Commuting vs. Moving: Weighing the Pros and Cons for the Job

I live in Florida and for anyone that hasn’t visited the state, I’ll give you this bit of information: everything is based around transit.

Not your average transit you find in smaller towns – almost everything requires you to drive because it’s such a huge state, extremely hot (biking may be viable if you enjoy showing up soaked with sweat), and typically jobs are centered around major hubs whereas living areas are often on the outskirts.

When I began moving up in my work I had the same grievances many people face not just in my state:

• Cost of fuel and car maintenance
• Aggravation from the drive
• Wasted time because of commute

Because I was young I had no issue with doing the morning and afternoon commute, even though it would often take nearly an hour. After the first year and a major increase in fuel costs, it began to question whether it was easier to take a lower paying job closer (and save money and frustration) or continue with the higher paying position which was further away.

I settled onto two options:

• Move closer
• Negotiate flexible work hours (via work at home)

I wasn’t opposed to moving closer because it’s always quite exciting to find yourself in a new location; you’re close enough that you can explore and really get to know new people because you’re not only just visiting the place because of work. However, it was also very tempting to do the work from home opportunity because I had already teased the idea and experimented with going virtual on a few occasions prior.

As any smart person would do – I sat down, talked it out, and put together a pros and cons list.

Pros of Moving

• Less commute
• Hassle-free (if you invest)
• New exploration possibilities

The less time it takes to commute would probably go to the top of your list; being able to save even just 15-30 minutes of your time to sleep in or work on home projects/chores versus being on the road is enough. Couple that with how much easier it can be to hire a mover like Allied, have them pick up your stuff, and get settled into a new place. Then, top it all with being in a new area, so you feel refreshed. Hiring interstate movers can allow you to fly over to your new location, which is often cheaper than driving if you’re going far, and you can start working right away instead of wasting a few days on the road.

Cons of Moving

• Leaving family/friends
• Losing established comfort
• Uncertainty in the industry

You may not want to move because you have family or friends in the area; these are very important to consider because even the best job doesn’t make up for great time with your loved ones. The others, comfort in your surroundings and a possible instability in the industry, can be leading factors because if you’re out of the job, in a location you don’t know, then you’re going to build stress.

Pros of Remote

• Flexible hours
• Stability
• Additional free time

Of course on the other end is that working from home often allows you set hours (depending on position) as long as you get the job done. Knowing you have the job and having additional time means you can put more effort into the work than spending a great deal on the road.

Cons of Remote

• Difficulty (due to a lack of self-motivation)
• Distractions
• Lack of resources

The big drawback of working from home is that you often don’t have the ability to stay focused or tap into resources as you would in the office. People are at the office to work – there may be some distractions but not nearly on the same level as if you feel obligated to do chores, interact with the family, or properly manage your time because it all rides on you.

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Ultimately the wonderful outcome of entertaining the idea of both the topics of this post is that you not only get the opportunity to understand and encourage yourself to explore a familiar (yet unfamiliar) area to improve your career potential but also create the dialog which could allow you to fully transition to working from home. With the right negotiation skills, you could do as I did which was to move closer but also gain the benefit of working remote.

Over to you: What are the big factors you have on your mind when it comes to moving closer to work versus the opportunity to work from home?