those of you with partners that commute or you commute

[babynomad]

Not sure if this is the right section but i really need some help from those of you with partners who / or you ,commuting around one and a half hours + a day.

I live in sydney , the eastern suburbs. We pay $670 a WEEK for a run down 2 bedroom tiny house with small yard. We are close to wonderful things such as parks ect.... I have a boy of 8 months and a boy who is 2.5 and at the end of year is seeing a pediatrician as he maybe on the autism spectrum. He can be wonderful but also a huge handful when out and about and he really enjoys open spaces , running and also staying home with his toys and brother.In this house you can hear next door recharge the ipod so you can imagine what else we hear!

Anyhow, my husband and i have finally been able to save a deposit and the bank will let us borrow up to $600,000 which we don't really want to as it would be hard to pay anything except interest. So we are looking at moving out and finding a house with a garden .

So ,the advice i need is what is the commute like for you , for example I want to move to leura , blue mountains, its more ME..... I love the mountains , love the air, im a bit of a hippie and we could get a decent garden for around $400,000. Im then thinking of getting a very cheap bachelor apartment in sydney as an investment to keep for years and sell at retirement . I thought my husband could use it to stay overnight in sydney 2 nights a week.

I would like to know how bad is a commute of up to 2 hrs, do you have a different relationship with your husband/ partner? Does you or your partner resent it or happy on the weekend to see the kids happy and in fresh air?

I dont have any help in sydney and the friends I made have either moved or moving eventually.

I cannot stand the idea of living with two noisy boys in a tiny art deco apartment being quiet all the time so my husband can walk to work.Also paying close to $600,000!

Any advice appreciated especially from those who live in the mountains or wollindilly area like picton.

Thanks xxxxxxxx:)

[Berrie]

Is the commute 2 hours each way or total? My DP commutes an hour each way and says that he wouldn't be able to deal with it if it was over an hour.

[over excited]

I live in Melbourne and my DH and I choose to live close to the Dandenong mountains and the yarra valley for a few reasons, firstly my mum & dad live 5 mins away from us and I’m very close with my mum, my younger brother lives 10 mins up the road with his g/f, DH parents live 20 mins away and his brother and SIL live 10 mins up the road. Secondly we could get a nice house and a big block of land that we could pay off sooner and still have enough money to go overseas on holidays at least once a year and support my handbag fetish lol, and lastly I’m the same I love the mountains and the open space its amazing. DH works close to home and leaves around 8am and is home by 4 - 4.30 on the other hand I work in the city and it’s a 3 hour round trip for me everyday! I cant say I enjoy it, but it worth it to live where we do. Our first baby is due in March and although we can afford to buy a 4 b/r appt in the city there is no way I would want to, I want to bring our baby up near the mountains and have room to run around!

[babynomad]

It could be two hrs each way...... depends on traffic

[Berrie]

That's a really long way, how does your DH feel about it?

[babynomad]

I also need to take into account that my oldest son is a huge tantrum/ screaming at the top of his lungs type of kid. The neighbours in our tiny rental hate us!!! Its awful telling him to be quiet all the time. I get out for a couple of hrs a day to help him run it off but its not the same as a garden.

[babynomad]

That's a really long way, how does your DH feel about it?

not happy , but not happy about tiny apartment in city either. Its a hard choice, this would be our first home and we would want to live in it for at least 5 years, we don't want to make a mistake.

Thanks !

[NancyBlackett]

Two hours in traffic from the mountains to the city each day would be very stressful. However, if he can get a train it might make it easier for him. It's still a long time but he wouldn't have the added stress of being behind the wheel for it. He could read or catch up on emails or even sleep.

[danielle13]

We don't live in the blue mountains, but we did move from Maroubra to the Central Coast 2.5 years ago, and wouldn't even consider moving back.
DP is on the train 3 hours a day (he works in Chatswood), but even when we were living in Maroubra it took him an hour each way working in the city.
He does get a bit tired of the travel, but the difference in lifestyle is worth it.
We were paying $380 a week for a TINY 2 bedroom unit with shared yard. We now pay $300 for a large 2 bedroom house with huge yard that backs onto the Bouddi National Park, so it's like we have a 1000 acre tree filled yard.
The way rent has skyrocketed in Sydney we'd likely be paying around $550 now for the place we did live in, so that's a pretty good indication of the difference in rent. The lifestyle is so much better. Slower pace, no traffic, friendlier people.

My suggestion would be to rent in the mountains first, to get a taste of the commuting life. That way if you aren't completely sold on it you're not locked in like you would be if you were to buy.

[felicita]

I used to commute from Blaxland (in the Blue Mountains) to the city. I have done it by train and by motorbike.

By train, some friends I've had from a little further up the mountains have wished they could stop at Blaxland, and are heartily sick of the trip by the time they get to Springwood/Faulconbridge. Most of that time we were commuting to St Leonards, so about 1.5 or 2 hours travel (plus walking/buses to and from the stations at each end of the trip). So any further is probably only for the dedicated commuter. Many/Most people sleep on the train. I got so good at catching up on sleep that I can now hardly manage to stay awake on a train. I never had any trouble waking up in time for my stop, except for that once when I was blotto.
I did Blaxland-St Leonards for 4 years of uni, and Blaxland-Central for a few months when I was working. Then I moved to the city.

By motorbike, the last 10 kms on Parramatta Rd (from the end of the M4 in to the city) usually takes 30 minutes. That is with using the bus lanes that start around the Stanmore/Leichhardt area (buses, taxis, hire cars, motorbikes and bicycles are allowed to use bus lanes.) The entire 60 km commute usually took about 1.5 hours.
After moving back to the mountains (I love it here), I did Blaxland-Camperdown for a few months while I was working, and then for another 2 or so years when I went back to uni.

By car it would take a little longer. Coming from Leura you should add an extra 40-60 minutes. Now there's also roadworks on the highway at Hazelbrook, Lawson and Wentworth Falls which you would need to drive through. My observation of the completed Leura roadworks is that they took at least 10 years (1995-2004) so it's anyone's guess how long the current sets of roadworks will take.

If it rains at all anywhere on your route then there'll be a car accident which will increase your travel time by at least 15 minutes. If there's a major accident then double the commute time.

I stopped doing that commute in 2007 and don't plan to ever have to do it regularly again. The traffic might be worse now, I don't know.

p.s. even with increasing petrol prices, I found motorbike to be so much cheaper than public transport.

[Shoopuf]

We don't commute, but I just had a suggestion for you ...

Have you thought about moving somewhere else in Sydney? Like maybe around the Hills district, or Epping kind of area?

The blocks around there are quite big and I should imagine you would be able to get something that ticks all your boxes for under $500K. The commute from these areas would be a fair bit shorter than from Leura.

Good luck :)

[~Danni~]

My hubby does an hour each way and as a pp has said, any more would be too much for us. We are going to make a country change in the next few years and will go to an hour 15 tops for our life time dream forever home, but no more.

[Cue]

I live in the hills area and used to commute to the city before going on maternity leave. I used the bus and it was great. About an hour door to door. You could get a house with a yard, great parks and schools, great private hospital & other medical facilities if needed etc. for your budget. It's a great area for kids and not a long drive to the mountains.

[Cue]

We don't commute, but I just had a suggestion for you ...

Have you thought about moving somewhere else in Sydney? Like maybe around the Hills district, or Epping kind of area?

The blocks around there are quite big and I should imagine you would be able to get something that ticks all your boxes for under $500K. The commute from these areas would be a fair bit shorter than from Leura.

Good luck :)

You won't get much for 500k in the hills, closer to blacktown you might. 600k is a bit more realistic.

OP - If you're interested in the area, PM me as DH and I have spent a lot of time looking at property and own 2 places in the general area, plus I grew up in the hills :)

[Shoopuf]

You won't get much for 500k in the hills, closer to blacktown you might. 600k is a bit more realistic.

OP - If you're interested in the area, PM me as DH and I have spent a lot of time looking at property and own 2 places in the general area, plus I grew up in the hills :)

Really? Last Saturday my DH and I went to an open house in Kellyville and it was massive, modern and had a big backyard, patio and front yard for $490K. I suppose it was sort of like a townhouse (had one adjoining wall) but still??

[shelle65]

I leave home at 7.30am and am usually at work at around 9am, which includes dropping DD at daycare. DD and I drive 30-50 minutes (depending on traffic), park the car and then catch the tram into the city, take DD to daycare and then go to work. So all up it is about 1.5 hours each way, more if there is an accident on the freeway or some other traffic problem.

I don't mind it that much. Granted it is different because we are together and can chat, sing along to the radio etc. but even if I were by myself I would still enjoy the drive.

[Cue]

Really? Last Saturday my DH and I went to an open house in Kellyville and it was massive, modern and had a big backyard, patio and front yard for $490K. I suppose it was sort of like a townhouse (had one adjoining wall) but still??

Townhouses are a bit different, I was more thinking free-standing places in Baulkham Hills, Castle Hill, Winston Hills etc. because the OP wanted more space to let the kids be noisy and run around. I know the type of place you're talking about, I'd do some research before buying one of those. Personally I don't think they're worth it and from an investment point of view a bit limited. Depends what you're after though.

[babynomad]

thanks! would like veggie patch, kids to be loud, that kind of thing! Thanks for all advice!

[catemer]

Hii there. We live in the Camden council area, but are equidistant between campbelltown and Camden. It is great here. We actuall built a brand new house for under $500k, and with all the new land opening up around Gregory hills and Oran park there is plenty of room to build. However the blocks average around 500-600sq. metres. If you would prefer a house that just needs you to move in the mt Annan and narellan areas are greT, decent sized blocks, around your price range. Plenty of pRks and the botanical gardens in close proximity. Ps the gardens have just removed their entry fees and there are plenty of open spaces, walking and bike tracks there.

In terms of the commute, there are regular bus services (first one is about 5am) that run express to the train station. Depending on where you need to get to, trains leave pretty regularly. I have previously commuted driving through the traffic to the city on a daily basis, but I would leave home at about 5.30am and get home about 7pm and be exhausted from the levels of concentration needed to commute in peak hour traffic. I the. Decided to brave public transport! It is a much ore relaxing trip and I was nowhere near as mentally exhausted as whe I drove the distance. Overall, door to door it worked out about the same travel time whether by car or train - and by train it is usually the same time every day. No need to allow extra time for traffic etc. It is about a 1-1.5hr commute to the city (I was going to town hall). If you want there is also plenty of parking at the train station so that can shave off a bit of time by driving and parking and riding the public transport way.

Where I live we have a lake at the end of our street, can walk to the super,market, have a football field on the other side of the lake (for those running times), and plenty of parks with play equipment within walking distance.

I know it's not quite as far out as you had indicated (about. Half hour closer to the city than picton), but I think it would suit what you mentioned you wanted?

[catemer]

Also we have a veggie patch, noisy dogs. There are plenty of young families in the area so heaps of kids, some noises than others, but mainly plenty of room to run about and just be a kid.

[TinyLittleTootsies]

If your DH has to drive those 4 hours a day I think it isn't worth it at all.

I can imagine that concentrating in peak hour traffic for long long, he will be exhausted and it will slowly eat away at him until he is just using every weekend to recover and relax with no quality time.

If it is in the train it might be better, because he can sleep/do work/read a book etc and it might be kind of relaxing and a good way to wind down after work.

You also need to factor in the cost of a car/ petrol. Traffic driving is considered the most tolling on a car and so services would need to be done often with probably things to fix, tyres changed more etc. Petrol would also be a LOT. The cost of a car to commute like that over time could be the extra cost of a mortgage living closer anyway.

[GongBaby]

Probably a bit late - not sure if you have made your decision or not - but I commute 90 minutes each way into the city each day from Wollongong. It can be hard, especially when I know others that catch a bus for 10 minutes, but it is definitely worth it IMO. Nothing in Wollongong reminds me of work on the weekends, and I feel like I leave it behind in the afternoons. I am lucky to have flex hours, so I start at 7-730, and leave at 4ish, so I am home by 6 at the latest.. Doesnt make the day seem too long.
Considering the cost in living difference, I def think its worth the sacrifice...

[funnymama]

Hi,
We have just gone through something similar but the other way around. My dh has been offered a new job which would see him sitting in traffic for 2.5 hours per day but we would be 70k better off each year. TBH after factoring in stress, me having to juggle more, him having to drive (public transport won't cut it) we decided the money isn't worth it. Are there any other suburbs closer that would work for you?

[doglover]

My husband does an hour on the train each way plus a 15 min drive to/from the station. I wouldn't want him doing anymore. It already means a 5pm finish is pretty much a 630pm home time.

The mountains train line also gets a lot of cancellations etc which is something else to keep in mind.

[happygirl1982]

My partner drives every where for his job and I can tell the difference when's he's commuting further . It's not worth the stress and the wear and tear on the car. Why oh why can't we have it all!

[Travdan]

Would it be possible for him to work from home 1 day a week? I commute about an hour each way (train/drive), and it is draining at times. Would you expect him to contribute as much to housework etc?

[TripleTime]

Our limit is an hour each way, doesn't matter who that's traveled just an hour tops.

We're on Melbourne's west & DH works in Port Melbourne.

[paddlegirl]

Its hard isnt it? Seems we have to compromise or make a tough call. I know a couple who live in Kellyville so they could have more room, without the huge mortgage, and others who are nearer the city but running out of space, or mortgage stressed.

Just an idea, but how about somewhere like Holsworthy/ Wattle Grove? or surrounds? A friend lives there and she paid about $400K for a sizeable 3 or 4br house with garden a couple of years ago and I dont think its gone up much. Ok, it might not be the hippie lifestyle of the Mountains, or the cafes of the Eastern Suburbs, but it might fit the bill of house and garden and not huge mortgage. From the station its about a 40min train ride to the city.

Ourselves - I am the one who commutes a long distance. We live near Kingsgrove station - DH works in the city, I work 2 days in the Inner West, 3 days in Campbelltown. I have to say, even though I am going against traffic, when there is an accident on the M5, my 40-45 min commute can turn into an hour or more. Stop-start in the car. It drives me nuts and I get home frazzled and stressed (and swearing that next week I'll take the train). I would love to work closer to home, but there are a lot of good things about this job and I'm hanging in there. Probably will change when we have kids.

[rainbow road]

My friend commutes from Camden every day. She loves the time on the train to wind down/check her emails and facebook/do some work etc.

DP is currently studying 2hrs 15 min drive from Sydney. I know it's not the same, but I have driven there and back in one day and it is so exhausting. When I do it (will be doing it again on Sunday, uggh) I come home and literally fall into bed, can't even eat food I'm too tired.

If he's going to be driving 1.5-2 hours a day then I don't think it's worth it.

I grew up around Epping/Ryde and it is lovely there and great for kids, but I think it's gone up a fair bit in rent nowadays.

[mim1]

I live in Melbourne and got a 12 month job on the opposite side of town. It meant 3 - 3.5 hours a day in the car as well as full time work. It was horrible. I survived, but I knew it was only for 12 months, if it had been permanent we would have moved closer. We did consider moving closer, but we had all our family/support network near our home and moving away from that would have created more problems.

I was constantly tired & grumpy despite my best efforts. I left often before my ds was awake and got home 1/2 hour before he should have been in bed, leaving very little time with him. On another practical level he was in childcare 2 days a week and although it was open 7am til 6pm I couldn't go drop off's or pick ups easily. I had to leave home before 7am, so drop off's weren't possible (and he was rarely awake by 7am anyway!) and getting there by 6pm was hard cause I had to leave work early and hope that there were no unexpected traffic issues on the way home.

You presented two options - a small apartment with no garden/etc within walking distance of your dh's work, or a big house with a garden 2 hours from his work ... surely there are options in between. I've managed a 1 hour each way commute without too much of an issue, but I really recommend limiting it to that.

[duncan_bayne]

We live out near Belgrave - I commute to Footscray for work, & my wife commuted to Moorabbin before the outfit she flew for closed down.

For me, the commute is 45 minutes each way by bike, which is tolerable. If I take our Discovery it's an hour, and it's a truly crazy 90 minutes each way by train.

I think everyone's different in terms of commuting, but my tolerance tops out at an hour. Being stuck on the train while my bike is in the shop is driving me crazy.

[trishalishous]

When we look in Melbourne, we decided that anymore than 30 minute commute wasnt worth it for us. For starters it was $40 in wages (1 hour total commute) plus petrol (luckily had free parking)so an extra $200+ a week.
So we sharehoused and lived 15 minutes away from work (which also meant that we would get overtime, since they knew we were around the corner and could be there quick)
We are currently looking at a flat in the city, for when we visit (a few weeks a year) to save on hotels and will go as close as we can afford.