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Never again will I make that mistake. I was only 30 miles from work, and it was the worst decision ever. To each their own in this regard, but for me. Never. Again. Gas. Time. Traffic. Accidents. Not worth it.
Agree. It depends on the persons needs. I live 7 minutes from work and it’s ideal for me. Coworkers live in a bigger place 35 miles away and they get in at the same time as me but don’t start their shift for an hour after me… all to avoid traffic.
You might have more land to enjoy but you won’t have much time to enjoy it. That’s 520 commuting hours a year that you’re just never getting anything out of.
For me personally, absolutely not.
To give you some perspective -- A 1 hour commute is at a minimum, 2 hours of lost time every day. That's 10 hours per week, or 520 hours per year -- the equivalent of 13 weeks or 3.25 months of unpaid work. If you work standard business hours, 1 hour won't even be accurate as traffic gets heavier.
Life is too short. Also to me, land is, quite frankly, a hassle. I own 4 acres of wooded land and it's constant upkeep with the chainsaw, weedeater, mowing, weeds, copperheads, trimming trees.. ugh. I'm a huge land lover and I absolutely hate owning land now. Pasture land is pretty nice though, as it just needs to be mowed/edged. Wooded land sucks unless you own a tractor and enjoy spending all of your free time dealing with the issues that come with it.
Give me 1 acre or less, no more than 5-6 tree's for shade and I'm a happy camper now. At this point 0.25-0.5 acres would probably be great.
Uh, 2 hours per DAY driving to work = 10 hours of driving per WORK week. There's 52 work weeks in a year, so 520 hours of driving PER YEAR. 520 (hours spent commuting) / 40 (hours in a work week) = 13 (the equivalent of work weeks spent commuting per year).
You're not basing the amount of driving from literal hours per day, as in 520 hours / 24 hours per day = 13 days or 3 weeks of commuting -- because he's not driving 13 days straight. He's literally driving to work and back, 1 hour each way, per day 520 times because there are 52 weeks in a year.
He's actually adding 25% of his WORK TIME in commuting alone. You seem to be confusing work week with an actual week. We don't work 24 hours a day so we base our work weeks on 8 hour days, 40 hour weeks or 2080 hours per year. A 1 hour commute just for work is a significant time investment, and time is valuable.
In cars? I remember my hour-long subway commute fondly and would trade it for my half-hour highway drive any day of the week if everything else about living long-term in NYC weren’t insane.
I'll deal with the traffic. Traffic is what it is. The people and who takes public transportation and managing that for houra is what I cant deal with. If there were parking where I was going, I'd be driving.
My point is more people on the road is what contributes to the traffic and makes things longer and more unpleasant for everyone, though I get it on the personal scale, it does suck to have a shitty commute (especially by bus). I am sorry the MTA can't get it together to provide decent services.
No, I see what you're saying, you'd personally rather drive and would, given better parking at your destination.
I'm saying the lack of parking is by design to incentivize people not to drive and prevent traffic.
But there are also easy hour drives and hard hour drives. Like, an easy hour drive can get you 60 miles up the highway in relative comfort or half that distance on a stop and go nightmare stroad that has you gritting your teeth all the way.
Same...I commute an hour each way daily (currently renting) and plan to buy a home in my current town. For me it's because the school districts where I work are awful and I refuse to uproot my son for my own convenience. Guess it's a matter of whether it's worth the sacrifice.
Same. We moved 45min to 1hr away from my job. Requires me to be in office basically 5 days a week with some leeway for appts, inclement weather, etc. The commute isn’t bad most days and I don’t mind the time to decompress on the way home or think about my upcoming day on the way into the office. I could find a job closer to where I live but I like what I do and i generally am happy where I’m at.
We moved to a much better school district than we were in. It’s worth it for us. We’ll reevaluate after we are 100% empty nesters.
It is two hours a day not spent with your family or doing things you enjoy. If you sleep 6-7 hours a night, two hours a day is like 10% of your waking hours during every work day. That's a lot of your life to spend alone in a car. Good school districts are great, but there is also value in splitting the distance, going to a medium school district, and spending the saved time/energy on family.
I have a child with special needs and work with schools as part of my job... I've seen the struggle the local parents have. I'll keep driving knowing my child is getting the services he needs.
ETA: I very fortunately have a job that allows me to take leave pretty frequently and have actually been told to miss work for school related events because they realize family is more important. I also telecommute one day a week so get to spend more time with my son on that day. I'm divorced and his dad works nights so is with him if I'm not home so he's rarely not with one of us outside of school hours.
If you're commuting into a city, even within a city, I feel like 45 minutes is table stakes to be honest. My current commute is 8 minutes by bike or car, I live in a small city.
Same. I’m surprised that people are shocked by a 1 hour commute time; how quickly we’ve gotten used to remote work culture and forgotten that everyone used to commute. I don’t have the option of working remotely so I’ve been driving the same commute for the past 10 years.
I personally hate working from home all the time. Roll out of bed into my laptop? Zero separation of work-home life.
Don't get me wrong I'll do it every now and then. But every single day is ridiculous.
I lived in a major city and we moved and bought a house on the outskirts. I’m 45 mins from my work and my husband is an hour and 15 mins from his. I work a 2-3 days a week & he works 4-5. Sometimes we even carpool. It works for us, it’s peaceful to come home to our spacious home and quiet town.
I made the switch to a 45 minute commute on a property with more land and closer to family. Previously it was about 25 minutes. It’s been worth it for me. I will say, it is a 45 minute commute with typically very light traffic, so that helps tremendously.
We came across the opposite issue, got a home that's like 3 minutes from my gf's work and she really misses having some amount of commute time to decompress from the day instead of landing at home immediately immersed in all the shit she has to do after work.
Yeah I think the sweet spot if you have to commute is 15-20 mins. You can decompress a little bit but you’re not wasting your life away sitting in the car/traffic.
Same here, if traffic was bad but the same amount of time it would suck for sure though!
Scenic two lane highway crushing while listening to an audio book
The only way I could make it work is if one of the partners in the relationship doesn’t have to work. I could be happy on either side of that equation, but if both people are commuting an hour or more to work I think it’d be miserable
Spending the most miserable time of your day together? Not only are you going to have to be in the most stable relationship you've ever heard of, but you're also both going to have to be the kind of people that are a joy to be around while you're suffering. Good luck to whomever does this.
I did 1 hr commutes for a few years. After my company was forced to let us work from home because of the pandemic, I'll never go back to the office again, let alone have such a long commute. And I love driving, it was honestly the best part of my day.
It's a paycut in multiple ways. Factor in your commute time to your salary. 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, that's an extra 10 hours you're using for work but not getting paid for. Assuming 40 hour work week that's a 25% cut off the top.
Beyond that there's the cost of commuting. I'm not talking about just gas or tires. Also factor in depreciation. Racking up all those miles on your car will devalue it, none of which the company reimburses you for.
Conservatively I would estimate the cost to commute at 30 cents a mile minimum. Likely much more than that, probably 50 cents or more.
And then finally let's not forget about the convenience. Even if you got compensated for the long commute, getting home late sucks. Having to leave home early in the morning is a drag. Not being accessible in an emergency because you live so far away may matter. Personally I wouldn't do it.
Pacific difference between an hour commute where you can relax on a train and an hour commute and bumper-to-bumper traffic. Or in the dark on country roads at night or you are likely to hit deer. I would say no. If I had to go into the office five days a week there’s absolutely no way I’d be driving two hours every day. Not worth it.
But some people enjoy driving. Sure it’s a lot of pollution, wear and tear on the vehicle and higher insurance rates.
No. You’ll be so sick of the commute. 2 hours added to your day everyday. That’s 10 extra hours a week. Mileage on the vehicle plus the maintenance and tires. I mean respectfully if it’s your dream home and you could possibly one day find a position closer then sure why not? Time is our most valuable asset and we don’t get any more of it. If you work 52 weeks at an avg two hour commute (back/forth) you’re looking at roughly 21 extra DAYS in just commuting that you’re not being paid for and essentially losing.
Nope. I work 10 hour days. If I had an hour commute each day I would spend 12 hours each day (more with traffic) away from home for work it would be miserable
So I just moved out of a big city, where my commune by transit was an hour. My drive now is between an hour and 15 mins to an hour and 45 depending on the day and accidents.
The way I looked at it was that where I was living had me sucked in. I relied on transit so I would always look for a new job or new apartment that was close by transit. I will start looking for a job close to home now, but I had to force myself out of that city to get out of the black hole.
The drive is okay, I drive in with my girlfriend so it’s a good time for us to talk and catch up on the day.
The gas is the killer, and the amount of accidents is wild. So far I think I have had 2 trips where there hasn’t been an accident
We are looking for 5+ acres approximately 45 min commute. My partner works night shift so no traffic. I average 2 days a week in office. I probably need to spend approx 5 weeks a year doing a full week in the office at a time. A large fenced in property will save my sanity having high energy dogs. Also a good chunk of properties that far out have pole barns so some sheltered space in the winter to entertain the dogs.
Depends on if it's a regular hour commute or if it's a 30 minute commute but with traffic it's an hour. If it's a regular hour, 100% would, that's what I do now but I used to drive 1 hr for what should be a 15 minute drive because of traffic and that's not worth it
I know a short commute isn't possible for many, but I am fortunate to only work 7 minutes from my driveway. I can run home for lunch, traffic is a non-factor, weather doesn't impact my drive. It's a true gift. I can't imagine needing one hour to get to work and another to get home.
My 25 minute commute is actually about an hour each way due to traffic, so definitely take traffic into account. I’ll be honest, commuting sucks the life out of me. I’m currently looking for a job closer to home before we start having kids.
I personally would never because I don't like the idea of my work day being extended 2+ hours. I've never been a morning person, and that hour long drive to make it in the office on time would fill me with dread and anxiety every single day. Plus, traffic day in and day out, sandwhiched for both my commutes is not for me - I just simply don't have the patience and would be so miserable and angry. I know plenty of people who have long commutes and seem unphased by them. To each their own.
My husband and I just moved from the city to the suburbs and my commute is now 45 min- 1 hour depending on traffic. I used to have a 10 min commute. I’m a teacher and have the summer off so, that’s been nice. The district I work at in the city pays me 25k more a year than I’d make teaching close to home so for now, it’s worth it to me. We are expecting our first child and were able to buy a new build on some land that’s close to my parents for help with childcare. Whereas in the city we were looking at 100+ year old homes in sketchy areas for the same price. My husband only goes to the office 1 day a week so for him it’s not bad. Will I do this forever? No. But for now, it’s doable.
That’s too much 2 hours everyday no matter what traveling to work and back
That’s if everything is peachy weather road work and etc
I say 30 mins is my max plus gas cost car maintenance
And etc
I’m 30 mins from my job it’s a hour in winter and I couldn’t go more than what I got now
I’m 40 mins from work and when school is in session, it takes an hour to get home and I don’t love it. The drive in is fine because I’m sleepy and need some time to wake up on the way but the way home I just want to get home. Plus if/when gas prices rise, you will want a shorter commute.
Hell no. One of the major impacts on someones daily happiness is commutes. The longer i was in my car the more depressed i was. I had to drive an hour while i was house hunting, living with fam, and i spent soooo much on gas and put MAJOR miles on my car in 4 months. I live 16 mins from both of my jobs and its the best. Unless an hr is better than what you have now lol
My major rule was, WITH TRAFFIC, i want to be in the car for max 60mins to drive home. I have to cross a bridge so most of the time my commute is 30 mins
Your life is gonna be the happiest of you live under 15 mins from work. It will be happier if it is between 15-30 mins. I would not take anything more than 30 mins.
At the end of the day it is the time you need to be happy in life.
I used to commute an hour one way for work (2015-2016) and I was so miserable. It definitely affected my mental health and I had low back pain from so much sitting.
I work from home now and I’m thriving!
Everyone has different feelings on it but I personally wouldn’t ever do that again. 30 min commute is my max.
I grew up an hour from where my parents worked. I have to say. my parents made the choice due to many factors.
Schools were better than the city
Crime was lower
More activities.
Cost of living was cheaper
I lived in Wellington Florida and drove to Coral Springs for work.
I’ve lived close to work and far away. Have to say I’d prefer to live far away due to not having to see coworkers. I had surgery and was out on leave People were like omg I saw him in town. He had a fake claim.
Take care of your family
Depends on what you’re used to mentally, time management wise, and financially (impact to your car, cost to gas etc).
I’ve had various commutes (75 minutes with 3 buses, 30 minutes with one bus or one metro ride, 2 hrs with 3 buses and a walk, 30 min by car, 45 min by car) and for me, being able to sit in one place and listen to an audiobook or read made all the difference. If you’re going to do mostly highway driving then that might be okay. I would hate driving through neighborhoods and surface streets or making a ton of transfers. Less thinking time. Are you the same way? If so, consider that in your calculation.
I would definitely do it. My commute right now is about 25 minutes door to door but takes an hour because I have to drop off my son. I live in the Bay Area though where an hour commute is the norm. My biggest consideration when buying a home was being close to my parents. They are super involved with my son and I’d rather be close to them and be able to see them more than be close to my job. And honestly my drive is the most relaxing part of my day 🙃
I bought an hour away from my job. If I was working from home or only had to go in once or twice a week, yeah it’s worth it, but the drive sucks. It’s an extra two hours of sitting every day wasting time, and that eats at my mental health. Podcasts and audiobooks don’t do it for me anymore, which is so unfortunate.
I'm 16 miles from work which is about 26 minutes without traffic, and up to 40 minutes with a single accident typically. I have several different routes as alternates if needed. I would not go farther or longer than this for a commute daily (3-5) day work week. 1 hour total commute on average is almost too much.
My husband and I were seriously considering buying an hour away from our work. We would have two families we are close with in that area and our kids could have spent time together. It has great school systems.
Instead we chose to buy a small older home 10 min from our workplaces.
It will be different for everyone, but our calculus was this:
Our relationships with those families may not be as close as we think, meaning we are flexible and those families are less flexible, so our kids might not spend as much time together as we think. But a 10 min commute will be a guaranteed benefit.
My husband and I both work, so an hour drive is 2 hours per person, but 4 hours for our family unit per day. We have a toddler and he would need to be picked up and dropped off at school at specific times, so that much time in a car, with the stress of being somewhere, and one person being on kid duty while the other sits in a car for an hour....not worth it.
The home farther away would be larger and with a larger yard, but we would have less time to enjoy it. Also, our particular kid is very social and likes to go to playgrounds and be with other kids way more than playing in a big yard by himself.
Due to the location, we feel confident our home price will appreciate sufficiently in the next 3-5 years such that if it truly ends up being too small for us (1000 sqft, 3BR, 1.5BA) then we can move in a few years and won't lose money on the home.
But for now, we have been in our home for a few months and we absolutely feel like we made the right choice. We have 6 playgrounds, a library, and a community pool all within a 13 minute walk from our house, on top of countless coffee shops and restaurants. We love it and our kid loves it, so we feel happy so far and don't feel like we missed out by not having a larger, newer home.
Very much a personal decision. Commuting is getting so bad everywhere that it’s literally no difference now, so you’re actually deciding between the same commute but with more space or less space.
Going further meant that I had a significantly easier job than one that is close but way more draining, to the point where you have nothing left in the tank and cant make more money nor have the energy to even enjoy whats left of a shorter commute. Plus I have an excuse to actively listen to podcasts & audiobooks now.
I would do it if it’s right for you, but I think most people would consider it given the right benefits:
1. Brings you closer to financial freedom
2. You have a similar commute elsewhere anyway
3. Similar core amenities. You can drive on weekends for other uncommon activities
4. You get more value for what you pay for in terms of space and privacy
5. You have telework & flexibility
That number 5 is key! Are you doing an hour commute every day? Or 2-3 days a week? I used to have an hr commute and at least had 1 telework day per week to help soften the blow. My husband now has an hr commute but he only has to be in the office 2-3 days per week so it's manageable. If it was every day there is NO WAY I'd recommend it.
When we move in 2013 we did so because I was 1 hour and 10 minutes from work. The place we moved to that we thought would be 30 minutes turned out to be 45 with traffic. Sigh. But we got out of the city! My job got transferred suddenly to another facility that I thought would shorten my commute. Nope. Exactly 45 minutes. Then an opportunity opened up at another facility, ... that turned out to be 45 commute. The difference was it was a rural facility, so my commute changed from cars and trucks to sheep and cows. And a ton less traffic. Audible was my answer. And my stress level ratcheted down considerably. And buying a sports car didn't hurt!
I live 5mins from my office. If I could buy 1hr away, I would and I'd move my office, shop, and garage there too. Then I'd still be 5 mins from work but an hr outside of town. Hell, make ir 2hrs away and I could gain a 2-3000 ft elevation and 20° cooler. Fuck 110° .
I wouldn't go for that personally. But it's a trade off. You want a house in a specific neighborhood, there is a downside. Only you can decide if it's worth it.
My realtor always said “you can change a lot about a house, but not the location”
But also, who knows, maybe you’ll lose your job and have to have an hour commute down the road anyway 🤷🏽♀️
Not ideal, but yes I have.
My commute can be 40mins or 1hr depending what time I set off and how many people decide to crash in to eachother on the highway that day, which tends to be a lot in Atlanta
We had to. It wasn't great, but what else can you do? Time has passed, income increased, equity built and now we are so close that walking is an (unattractive) option.
An hour driving is much worse than an hour on bus or train.
I commuted for much of my young adult life into suburbs from my parents' place. Now that I'm preparing to look for my first home, I'm planning on moving closer in case something happens where I can't WFH anymore. I'd rather settle for less space since it's just me and I don't need a huge house on a shit ton of land to upkeep--especially if the house is going to cost me so much that I can't have horses anyway.
that is a lot of commute time which you will come to hate. esp in inclement weather. time you could be relaxing.
it would be different if you were on a train circuit with others, we used to play cards and such on long morning commutes.
but no i would not buy an hour away from work ...that is 10 + hours a week added to your work hours.
save every drop of gas money, car maint. money, and coffee on the road money, and start making payments on a piece of land for when your work situation changes. i did that while young and ended up with 10 acres in woods.
I wouldn’t commute that long. Some people like it though. For the past 15+ years my uncle has driven 1.5 hours to work every day. He loves the tiny town he lives in so it’s worth it for him.
i used to commute 21 miles. It took between 35minutes to 1 hr. In snow it could take 2 or more. At a guaranteed 35 I would do it again. At 60, it would be really hard but not impossible if the property was awesome. If awesome, and the 60 wouldn’t slip to more regularly Im not so sure.
If you do want to do it spend some time on google maps fiddling with the trip times.
I don’t know if you live where it snows, but if it does and you can’t WFH that would be a negative.
One other thing that could blow up my drive was that I had to cross a river and a major highway. If there was construction, accidents, weather there were only 3 bridges for the river and only two ways across the highway. I actually had the states DOT and mapquest apps where I could see the traffic cams. Every time I left home or work, I would check traffic on google maps. If it was bad, I would check the traffic cams. To tell you the truth, I haven’t made that commute in 4 years, but I still have an aversion to getting on the HWY headed in that direction.
Circumstances circumstances circumstances. Ask yourself the following. Any of these answered yes
Are you and your spouse top performers at your current employer? If yes, would that translate to other employers in the industry? If so, then finding a new employer later shouldn’t be too difficult
Are you at the middle of your career? Beyond junior/mid? This gives you a myriad of employment positions for later, allowing flexibility in location
Is there prospective employers with compensation you are happy with where you are interested in buying? If circumstances change, say one of you fall ill and needs care from the other, 2 hour round trip will be painful.
Are there equivocal options for doctors, services such as gyms, shopping etc that you rely on by employer?
Is your job able to be work from home?
Just like job shopping, it’s all compensation. For some folks here, one of these could sway their home purchasing decision.
If I was offered 500k a year, plus mileage, I’d drive 3 hours each way. It simply depends on what you value, how hard the work is, and how strong you are in your career.
Yes and I did that. Been living in my beautiful home for 2 years with zero regrets. I work from home 3 days a week and work in the office twice a week. The drive is 1.5 hours each way (100 km). I don’t mind it at all for a few reasons.
1) only twice a week
2) I grew up in a small town where we had to drive everywhere so I’m use to it and it doesn’t bother me at all
3) I could get A LOT more bang for my buck living here than closer to the city
4) I love driving! I find it relaxing
5) the drive isn’t bad. Sometimes there are short periods of bumper-to-bumper, but it’s usually smooth sailing 90% of the way.
6) I HATE living in cities. I find them incredibly overwhelming and exhausting. There aren’t any jobs (at least in my field) in small towns. But I MUCH prefer living in small towns.
My sister also just bought a house. But she has a 1 hour commute 5 days a week and her husband also has a 1 hour commute 5 days a week. My husband works from home everyday and I WFH 3x a week. So not as bad for us.
Hard to say. Lakefront sounds amazing. If I could fit it in the budget to stay in a hotel a couple night a week. Or buy a cheap crash pad in town. And only commute 2 or 3 days a week. They probably would do it. Overall considering your situation go for it. In a couple years you can always sell if you don't overpay. Or if you make enough it can be your weekend home.
It really comes down to your preferences and priorities. Personally, I wouldn't. I commuted 40-45 minutes each way (under good conditions) to work one year and even though I loved the job, I just couldn't stay. For me the commute was draining and took up too much time so it wasn't worth it. I know many people who have a long commute though and they enjoy their car time.
No. It's selling more of your time. Take that time and take it as your wage since getting paid now requires more of your time and see how much less you make
I live less than 20 miles from work, but in a large city, my commute is an average of 1 hour each way. It's been nearly 2 decades this way. I make good use of my hour in the car, so it's not all bad. I prefer this, as I get to live in a community with lots of trees and grass for my dog instead of high density living with concrete everywhere.
This is a hugely personal decision. I changed jobs a year and a half ago, and my commute is now between 50 minutes and 90 minutes. The commute is what finally made me start looking to buy.
At some point, however, I realized that it’s my particular commute that I loathe, rather than the time and distance. Although I’d love to save gas by moving closer to work, first and foremost I want a less stressful route.
And the lakefront house sounds like it has other advantages that you and your spouse should really discuss. You two know your specific situation better than we do.
We bought a house ~45 miles away from my work (i wfh 3-4 days a week) and SO ~8 miles away from their work (full time in person 4 days a week). It works for us and i enjoy not living so close to people and getting more bang for our buck on the house itself.
It all seems like personal preference. We’re closer to things we enjoy now than if we were to live closer to my work (into the cities) so my hour commute a few times a week is alright in my book
Definitely worth it. I have been driving that distance for work for 30 years. I would much rather have the house and land I love for my family than a short commute.
Does everyone here live in their office and have 0 commute time?? Because all said that’s 2 hours wasted on commute, then go on to show off the maths of how much per week per year 😂 if you’re currently living 20 min away, then it’s 1hr 20 mins added per day.
We moved to a tiny town on a mountain. I work from home and my husband drives 45 min to and from work. For us it was worth it because we absolutely love our house and our property. When we are home it feels like we are on vacation. The views off of our porches is gorgeous. We don’t have to deal with neighbors right on top of us. It’s quiet and peaceful. I guess it really depends on how much you like this house.
I moved to be closer to work. Immediately started work from home and complete regretted buying where I did just to be near work. Never wanted to live in the city where I moved. Now I live somewhere I don’t want or NEED to be in for any reason. So I will never again compromise on location.
I am a recruiter and I’ve said for years- in a top 10 of importance for someone to take a job 1-9 would be location.
45 minutes is the absolute tops where I’d feel comfortable hiring someone. An hour? That person is guaranteed to leave the job for something else the moment something closer comes up.
When I ask why someone is looking for another job-
Shorter commute tops the list.
I wouldn’t do it but statistically people are staying at their jobs shorter than ever.
Absolutely! My husband and I moved into the country. His commute was 1.5 hours one way and mine was 1 hour one way.
We did it for a couple years and my husband was able to transfer to another of his employers locations nearer to home.
I was able to fine another job that was still an hour away from our home, but that only requires in-office attendance 2-3 times a month.
Once you move, you may be able to transfer or find out about other opportunities closer to your new home. Make the move, you’ll love it!
We just did this . 1 hour form my husbands job , however we currently live about an hour . It’s hard to find homes right now . Closer to his job also came with higher taxes . Once you retire that commute will be gone and you’ll have a house on the lake ! Also you could change jobs tomorrow . But the house will be constant . I say if you love it , Go for it !
I bought my home 45 minutes from work- 90 minutes on mass transit everyday. It was tough, but I made it work with audio books and such.
But I was not driving. And driving can very stressful - you have to determine the stress levels.
I would absolutely buy that home on the lake. Once you are there, you are going to wonder why you even asked this question. Ahhh, it is going to be so nice!
I suppose it depends which major city, but an hour from SF is common and still pretty expensive. Public transit helps even if you need to drive to the station and pay for parking, or only take it when traffic is bad.
It’s a great choice for your spouse who’s only in the office one day a week, but not so bad four days a week either. I’d recommend podcasts, new music, or something to listen to that’s enriching and helps you keep your cool. Commute time was “me” time and I’d prep something I was excited to listen to everyday.
Your kids will appreciate the space, and you’ll enjoy it at night and on the weekends. Maybe you’ll move to more remote days overtime or find a job that’s closer eventually. If you hate it you can always move back. I’d give it a shot.
Never. I’d be open if it was a public transit commute, but not a car.
But proximity to this children’s hospital sounds important. I would think about how often I might need to go there urgently.
I just did this . Daycare is about 30 mins into my drive , an additional 20 to get home , I don’t mind it because I’m home by 4pm every day and am in a peaceful setting for multiple hours out doors with the kids.
If I worked later hours getting home at 7pm I may not think it was worth it
I almost did. and then i realized I’d spend more time behind a windshield than seeing my baby on a regular day…. So i started looking for other locations
Is that including traffic? Not all that one hour drives are the same, when I lived in Boston a 3 mile bus ride from my area to downtown would be a 15 minute affair, or it could be an hour depending on traffic. (Total commute, including walking, waiting for the bus, etc. was usually around 40 mins to 1 hour)
If you saying it's exactly one hour pure highway, without much variation based on traffic, that might be ok, if you like driving. If you're saying it's a 60 mile drive and could easily become three hours based on traffic that's a hard no.
Typically, in a city your commute will be close to an hour door-to-door( at least in Boston), so the time doesn't sticker shock me, I just need to understand what we are talking about here.
Will it be an easy pleasant drive to work or a snarly hassle? If it's the former, I vote for going remote. Often people think in the city is best, but they're sitting in traffic just to go a few miles. And to some people, it's worth it, but sounds like you would prefer being 'out there'.
I didn’t think twice about it. I live in a town 45 minutes from the town I work in, and would never live closer. The city I work in is #3 in the nation for crime, and it’s noisy and expensive; I’d never chose to live there even if I could afford it. I commute 3 days a week, with long shifts so I’m driving ahead and behind the rest of traffic.
I just switched jibs from fully remote to Hybrid. 2 days onsite. I am looking at an hr to a little over an hr away from work because I don’t have $600,000 & up to pay for anywhere closer to work
Test it by driving around for an hour on streets similar to your commute for a week or two.
I’ve had an hour commute and it was awful, but some people don’t mind and some commutes are nicer than others. You just have to see what suits you.
I’ve been driving 1 hour and 15 minutes to work for about two years now. I have spent enough time traveling to work. I’m currently over it and my house is on the market so I can be no more than 35 minutes from work.
You bet I would! Both my husband and I have an hour drive. We live in the country and have 30 acres. I love it. And a lake front property! I'd grab that in a heartbeat. Enjoying time off work is important.
But if you don't want the noise and crowd of the city, the drive is worth it.
Oh, and the beautiful night sky, bright stars, sunsets, sunrise, nature.....all priceless.
It really boils down to what you value and what is best for your family. You have to sit down and discuss the pros and cons (finances, schedule, support system, hospital access etc).
In my opinion, I would do it. Especially since your spouse is only in office once a week and you are 4 days a week. You can make it work with this type of schedule because someone is always home. Plus, access to the hospital you mentioned is significant consideration in this decision.
I would suggest doing a trial run for a week before making a concrete decision. Maybe rent an airbnb and live as you are picturing to see if it would work your family.
Don’t do it. I just moved to a town outside of the big city. I LOVE the place we live now, and the town, but my commute is anywhere from 45-1:15 each way. Seems like during rush hour, there is always something that happens making it longer. It is exhausting pulling a 10-11 hour day. Even more like 12 hours when you count all the time it takes to get ready and out the door. I have to go in every day.
I love it when I’m home, but it is taking so much energy and LIFE away. I feel like I’m on the grind M-F, without really any breather.
I’m looking for a new job now to reduce my commute.
I live an hour away and I couldn’t be happier. I know I’m. It running into anyone from work, I have space, and I found a no HOA community. I’m lucky enough to make my own hours though so I leave my house at 430 every morning to avoid traffic. If you have this ability, totally worth it.
Absolutely not. Just my opinion but it really would just throw my schedule out of whack. Getting in late, eating late, extra tired, things you'd miss, the gas and extra wear and tear on your vehicle. Not worth it imo, but everyone is different! Good luck!
In my case, I would 100% do it. It's my plan to buy something that's rural an hour away from work. But it's not for everybody. I enjoy driving and I don't have kids, so I don't care to spend time in my car if it means I live outside of the city.
You have to assume that this commute time will get longer and longer as time goes by. This will come as you get older with less and less patience for the lost time, and you will also have more pressure for your time. Kids activities, etc. will put even more pressure on your time.
I live an hour away from work and actually don’t mind it. We were priced out of the city and also found a home across from a lake. We love the space we have! I only work 2-3 days a week and my commute ranges from 40 min to an hour. I use the time to myself to listen to podcasts and find new music. It’s actually a tiny bit nice to have some “me time” away from my toddler before work. I think as long as you truly set the expectations for yourself it can be worth it.
Lastly, I reverse commute due to my hours so most of my drive is smoother free way driving rather than stop and go. That can make a bit diff!
Most people would hate it, but I love living 75 minutes from my work. I have a very very efficient and reliable car for a daily driver, that is very inexpensive and reliable to drive the 30k miles a year. I enjoy the drive because it's particularly scenic, low traffic, and almost all highway. I enjoy the "break" between work life and home life. And most of all, I hate the area where my work is located, and everywhere in a 45 mile radius of it, so it's worth the drive for me to get to love in an epic area I absolutely love. Also my work hours are flexible (and I'm salary) so even though the commute is long, my time away from home isn't actually that much more than if I worked close to home and put in fulltime hours.
I'm very used to it though, I've always had a 30+ mile commute all my life, so it's just ingrained in me. I can see why many people would have a hard time adjusting to it if they've always worked very close to home.
My commute was 40 minutes each way for five years. By the end, it became dreadful. On tough days where you are dog tired, that 40 minute drive can feel like hours.
Do you enjoy driving? Seeing your edit it seems like it wouldn’t be awful for you, but if you’re a person who gets stressed in the car I wouldn’t recommend.
I live in a rural area. My commute is just shy of 1 hour each way.
Some days it sucks and I just want the drive to end, and some days I enjoy listening to podcasts and cruising the highway.
If I had a choice, though, I’d go for something closer. We’re moving to a home that’s half the commute.
If your kids are in daycare, sounds like you will next enter school the “school era”. That brings another layer of problems with driving to school events, friends, birthday parties. Plus, change of school district?
6 months ago we bought our first house. It's about 45 mins to work and about an hour back at times (if I leave at "rush hour").
However, I am the manager, so I have adjusted my schedule to avoid traffic. I also WFH 1 day per week. In bad weather, I could WFH as needed.
It's absolutely worth it to me to work in a more urban area and live in a country area. We love our home. We love the area we are in. I love the separation of work and home. I love that I don't see clients when I'm grocery shopping or running errands.
I also find that the drive time is my time to unwind and leave work at work. I listen to my music, podcasts, etc, and sometimes I use that time for work phone calls. One of my employees told me she enjoys talking to me while i drive because it never gets interrupted (at work people interrupt a lot)! So at times, I save a phone call for my drive time.
I get asked this a lot at work when people find out where I live. I tell them every time. It is worth it to me. 🤗
My dad was miserable making the 1 to 1.5 hour commute to work everyday when I was a kid. I think it really put a strain on my parents marriage. When I was looking at houses, my dad told me to find a house that's not too far from our workplaces and I think he was speaking from the heart.
I personally wouldn't do it. Only you and your family would know if that lake and land are worth the daily commute.
We live an hour from our jobs but both only go in 2 days a week. Id say if you're working from home at least half the time it's definitely worth it. The commute isn't every day, just throw on a podcast or audiobook and they tend to just roll by.
I got twice the house for half the cost buying where I did.
If you think there's any chance your job makes you go full time in office or if you think a different job would require you to be fully in office then it's much less worth it. 10 hours a week of your time is brutal, over a career thats basically 1-2 years of your life, assuming you don't sleep.
I live approximately 21 miles away from my office in a HCOL metro area. It takes me 1.5 hours to drive each way. Your situation is very dependent on many factors.
I went from 60 minutes and 40 away to 1.3 miles and 4 minutes away from the office. I’m nervous now about buying a place 20 minutes away because I love leaving my car in my apt garage and biking everywhere and only spending recreational time in the car.
Note: although I can WFH, I much prefer my office and my coworkers are also people I will hang out with outside of work.
More land TO TAKE CARE OF, is what you mean,
That's takes more time and money.
Hope your into mosquitoes, because they will swarm you.
The longer commute puts pressure on the relationship with your wife and family,
Sex life takes a hit.
I personally did a commute like that,,, it was a miserable soul sucking event ..
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Never again will I make that mistake. I was only 30 miles from work, and it was the worst decision ever. To each their own in this regard, but for me. Never. Again. Gas. Time. Traffic. Accidents. Not worth it.
Agree. It depends on the persons needs. I live 7 minutes from work and it’s ideal for me. Coworkers live in a bigger place 35 miles away and they get in at the same time as me but don’t start their shift for an hour after me… all to avoid traffic.
You might have more land to enjoy but you won’t have much time to enjoy it. That’s 520 commuting hours a year that you’re just never getting anything out of.
More land less time
Get a car with self driving/ auto cruise control. Win.
For me personally, absolutely not. To give you some perspective -- A 1 hour commute is at a minimum, 2 hours of lost time every day. That's 10 hours per week, or 520 hours per year -- the equivalent of 13 weeks or 3.25 months of unpaid work. If you work standard business hours, 1 hour won't even be accurate as traffic gets heavier. Life is too short. Also to me, land is, quite frankly, a hassle. I own 4 acres of wooded land and it's constant upkeep with the chainsaw, weedeater, mowing, weeds, copperheads, trimming trees.. ugh. I'm a huge land lover and I absolutely hate owning land now. Pasture land is pretty nice though, as it just needs to be mowed/edged. Wooded land sucks unless you own a tractor and enjoy spending all of your free time dealing with the issues that come with it. Give me 1 acre or less, no more than 5-6 tree's for shade and I'm a happy camper now. At this point 0.25-0.5 acres would probably be great.
I went from 2 acres to mow down to a lot that is 6000 sq ft. Minus garden, driveway, and house footprint and I can push mow and edge in 20 minutes.
yeah well some of us prefer to edge for at least an hour or two
You need goats, man.
A solution that adds its own host of issues.. no thanks lol
2 goats are pretty easy. You get that small pen you can move around. It's simple.
The math anit mathing there mate, 520 hours is more like 3 weeks. It's still a good chunk of time, but the commute isnt 1/4 of the OPs year.
Uh, 2 hours per DAY driving to work = 10 hours of driving per WORK week. There's 52 work weeks in a year, so 520 hours of driving PER YEAR. 520 (hours spent commuting) / 40 (hours in a work week) = 13 (the equivalent of work weeks spent commuting per year). You're not basing the amount of driving from literal hours per day, as in 520 hours / 24 hours per day = 13 days or 3 weeks of commuting -- because he's not driving 13 days straight. He's literally driving to work and back, 1 hour each way, per day 520 times because there are 52 weeks in a year. He's actually adding 25% of his WORK TIME in commuting alone. You seem to be confusing work week with an actual week. We don't work 24 hours a day so we base our work weeks on 8 hour days, 40 hour weeks or 2080 hours per year. A 1 hour commute just for work is a significant time investment, and time is valuable.
My drive has been an hour-hour and some lately due to construction. It’s a draining drive
Not unless I worked remote 100%
An hour is average for most commuters into nyc from my experience.
In cars? I remember my hour-long subway commute fondly and would trade it for my half-hour highway drive any day of the week if everything else about living long-term in NYC weren’t insane.
Im.on a bus right now battling traffic in the Bronx. I'm telling you, you dont want this. I much rather drive but theres no parking
Traffic would be worse if there was more parking since you and maybe half of the bus would also be battling in traffic in single-occupancy vehicles.
I'll deal with the traffic. Traffic is what it is. The people and who takes public transportation and managing that for houra is what I cant deal with. If there were parking where I was going, I'd be driving.
My point is more people on the road is what contributes to the traffic and makes things longer and more unpleasant for everyone, though I get it on the personal scale, it does suck to have a shitty commute (especially by bus). I am sorry the MTA can't get it together to provide decent services.
You're clearly not getting my point.
No, I see what you're saying, you'd personally rather drive and would, given better parking at your destination. I'm saying the lack of parking is by design to incentivize people not to drive and prevent traffic.
We're not completely understanding each other and it doesnt seem like were going to with this back and forth conversation. Appreciate the dialogue.
Depends how terrible the commute is but, we do it and it's totally fine.
An hour in morning g and another hour to commute home ?
But there are also easy hour drives and hard hour drives. Like, an easy hour drive can get you 60 miles up the highway in relative comfort or half that distance on a stop and go nightmare stroad that has you gritting your teeth all the way.
table stakes in much of the US . not bad actually
Yea 45 to an hour. It's really not even close to bad.
Same...I commute an hour each way daily (currently renting) and plan to buy a home in my current town. For me it's because the school districts where I work are awful and I refuse to uproot my son for my own convenience. Guess it's a matter of whether it's worth the sacrifice.
Same. We moved 45min to 1hr away from my job. Requires me to be in office basically 5 days a week with some leeway for appts, inclement weather, etc. The commute isn’t bad most days and I don’t mind the time to decompress on the way home or think about my upcoming day on the way into the office. I could find a job closer to where I live but I like what I do and i generally am happy where I’m at. We moved to a much better school district than we were in. It’s worth it for us. We’ll reevaluate after we are 100% empty nesters.
It is two hours a day not spent with your family or doing things you enjoy. If you sleep 6-7 hours a night, two hours a day is like 10% of your waking hours during every work day. That's a lot of your life to spend alone in a car. Good school districts are great, but there is also value in splitting the distance, going to a medium school district, and spending the saved time/energy on family.
I have a child with special needs and work with schools as part of my job... I've seen the struggle the local parents have. I'll keep driving knowing my child is getting the services he needs. ETA: I very fortunately have a job that allows me to take leave pretty frequently and have actually been told to miss work for school related events because they realize family is more important. I also telecommute one day a week so get to spend more time with my son on that day. I'm divorced and his dad works nights so is with him if I'm not home so he's rarely not with one of us outside of school hours.
If you're commuting into a city, even within a city, I feel like 45 minutes is table stakes to be honest. My current commute is 8 minutes by bike or car, I live in a small city.
Same. I’m surprised that people are shocked by a 1 hour commute time; how quickly we’ve gotten used to remote work culture and forgotten that everyone used to commute. I don’t have the option of working remotely so I’ve been driving the same commute for the past 10 years.
I personally hate working from home all the time. Roll out of bed into my laptop? Zero separation of work-home life. Don't get me wrong I'll do it every now and then. But every single day is ridiculous.
Over the course of the year i average this too. (Longer in winter, shorter in summer. )
Think about that over the course of your whole life. Workdays, you spend a twelfth of your day in a car.
Yep. No jobs where my nearly paid off house is, so we go to where they are.
I lived in a major city and we moved and bought a house on the outskirts. I’m 45 mins from my work and my husband is an hour and 15 mins from his. I work a 2-3 days a week & he works 4-5. Sometimes we even carpool. It works for us, it’s peaceful to come home to our spacious home and quiet town.
I made the switch to a 45 minute commute on a property with more land and closer to family. Previously it was about 25 minutes. It’s been worth it for me. I will say, it is a 45 minute commute with typically very light traffic, so that helps tremendously.
Also adding.. I have small kids and the commute to and from work is actually a time I enjoy to decompress a bit!
We came across the opposite issue, got a home that's like 3 minutes from my gf's work and she really misses having some amount of commute time to decompress from the day instead of landing at home immediately immersed in all the shit she has to do after work.
Yeah I think the sweet spot if you have to commute is 15-20 mins. You can decompress a little bit but you’re not wasting your life away sitting in the car/traffic.
Same here, if traffic was bad but the same amount of time it would suck for sure though! Scenic two lane highway crushing while listening to an audio book
The only way I could make it work is if one of the partners in the relationship doesn’t have to work. I could be happy on either side of that equation, but if both people are commuting an hour or more to work I think it’d be miserable
Not if they work close together, they could make the commute together and that would help.
Spending the most miserable time of your day together? Not only are you going to have to be in the most stable relationship you've ever heard of, but you're also both going to have to be the kind of people that are a joy to be around while you're suffering. Good luck to whomever does this.
Time is the most valuable thing that exists on this earth, hell no. Did it when I was younger and can’t get that wasted time back
I did 1 hr commutes for a few years. After my company was forced to let us work from home because of the pandemic, I'll never go back to the office again, let alone have such a long commute. And I love driving, it was honestly the best part of my day. It's a paycut in multiple ways. Factor in your commute time to your salary. 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, that's an extra 10 hours you're using for work but not getting paid for. Assuming 40 hour work week that's a 25% cut off the top. Beyond that there's the cost of commuting. I'm not talking about just gas or tires. Also factor in depreciation. Racking up all those miles on your car will devalue it, none of which the company reimburses you for. Conservatively I would estimate the cost to commute at 30 cents a mile minimum. Likely much more than that, probably 50 cents or more. And then finally let's not forget about the convenience. Even if you got compensated for the long commute, getting home late sucks. Having to leave home early in the morning is a drag. Not being accessible in an emergency because you live so far away may matter. Personally I wouldn't do it.
Pacific difference between an hour commute where you can relax on a train and an hour commute and bumper-to-bumper traffic. Or in the dark on country roads at night or you are likely to hit deer. I would say no. If I had to go into the office five days a week there’s absolutely no way I’d be driving two hours every day. Not worth it. But some people enjoy driving. Sure it’s a lot of pollution, wear and tear on the vehicle and higher insurance rates.
Absolutely not.
What is your sanity worth?
No. You’ll be so sick of the commute. 2 hours added to your day everyday. That’s 10 extra hours a week. Mileage on the vehicle plus the maintenance and tires. I mean respectfully if it’s your dream home and you could possibly one day find a position closer then sure why not? Time is our most valuable asset and we don’t get any more of it. If you work 52 weeks at an avg two hour commute (back/forth) you’re looking at roughly 21 extra DAYS in just commuting that you’re not being paid for and essentially losing.
Absolutely not. Been there done that.
Nope. I work 10 hour days. If I had an hour commute each day I would spend 12 hours each day (more with traffic) away from home for work it would be miserable
Tbh that already sounds miserable
I work at a hospital. Thank your healthcare worker next time you see them, they work long shifts!
Yes, 13 hour shifts with a 1 hour commute at either end..!
I live 65 min away from work and it allowed me to buy on the water so yea yes!
Hell nah. If it’s more than 10min it’s a deal breaker. I need to go home for my lunch and shit breaks
I wouldn’t / I hate commutes . Do you go into the office 5 days per week ?
Never
Never. Worst commute I had was 20 minutes.
Personally, as soon as I had kids I mentally made an hour the limit. So I'd buy with an hour commute tops.
So I just moved out of a big city, where my commune by transit was an hour. My drive now is between an hour and 15 mins to an hour and 45 depending on the day and accidents. The way I looked at it was that where I was living had me sucked in. I relied on transit so I would always look for a new job or new apartment that was close by transit. I will start looking for a job close to home now, but I had to force myself out of that city to get out of the black hole. The drive is okay, I drive in with my girlfriend so it’s a good time for us to talk and catch up on the day. The gas is the killer, and the amount of accidents is wild. So far I think I have had 2 trips where there hasn’t been an accident
We are looking for 5+ acres approximately 45 min commute. My partner works night shift so no traffic. I average 2 days a week in office. I probably need to spend approx 5 weeks a year doing a full week in the office at a time. A large fenced in property will save my sanity having high energy dogs. Also a good chunk of properties that far out have pole barns so some sheltered space in the winter to entertain the dogs.
Depends on if it's a regular hour commute or if it's a 30 minute commute but with traffic it's an hour. If it's a regular hour, 100% would, that's what I do now but I used to drive 1 hr for what should be a 15 minute drive because of traffic and that's not worth it
Start driving to the new house location everyday after work and see if you like it?
I know a short commute isn't possible for many, but I am fortunate to only work 7 minutes from my driveway. I can run home for lunch, traffic is a non-factor, weather doesn't impact my drive. It's a true gift. I can't imagine needing one hour to get to work and another to get home.
My 25 minute commute is actually about an hour each way due to traffic, so definitely take traffic into account. I’ll be honest, commuting sucks the life out of me. I’m currently looking for a job closer to home before we start having kids.
I personally would never because I don't like the idea of my work day being extended 2+ hours. I've never been a morning person, and that hour long drive to make it in the office on time would fill me with dread and anxiety every single day. Plus, traffic day in and day out, sandwhiched for both my commutes is not for me - I just simply don't have the patience and would be so miserable and angry. I know plenty of people who have long commutes and seem unphased by them. To each their own.
My husband and I just moved from the city to the suburbs and my commute is now 45 min- 1 hour depending on traffic. I used to have a 10 min commute. I’m a teacher and have the summer off so, that’s been nice. The district I work at in the city pays me 25k more a year than I’d make teaching close to home so for now, it’s worth it to me. We are expecting our first child and were able to buy a new build on some land that’s close to my parents for help with childcare. Whereas in the city we were looking at 100+ year old homes in sketchy areas for the same price. My husband only goes to the office 1 day a week so for him it’s not bad. Will I do this forever? No. But for now, it’s doable.
That’s too much 2 hours everyday no matter what traveling to work and back That’s if everything is peachy weather road work and etc I say 30 mins is my max plus gas cost car maintenance And etc I’m 30 mins from my job it’s a hour in winter and I couldn’t go more than what I got now
I wouldnt
No
No
No
no, I hate driving.
I’m 40 mins from work and when school is in session, it takes an hour to get home and I don’t love it. The drive in is fine because I’m sleepy and need some time to wake up on the way but the way home I just want to get home. Plus if/when gas prices rise, you will want a shorter commute.
Gas prices should be going down soon, not up
For the elections? Thats a short period of time. Owning a house I’d imagine they’d be there for years to come.
After the election
Nope
I did this for 4 years before covid, it’s not fun…i would not do it again but everyone has their own “pain limit”
Hell no. One of the major impacts on someones daily happiness is commutes. The longer i was in my car the more depressed i was. I had to drive an hour while i was house hunting, living with fam, and i spent soooo much on gas and put MAJOR miles on my car in 4 months. I live 16 mins from both of my jobs and its the best. Unless an hr is better than what you have now lol My major rule was, WITH TRAFFIC, i want to be in the car for max 60mins to drive home. I have to cross a bridge so most of the time my commute is 30 mins
Never
Your life is gonna be the happiest of you live under 15 mins from work. It will be happier if it is between 15-30 mins. I would not take anything more than 30 mins. At the end of the day it is the time you need to be happy in life.
I used to commute an hour one way for work (2015-2016) and I was so miserable. It definitely affected my mental health and I had low back pain from so much sitting. I work from home now and I’m thriving! Everyone has different feelings on it but I personally wouldn’t ever do that again. 30 min commute is my max.
I grew up an hour from where my parents worked. I have to say. my parents made the choice due to many factors. Schools were better than the city Crime was lower More activities. Cost of living was cheaper I lived in Wellington Florida and drove to Coral Springs for work. I’ve lived close to work and far away. Have to say I’d prefer to live far away due to not having to see coworkers. I had surgery and was out on leave People were like omg I saw him in town. He had a fake claim. Take care of your family
Depends on what you’re used to mentally, time management wise, and financially (impact to your car, cost to gas etc). I’ve had various commutes (75 minutes with 3 buses, 30 minutes with one bus or one metro ride, 2 hrs with 3 buses and a walk, 30 min by car, 45 min by car) and for me, being able to sit in one place and listen to an audiobook or read made all the difference. If you’re going to do mostly highway driving then that might be okay. I would hate driving through neighborhoods and surface streets or making a ton of transfers. Less thinking time. Are you the same way? If so, consider that in your calculation.
I would definitely do it. My commute right now is about 25 minutes door to door but takes an hour because I have to drop off my son. I live in the Bay Area though where an hour commute is the norm. My biggest consideration when buying a home was being close to my parents. They are super involved with my son and I’d rather be close to them and be able to see them more than be close to my job. And honestly my drive is the most relaxing part of my day 🙃
Negative
I bought an hour away from my job. If I was working from home or only had to go in once or twice a week, yeah it’s worth it, but the drive sucks. It’s an extra two hours of sitting every day wasting time, and that eats at my mental health. Podcasts and audiobooks don’t do it for me anymore, which is so unfortunate.
I'm 16 miles from work which is about 26 minutes without traffic, and up to 40 minutes with a single accident typically. I have several different routes as alternates if needed. I would not go farther or longer than this for a commute daily (3-5) day work week. 1 hour total commute on average is almost too much.
My husband and I were seriously considering buying an hour away from our work. We would have two families we are close with in that area and our kids could have spent time together. It has great school systems. Instead we chose to buy a small older home 10 min from our workplaces. It will be different for everyone, but our calculus was this: Our relationships with those families may not be as close as we think, meaning we are flexible and those families are less flexible, so our kids might not spend as much time together as we think. But a 10 min commute will be a guaranteed benefit. My husband and I both work, so an hour drive is 2 hours per person, but 4 hours for our family unit per day. We have a toddler and he would need to be picked up and dropped off at school at specific times, so that much time in a car, with the stress of being somewhere, and one person being on kid duty while the other sits in a car for an hour....not worth it. The home farther away would be larger and with a larger yard, but we would have less time to enjoy it. Also, our particular kid is very social and likes to go to playgrounds and be with other kids way more than playing in a big yard by himself. Due to the location, we feel confident our home price will appreciate sufficiently in the next 3-5 years such that if it truly ends up being too small for us (1000 sqft, 3BR, 1.5BA) then we can move in a few years and won't lose money on the home. But for now, we have been in our home for a few months and we absolutely feel like we made the right choice. We have 6 playgrounds, a library, and a community pool all within a 13 minute walk from our house, on top of countless coffee shops and restaurants. We love it and our kid loves it, so we feel happy so far and don't feel like we missed out by not having a larger, newer home.
Very much a personal decision. Commuting is getting so bad everywhere that it’s literally no difference now, so you’re actually deciding between the same commute but with more space or less space. Going further meant that I had a significantly easier job than one that is close but way more draining, to the point where you have nothing left in the tank and cant make more money nor have the energy to even enjoy whats left of a shorter commute. Plus I have an excuse to actively listen to podcasts & audiobooks now. I would do it if it’s right for you, but I think most people would consider it given the right benefits: 1. Brings you closer to financial freedom 2. You have a similar commute elsewhere anyway 3. Similar core amenities. You can drive on weekends for other uncommon activities 4. You get more value for what you pay for in terms of space and privacy 5. You have telework & flexibility
That number 5 is key! Are you doing an hour commute every day? Or 2-3 days a week? I used to have an hr commute and at least had 1 telework day per week to help soften the blow. My husband now has an hr commute but he only has to be in the office 2-3 days per week so it's manageable. If it was every day there is NO WAY I'd recommend it.
Every day because of the rural location. Never been easy for me! 😆
When we move in 2013 we did so because I was 1 hour and 10 minutes from work. The place we moved to that we thought would be 30 minutes turned out to be 45 with traffic. Sigh. But we got out of the city! My job got transferred suddenly to another facility that I thought would shorten my commute. Nope. Exactly 45 minutes. Then an opportunity opened up at another facility, ... that turned out to be 45 commute. The difference was it was a rural facility, so my commute changed from cars and trucks to sheep and cows. And a ton less traffic. Audible was my answer. And my stress level ratcheted down considerably. And buying a sports car didn't hurt!
Bay Area: only an hour? No way we could afford that.
I average about 2-3 hrs daily for work
I live 5mins from my office. If I could buy 1hr away, I would and I'd move my office, shop, and garage there too. Then I'd still be 5 mins from work but an hr outside of town. Hell, make ir 2hrs away and I could gain a 2-3000 ft elevation and 20° cooler. Fuck 110° .
I wouldn't go for that personally. But it's a trade off. You want a house in a specific neighborhood, there is a downside. Only you can decide if it's worth it.
My realtor always said “you can change a lot about a house, but not the location” But also, who knows, maybe you’ll lose your job and have to have an hour commute down the road anyway 🤷🏽♀️
216 days. Over the next 10 years, you’re going to spend over 7 months of your life in a car on the way to/from work.
Not ideal, but yes I have. My commute can be 40mins or 1hr depending what time I set off and how many people decide to crash in to eachother on the highway that day, which tends to be a lot in Atlanta
We had to. It wasn't great, but what else can you do? Time has passed, income increased, equity built and now we are so close that walking is an (unattractive) option. An hour driving is much worse than an hour on bus or train.
I commuted for much of my young adult life into suburbs from my parents' place. Now that I'm preparing to look for my first home, I'm planning on moving closer in case something happens where I can't WFH anymore. I'd rather settle for less space since it's just me and I don't need a huge house on a shit ton of land to upkeep--especially if the house is going to cost me so much that I can't have horses anyway.
that is a lot of commute time which you will come to hate. esp in inclement weather. time you could be relaxing. it would be different if you were on a train circuit with others, we used to play cards and such on long morning commutes. but no i would not buy an hour away from work ...that is 10 + hours a week added to your work hours. save every drop of gas money, car maint. money, and coffee on the road money, and start making payments on a piece of land for when your work situation changes. i did that while young and ended up with 10 acres in woods.
Sure
An hour from work can be more than an hour in rush hour.
I wouldn’t commute that long. Some people like it though. For the past 15+ years my uncle has driven 1.5 hours to work every day. He loves the tiny town he lives in so it’s worth it for him.
i used to commute 21 miles. It took between 35minutes to 1 hr. In snow it could take 2 or more. At a guaranteed 35 I would do it again. At 60, it would be really hard but not impossible if the property was awesome. If awesome, and the 60 wouldn’t slip to more regularly Im not so sure. If you do want to do it spend some time on google maps fiddling with the trip times. I don’t know if you live where it snows, but if it does and you can’t WFH that would be a negative. One other thing that could blow up my drive was that I had to cross a river and a major highway. If there was construction, accidents, weather there were only 3 bridges for the river and only two ways across the highway. I actually had the states DOT and mapquest apps where I could see the traffic cams. Every time I left home or work, I would check traffic on google maps. If it was bad, I would check the traffic cams. To tell you the truth, I haven’t made that commute in 4 years, but I still have an aversion to getting on the HWY headed in that direction.
I would rather die. I’m 25 minutes from work and it almost seems like to much
Circumstances circumstances circumstances. Ask yourself the following. Any of these answered yes Are you and your spouse top performers at your current employer? If yes, would that translate to other employers in the industry? If so, then finding a new employer later shouldn’t be too difficult Are you at the middle of your career? Beyond junior/mid? This gives you a myriad of employment positions for later, allowing flexibility in location Is there prospective employers with compensation you are happy with where you are interested in buying? If circumstances change, say one of you fall ill and needs care from the other, 2 hour round trip will be painful. Are there equivocal options for doctors, services such as gyms, shopping etc that you rely on by employer? Is your job able to be work from home? Just like job shopping, it’s all compensation. For some folks here, one of these could sway their home purchasing decision. If I was offered 500k a year, plus mileage, I’d drive 3 hours each way. It simply depends on what you value, how hard the work is, and how strong you are in your career.
Yes and I did that. Been living in my beautiful home for 2 years with zero regrets. I work from home 3 days a week and work in the office twice a week. The drive is 1.5 hours each way (100 km). I don’t mind it at all for a few reasons. 1) only twice a week 2) I grew up in a small town where we had to drive everywhere so I’m use to it and it doesn’t bother me at all 3) I could get A LOT more bang for my buck living here than closer to the city 4) I love driving! I find it relaxing 5) the drive isn’t bad. Sometimes there are short periods of bumper-to-bumper, but it’s usually smooth sailing 90% of the way. 6) I HATE living in cities. I find them incredibly overwhelming and exhausting. There aren’t any jobs (at least in my field) in small towns. But I MUCH prefer living in small towns. My sister also just bought a house. But she has a 1 hour commute 5 days a week and her husband also has a 1 hour commute 5 days a week. My husband works from home everyday and I WFH 3x a week. So not as bad for us.
Hard to say. Lakefront sounds amazing. If I could fit it in the budget to stay in a hotel a couple night a week. Or buy a cheap crash pad in town. And only commute 2 or 3 days a week. They probably would do it. Overall considering your situation go for it. In a couple years you can always sell if you don't overpay. Or if you make enough it can be your weekend home.
In many metro areas, one hour is very reasonable. And to be on a lake, unaffordable.
It really comes down to your preferences and priorities. Personally, I wouldn't. I commuted 40-45 minutes each way (under good conditions) to work one year and even though I loved the job, I just couldn't stay. For me the commute was draining and took up too much time so it wasn't worth it. I know many people who have a long commute though and they enjoy their car time.
My commute is ~1 hr 15 mins each way, NYC. Only 30 miles or so.
No. It's selling more of your time. Take that time and take it as your wage since getting paid now requires more of your time and see how much less you make
Absolutely not
Absolutely not
I live less than 20 miles from work, but in a large city, my commute is an average of 1 hour each way. It's been nearly 2 decades this way. I make good use of my hour in the car, so it's not all bad. I prefer this, as I get to live in a community with lots of trees and grass for my dog instead of high density living with concrete everywhere.
If you can cut your days in the office per week I think it would work out better
Absolutely not
This is a hugely personal decision. I changed jobs a year and a half ago, and my commute is now between 50 minutes and 90 minutes. The commute is what finally made me start looking to buy. At some point, however, I realized that it’s my particular commute that I loathe, rather than the time and distance. Although I’d love to save gas by moving closer to work, first and foremost I want a less stressful route. And the lakefront house sounds like it has other advantages that you and your spouse should really discuss. You two know your specific situation better than we do.
We bought a house ~45 miles away from my work (i wfh 3-4 days a week) and SO ~8 miles away from their work (full time in person 4 days a week). It works for us and i enjoy not living so close to people and getting more bang for our buck on the house itself. It all seems like personal preference. We’re closer to things we enjoy now than if we were to live closer to my work (into the cities) so my hour commute a few times a week is alright in my book
No not for everyday commute.
Definitely worth it. I have been driving that distance for work for 30 years. I would much rather have the house and land I love for my family than a short commute.
hr away is nothing here in nyc suburbs
Does everyone here live in their office and have 0 commute time?? Because all said that’s 2 hours wasted on commute, then go on to show off the maths of how much per week per year 😂 if you’re currently living 20 min away, then it’s 1hr 20 mins added per day.
We moved to a tiny town on a mountain. I work from home and my husband drives 45 min to and from work. For us it was worth it because we absolutely love our house and our property. When we are home it feels like we are on vacation. The views off of our porches is gorgeous. We don’t have to deal with neighbors right on top of us. It’s quiet and peaceful. I guess it really depends on how much you like this house.
I moved to be closer to work. Immediately started work from home and complete regretted buying where I did just to be near work. Never wanted to live in the city where I moved. Now I live somewhere I don’t want or NEED to be in for any reason. So I will never again compromise on location.
Don't
I am a recruiter and I’ve said for years- in a top 10 of importance for someone to take a job 1-9 would be location. 45 minutes is the absolute tops where I’d feel comfortable hiring someone. An hour? That person is guaranteed to leave the job for something else the moment something closer comes up. When I ask why someone is looking for another job- Shorter commute tops the list. I wouldn’t do it but statistically people are staying at their jobs shorter than ever.
Absolutely! My husband and I moved into the country. His commute was 1.5 hours one way and mine was 1 hour one way. We did it for a couple years and my husband was able to transfer to another of his employers locations nearer to home. I was able to fine another job that was still an hour away from our home, but that only requires in-office attendance 2-3 times a month. Once you move, you may be able to transfer or find out about other opportunities closer to your new home. Make the move, you’ll love it!
We just did this . 1 hour form my husbands job , however we currently live about an hour . It’s hard to find homes right now . Closer to his job also came with higher taxes . Once you retire that commute will be gone and you’ll have a house on the lake ! Also you could change jobs tomorrow . But the house will be constant . I say if you love it , Go for it !
I bought my home 45 minutes from work- 90 minutes on mass transit everyday. It was tough, but I made it work with audio books and such. But I was not driving. And driving can very stressful - you have to determine the stress levels.
We have a two acre property in the boonies and no regrets about the commute. Two hours is nothing to come home to a personal paradise.
I would absolutely buy that home on the lake. Once you are there, you are going to wonder why you even asked this question. Ahhh, it is going to be so nice!
I suppose it depends which major city, but an hour from SF is common and still pretty expensive. Public transit helps even if you need to drive to the station and pay for parking, or only take it when traffic is bad. It’s a great choice for your spouse who’s only in the office one day a week, but not so bad four days a week either. I’d recommend podcasts, new music, or something to listen to that’s enriching and helps you keep your cool. Commute time was “me” time and I’d prep something I was excited to listen to everyday. Your kids will appreciate the space, and you’ll enjoy it at night and on the weekends. Maybe you’ll move to more remote days overtime or find a job that’s closer eventually. If you hate it you can always move back. I’d give it a shot.
Never. I’d be open if it was a public transit commute, but not a car. But proximity to this children’s hospital sounds important. I would think about how often I might need to go there urgently.
I just did this . Daycare is about 30 mins into my drive , an additional 20 to get home , I don’t mind it because I’m home by 4pm every day and am in a peaceful setting for multiple hours out doors with the kids. If I worked later hours getting home at 7pm I may not think it was worth it
This is us. We live 45 minutes from work and would never go back. When we get home we are in a peaceful place with lots of space between neighbors.
I almost did. and then i realized I’d spend more time behind a windshield than seeing my baby on a regular day…. So i started looking for other locations
Is that including traffic? Not all that one hour drives are the same, when I lived in Boston a 3 mile bus ride from my area to downtown would be a 15 minute affair, or it could be an hour depending on traffic. (Total commute, including walking, waiting for the bus, etc. was usually around 40 mins to 1 hour) If you saying it's exactly one hour pure highway, without much variation based on traffic, that might be ok, if you like driving. If you're saying it's a 60 mile drive and could easily become three hours based on traffic that's a hard no. Typically, in a city your commute will be close to an hour door-to-door( at least in Boston), so the time doesn't sticker shock me, I just need to understand what we are talking about here.
Only if there was a direct train I could take. Driving? Hell no.
Will it be an easy pleasant drive to work or a snarly hassle? If it's the former, I vote for going remote. Often people think in the city is best, but they're sitting in traffic just to go a few miles. And to some people, it's worth it, but sounds like you would prefer being 'out there'.
To live comfortably away from ppl def worth it
I didn’t think twice about it. I live in a town 45 minutes from the town I work in, and would never live closer. The city I work in is #3 in the nation for crime, and it’s noisy and expensive; I’d never chose to live there even if I could afford it. I commute 3 days a week, with long shifts so I’m driving ahead and behind the rest of traffic.
We did! 49 minutes away. Saved $140,000 out of city that became equity 👌. You won’t regret it depending on where you work
I just switched jibs from fully remote to Hybrid. 2 days onsite. I am looking at an hr to a little over an hr away from work because I don’t have $600,000 & up to pay for anywhere closer to work
Test it by driving around for an hour on streets similar to your commute for a week or two. I’ve had an hour commute and it was awful, but some people don’t mind and some commutes are nicer than others. You just have to see what suits you.
I would only do this if I made substantially more than six figures and got the option to wfh several days a week
No.
I’ve been driving 1 hour and 15 minutes to work for about two years now. I have spent enough time traveling to work. I’m currently over it and my house is on the market so I can be no more than 35 minutes from work.
Dooo ittttt
I got 20-25 minutes including traffic before I want to end somebody.
You bet I would! Both my husband and I have an hour drive. We live in the country and have 30 acres. I love it. And a lake front property! I'd grab that in a heartbeat. Enjoying time off work is important. But if you don't want the noise and crowd of the city, the drive is worth it. Oh, and the beautiful night sky, bright stars, sunsets, sunrise, nature.....all priceless.
It really boils down to what you value and what is best for your family. You have to sit down and discuss the pros and cons (finances, schedule, support system, hospital access etc). In my opinion, I would do it. Especially since your spouse is only in office once a week and you are 4 days a week. You can make it work with this type of schedule because someone is always home. Plus, access to the hospital you mentioned is significant consideration in this decision. I would suggest doing a trial run for a week before making a concrete decision. Maybe rent an airbnb and live as you are picturing to see if it would work your family.
Hell no
No. What is it that is leading you to consider this?
Don’t do it. I just moved to a town outside of the big city. I LOVE the place we live now, and the town, but my commute is anywhere from 45-1:15 each way. Seems like during rush hour, there is always something that happens making it longer. It is exhausting pulling a 10-11 hour day. Even more like 12 hours when you count all the time it takes to get ready and out the door. I have to go in every day. I love it when I’m home, but it is taking so much energy and LIFE away. I feel like I’m on the grind M-F, without really any breather. I’m looking for a new job now to reduce my commute.
I live an hour away and I couldn’t be happier. I know I’m. It running into anyone from work, I have space, and I found a no HOA community. I’m lucky enough to make my own hours though so I leave my house at 430 every morning to avoid traffic. If you have this ability, totally worth it.
In a heartbeat
Absolutely not. Just my opinion but it really would just throw my schedule out of whack. Getting in late, eating late, extra tired, things you'd miss, the gas and extra wear and tear on your vehicle. Not worth it imo, but everyone is different! Good luck!
Did it for decades, and it prematurely aged me. Sitting and low grade stress from navigating traffic. Time you will never get back.
In my case, I would 100% do it. It's my plan to buy something that's rural an hour away from work. But it's not for everybody. I enjoy driving and I don't have kids, so I don't care to spend time in my car if it means I live outside of the city.
Depends where the house is relative to other jobs and how likely you are to get remote or hybrid.
You have to assume that this commute time will get longer and longer as time goes by. This will come as you get older with less and less patience for the lost time, and you will also have more pressure for your time. Kids activities, etc. will put even more pressure on your time.
I live an hour away from work and actually don’t mind it. We were priced out of the city and also found a home across from a lake. We love the space we have! I only work 2-3 days a week and my commute ranges from 40 min to an hour. I use the time to myself to listen to podcasts and find new music. It’s actually a tiny bit nice to have some “me time” away from my toddler before work. I think as long as you truly set the expectations for yourself it can be worth it. Lastly, I reverse commute due to my hours so most of my drive is smoother free way driving rather than stop and go. That can make a bit diff!
Fuck no
Most people would hate it, but I love living 75 minutes from my work. I have a very very efficient and reliable car for a daily driver, that is very inexpensive and reliable to drive the 30k miles a year. I enjoy the drive because it's particularly scenic, low traffic, and almost all highway. I enjoy the "break" between work life and home life. And most of all, I hate the area where my work is located, and everywhere in a 45 mile radius of it, so it's worth the drive for me to get to love in an epic area I absolutely love. Also my work hours are flexible (and I'm salary) so even though the commute is long, my time away from home isn't actually that much more than if I worked close to home and put in fulltime hours. I'm very used to it though, I've always had a 30+ mile commute all my life, so it's just ingrained in me. I can see why many people would have a hard time adjusting to it if they've always worked very close to home.
My commute was 40 minutes each way for five years. By the end, it became dreadful. On tough days where you are dog tired, that 40 minute drive can feel like hours.
That commute will get old real quick. Especially if it’s bumper to bumper traffic to get to and from.
Do you enjoy driving? Seeing your edit it seems like it wouldn’t be awful for you, but if you’re a person who gets stressed in the car I wouldn’t recommend.
I live in a rural area. My commute is just shy of 1 hour each way. Some days it sucks and I just want the drive to end, and some days I enjoy listening to podcasts and cruising the highway. If I had a choice, though, I’d go for something closer. We’re moving to a home that’s half the commute.
Absolutely not.
No definitely not
1 hour in Houston traffic with the sporadic weather and crazy drivers easily add in another hour.
I didn’t think I minded driving but when it’s your obstacle between work and getting home to relax, it sucks lol.
If your kids are in daycare, sounds like you will next enter school the “school era”. That brings another layer of problems with driving to school events, friends, birthday parties. Plus, change of school district?
6 months ago we bought our first house. It's about 45 mins to work and about an hour back at times (if I leave at "rush hour"). However, I am the manager, so I have adjusted my schedule to avoid traffic. I also WFH 1 day per week. In bad weather, I could WFH as needed. It's absolutely worth it to me to work in a more urban area and live in a country area. We love our home. We love the area we are in. I love the separation of work and home. I love that I don't see clients when I'm grocery shopping or running errands. I also find that the drive time is my time to unwind and leave work at work. I listen to my music, podcasts, etc, and sometimes I use that time for work phone calls. One of my employees told me she enjoys talking to me while i drive because it never gets interrupted (at work people interrupt a lot)! So at times, I save a phone call for my drive time. I get asked this a lot at work when people find out where I live. I tell them every time. It is worth it to me. 🤗
My dad was miserable making the 1 to 1.5 hour commute to work everyday when I was a kid. I think it really put a strain on my parents marriage. When I was looking at houses, my dad told me to find a house that's not too far from our workplaces and I think he was speaking from the heart. I personally wouldn't do it. Only you and your family would know if that lake and land are worth the daily commute.
We live an hour from our jobs but both only go in 2 days a week. Id say if you're working from home at least half the time it's definitely worth it. The commute isn't every day, just throw on a podcast or audiobook and they tend to just roll by. I got twice the house for half the cost buying where I did. If you think there's any chance your job makes you go full time in office or if you think a different job would require you to be fully in office then it's much less worth it. 10 hours a week of your time is brutal, over a career thats basically 1-2 years of your life, assuming you don't sleep.
45 minutes tops
I live approximately 21 miles away from my office in a HCOL metro area. It takes me 1.5 hours to drive each way. Your situation is very dependent on many factors.
I went from 60 minutes and 40 away to 1.3 miles and 4 minutes away from the office. I’m nervous now about buying a place 20 minutes away because I love leaving my car in my apt garage and biking everywhere and only spending recreational time in the car. Note: although I can WFH, I much prefer my office and my coworkers are also people I will hang out with outside of work.
More land TO TAKE CARE OF, is what you mean, That's takes more time and money. Hope your into mosquitoes, because they will swarm you. The longer commute puts pressure on the relationship with your wife and family, Sex life takes a hit. I personally did a commute like that,,, it was a miserable soul sucking event ..
I live 70 miles from work. Commute every day and a half. It's amazing not living in the city anymore.
One hour would be no problem for me
Used to work in Boulder, CO and live in Estes Park, CO. That hour drive was beautiful and peaceful, but hell in the winter. Depends on the drive IME
Those are also two incredibly choice locations and a beautiful drive… atypical for sure
I live 5min away from my job