Should You Ditch Your Commute For A Second Home In The City?
City living doesn’t appeal to everyone. In fact, some of us can imagine nothing worse than stumbling down the road from work and falling into a city home. Hence why the average commute in the U.S. stands at 25 minutes. Both ways!
As a nation, we’re getting pretty adept at the whole commute thing. Some of us even travel as much as an hour or more each day to reach work from our humble abodes. And, when the weeks roll into each other, and you spend half of them on the road, the appeal of living further afield might soon fade.
Of course, even if we wanted to, most of us couldn’t afford to live in the locality of our workplaces. Inner city living is painfully expensive. In fact, areas such as New York and San Francisco often come up trumps as some of the most expensive areas to live. And, it’s easy to see why with most city dwellers packed in like sardines.
But, even if the idea of that doesn’t appeal to you, moving closer to work is one of those lifestyle changes that can go a long way towards improving your situation. After all, you might not fancy seeing the office from your living room window each day, but you probably don’t fancy spending so long on the road that you forget what home looks like either. It seems, then, that you need to find a happy middle ground here. And, one option which seems to be working for many is that of a second home. If you’re on the fence about this possibility, read on to find out why it could be the right move for you.
Fuel vs living cost
Many people turn away from this option due to the imagined expense. Who can actually afford two homes, right? But, when you think things through, this move might not be as pricey as you’re expecting. We’re not saying that you go ahead and get a four bedroom townhouse. Heck, it’s unlikely most of us could do that even without another home elsewhere. But, by renting an apartment, or even looking at some of the executive condo options on the market, the added cost may not be as bad as you imagine. What’s more, it’ll seem even less when you consider how much you would spend on commuting each day. As well as fuel costs, you’ll need to pay for things such as tire wear and general maintenance due to your usage. And, all that can add up. Sure, you may have to pay a lump sum for that home, but think of it as an investment. Even the price of a rental is likely less than you already spend on gasoline. So, if money has stopped you from taking this plunge, there’s no reason why it should continue standing in your way.
Quality of life
Cost aside, a second city home can also afford you a better quality of life. As it stands, you likely leave your house at the crack of dawn and get home well past dark. And, this situation only worsens the further away you live. Those who embark on the ‘megacommute’, considered to be anything more than 50 minutes, may only have an hour or so at home before going to bed. If you’re getting up before dawn each day as well, it’s easy to start feeling as though you haven’t got a home at all. Consider, then, how much better you would feel if you could leave your workplace and walk home in ten minutes. Suddenly, you would have extra hours in your day to do with as you please. Plus, you’d be in a city with plenty going on. You could join a class, or meet friends for dinner. Both these activities work wonders for wellbeing and are out of your reach as it stands. So, a move like this could improve your lifestyle more than you would even imagine.
Availability to advance in your career
It’s also worth noting that a second home in the city could provide you with the chance to get ahead in your career. If you’re serious about promotion, you’ll often need to stay late in the office and attend networking events to improve it. But, when you have a beast of a commute ahead of you, that just isn’t an option. Even if you did go to networking events, you would have to stay t-total and leave before everyone else. As well as alienating you from the rest of your colleagues, this would send a sure impression you aren’t committed to your role. As such, a promotion would be near enough impossible to come by. But, if you have an apartment close by, you’ll be available for anything like this which crops up. You won’t need to avoid the champagne or keep one eye on the clock. Instead, you’ll be able to give the evening your full attention and perhaps walk away with a better-paid position.
A place just for you
As if the above points weren’t enough to convince you, it’s also worth noting that this would be a place just for you. While spending time away from your partner is an obvious downside, that cloud is not without its silver lining. If you and your man argue about what’s on television, or what color to paint the walls, this could be the ideal compromise. This is a space in which you can do what you want when you want to. There won’t be anyone else giving their opinion or stopping you from watching your favorite programs. Instead, you can entirely please yourself during your weeknights here. What’s more, your partner can reap the same benefits back home. In fact, seeing less of each other could strengthen your bond and help you to appreciate each other more. After all, they do say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. If you often drive each other wild, this could be the best answer.
