Looking for local info for relocation.

[speedplay]

I've just been offered a permanent job:)

I had a call out of the blue asking if I would be interested in going for an informal chat with one of the nations biggest privately owned building contractors.
I had nothing to lose as I've been on holiday pretty much since I lost dad in July anyway as my head wasnt into bigger projects for a while.

Well, long story short...

I've been offered a great job with a great package to go with it (car, health care, pension, fuel etc etc) but there is a catch.

As the Senior Project Manager for the south of the UK, I will most likelt need to relocate.

I have designated office space in Borough Green (Seven Oaks direction), Southampton and Bristol.


There are major projects in these areas that I will be covering so really should be looking to dump myself in one of these locations or somewhere in the middle.

Ideally, I'd need a 2 bed house minimum and a garage for no more than 900-1000 quid a month OR cheap accomodation for 3 days a week as I've been given a premier inn card and a credit card to stay away with.


As I know nothing of the 3 office locations given to me, I'm turning to the Mighty .Org for some local insights.

[benji106]

Lived in Southampton when I first left home for my first 'proper' job. didnt really get on with it. cant quite put my finger on why, the nightlife is ok but didnt really like the layout of the pub/club locations. lived there for less than a year before I was made redundant so maybe didnt get a chance to gel with the place and I never had a social network there which could have a lot top do with it, but prefer Reading where I live now. Bristol I have visited a few times and I like it there, have some friends who live in Bristol and they like it too.

[DaveyF]

Borough Green is about 15 minutes from where I live. All in all it's a pretty nice area and some of the surrounding villages are great too. I would say that for your budget you could easily find a two or three bed house within 5 miles of the office. Sevenoaks is a nice little town if a bit on the more expensive side for rentals. West Malling is also very nice with a few decent restaurants, nice high street etc. In fact pubs and eateries are in plentiful supply around the area. Bluewater shopping centre is only 15 mins or so away if you can bear it!!

Decent transport links from there. The M20 is close by and Southhampton is probably just under a couple of hours on a decent run. It used to take me just over 2 hours to get to Bournemouth when I was at uni there.

I'd say the main point though is that the area is very much made up of villages/small towns so if that isn't really your ideal lifestyle then that would obviously be a downside. I'm a big fan of the area though.

You'd probably want to know where you would spend most time though I guess as there's no point in living in Kent if more of your time would be spent in Southampton and Bristol.

[speedplay]

well I have 3 offices to use.

I think the bulk of the projects are in Bristol but as I cover the whole bottom end of the country, I could be anywhere.

Thanks for the feedback guys, its helpful so far.

[davepreston]

stay away from the squadie towns
portsmouth, marchwood, tidworth, pylmouth etc
how high up can you go to make sence iykwim

[Bluefish]

1k a month, you could probably find something more or less any where for that ammount.

[speedplay]

1k a month, you could probably find something more or less any where for that ammount.

Thats top end price as Ill most likely be coming back to Northampton at weekends for the first six months anyway.
Six months should be long enough for me to get the feel of a company and decide if I'm going to relocate or not.
What I dont get from looking at web sites full of flats etc is the local knowledge ie Sh!thole or not.

[mattSV]

Like most places, Southampton has good and bad spots! Avoid Weston, Woolston, Sholing, Totton, Lordshill - some areas of Bitterne can be quite nice, a bit further out - Hedge End & West End are not bad, good links to M27, rail & airport.

[Fizzy Fish]

Congrats on the job front!

If you don't have a main, more regular base out of those three places, personally I'd go for somewhere in the middle - probably A3/M3 a bit further out than the M25, or M4 corridor (e.g. Reading/Newbury area). Or possibly a bit further down towards Southampton.

Sevenoaks would take a good while to get to either of the other places (esp during rush hour), and you'll be paying London commuter belt prices when you aren't travelling into London.

You'll get more for your money that bit further out from London.

[Drew Carey]

Looking at maps etc, if you are going to spend time in all 3 places, maybe look around Reading, Basingstoke, Newbury etc? Don't know much about them but quite central to the areas you would be going to.

[gruntygiggles]

You could base yourself centrally as others have said and that would allow you to be almost equal distance from all three offices, but if you are thinking of possibly relocating, it's usually better to pick a base and work from there, travelling when you need to and working remotely the rest of the time.

The only one of those bases I can comment on is Bristol and yes, it's a fab place to live in terms of things to do and it's also a great base for travel. You're next to the M4 and M5, so can easily get most places. In terms of accommodation, so long as you are a 15 minute drive out of the city, you'll be somewhere decent and affordable. I used to live in the Longwell Green/Barrs Court area and there you can get a 2 up 2 down semi or terrace with parking (no garage) for £500-600pm. The last house i had there was a good sized 3 bed semi with garage and parking and that was £725pm.

Remember that if you rent, you have all of the additional bills, so maybe it would be better to use the Premier In card you've been given for the first 6 months and then make a decision about whether you want to relocate. That way, you'll have spent time in all the areas and have a better idea of where you want to be.

[keithd]

I've lived 7 miles from Southampton for 42 years, the city has changed a lot from when i was a lad.

ask away... what you need to know?

[Ed]

No idea about any of those places but congratulations on your new job:D

[benji106]

If you do think about somewhere central like Reading then to give you an idea of rental prices, we pay £950 p/m for a good sized 3 (double) bedroom house with a drive, garage and medium sized back garden in a nice area 5 mins away from J11 of the M4, nothing but fields far as you can see out the back, 15 mins from town and 2 pubs right on the doorstep.

I found it a struggle to get off road parking in the centre of Reading, and anyway you would not want to live in the town centre if you are commuting because its an absolute nightmare to get in/out of at rush hour. M4 Westbound is not too bad around Reading most mornings for heading towards Bristol, Eastbound can be a nightmare and the M3 for Southampton is always a gamble.

Public Transport in Reading is good, you can get to London Paddington in under half an hour on the train, some areas are not so great, but there are some nice bits around the outside on the edge of the countryside but still 15 mins away from town centre.

[phil24_7]

stay away from the squadie towns
portsmouth, marchwood, tidworth, pylmouth etc
how high up can you go to make sence iykwim

Nowt wrong with Plymouth.:evil:

[Wideboy]

there's massive projects in southampton?! where?? its fecking dead round here trade wise :lol:

you'd get a house with garage for that money down here and in a reasonable area, my brother has

[Wideboy]

Like most places, Southampton has good and bad spots! Avoid Weston, Woolston, Sholing, Totton, Lordshill - some areas of Bitterne can be quite nice, a bit further out - Hedge End & West End are not bad, good links to M27, rail & airport.

townhill, thornhill, shirley, shirley warren, millbrooke, maybush, eastpoint, harefield, northan, bitterne manor, st denys, bevois valley

parts of totton are nice but there further out towards the forest... basically outskirt = nice.... inner-city = ****hole

p.s. west end is better than hedge end

[mattSV]

townhill, thornhill, shirley, shirley warren, millbrooke, maybush, eastpoint, harefield, northan, bitterne manor, st denys, bevois valley

parts of totton are nice but there further out towards the forest... basically outskirt = nice.... inner-city = ****hole

p.s. west end is better than hedge end

...if you like pikeys.

[tigersaw]

p.s. west end is better than hedge end

Not if you like chips its not

[Wideboy]

...if you like pikeys.
but this pikey village has got neto's, in excess, co-op and the rosebowl.. even neil diamond and oasis have been to west end, dont see that in hedge end *spits on floor*

;)
Not if you like chips its not
mike's taken it back over now so hopefully they'll be back to awesome again, i know im pleased :D

[speedplay]

there's massive projects in southampton?!


6 Million is being plowed into the decent homes scheme...

So unless your a dole bludging social scumbag, the only bit of that you will see, is if you are working on the houses!


Thanks for all the help and congratulations.

The best location for all the offices would have been right smack in the middle in Reading but it looks like most of the work will be in the Bristol area (about 2000 units) so most of my time will be spent around that area.

Looks like I could be moving back to the southwest then guys but will see how it all pans out.




Rob

[phil24_7]

There goes the neighbourhood!

[speedplay]

There goes the neighbourhood!


Well, I'm from Barnstaple and have worked pretty much all over the south west. It will seem weird going back there though, looks like I may have to marry my sister after all...:rolleyes:

[phil24_7]

You can marry mine, his name's Andy! :D

[BaP]

I've lived in Southampton and currently live in Bristol

I prefer Bristol - more going on, better transport links and some nicer areas to live in.

You should easily be able to get a 2 bed place with a garage for 900-1000, I'd say 800 should suffice.

If you wanna know anything specific about either just give me a shout.

[gruntygiggles]

I've lived in Southampton and currently live in Bristol

I prefer Bristol - more going on, better transport links and some nicer areas to live in.

You should easily be able to get a 2 bed place with a garage for 900-1000, I'd say 800 should suffice.

If you wanna know anything specific about either just give me a shout.


£800 in most of Bristol will get you a decent 3 bed...unless you're looking in Clifton...lol

Mine and Dans old house is on the market again...

http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-to-rent/property-31769837.html

Those are the same pics as when I moved in there 4 years ago...lol. Th neighbours are some of our best friends and they've had a few people come and go the last 2 years, but it's a lovely area, great facilities, close to town, but also on the edge of the countryside, some fab biking roads and you're 30 minutes from the amazing roads in Wales :-)

[_Stretchie_]

Come to Bristol, we'll find you one of them 'nice' gurlz we were talking about the other week

; )

[speedplay]

Come to Bristol, we'll find you one of them 'nice' gurlz we were talking about the other week

; )


Done deal :)

[TazDaz]

Every time I've been out on the lash in Bristol, it's just been full of Welsh birds shouting "stick your charriots up your ****".

[speedplay]

Every time I've been out on the lash in Bristol, it's just been full of Welsh birds shouting "stick your charriots up your ****".


Sounding better...:D