality of life would be massively increased (as would my wife's).
And if there's not enough cash coming in, there's always the opportunity to nip down and do a couple of months a year in London.
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