Looking for local info for relocation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

Originally Posted by bluefishman

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.

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.