We need to talk about Commuting...

Image from Unsplash, by @josephbobadilla

One of the major considerations when planning a move to the country is the way in which your commute will impact upon your work/life balance. The train stations around the Surrey/Sussex/Hampshire borders offer an undeniably straightforward journey to London, but no one is ever going to tell you their journey to and from work is the best part of their day!

We’ve come up with our favourite tips for keeping your commute as pain-free and productive as possible.

·      Pick your spot. Get your name on the list for a station parking space as quickly as possible. However, with a waiting list of up to 9 years you’re going to have to work out a plan for what to do in the meantime. Find a safe, considerate and reliable space to leave your car and you won’t waste valuable time cruising around looking for a space every morning.

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash

·      Make a back up plan. Ensure you know what you’ll do in case of that inevitable delay. Whether it’s a different route to work or back, an alternative means of transport or a hypothetical plan of who can pick up the children from day care, have the plans in place. Keep a topped up booster charger in your bag so a dead phone won’t mean you can’t put plans into action.

·      All of a Twitter. Social media can be a huge help when it comes to hearing about traffic and transport problems. You can follow your train service’s account and search for tweets about your area or even specific line or road hashtags to get a heads up. You’d be surprised how many people take to Twitter to complain about jams and delays.

·      Whether you travel by train or by car, the journey can seem like dead time – a holding period before your day can properly begin or end. Like emptying the dishwasher while waiting for the kettle to boil, use this time to do something productive. This is a good time to get your planning done. Set your goals for the day, list the chores you need to do at the weekend, research your holiday arrangements or make personal emails or calls.

·      We never seem to find the time to read anymore, but a train journey is the perfect excuse to work your way through that pile on your bedside table. Download onto an e-reader or listen to audiobooks. Find a really great book and you’ll find yourself looking forward to the next instalment so much you won’t mind the journey home!

Photo by Lesly Juarez on Unsplash

Photo by Will Tarpey on Unsplash

·      Write the next Harry Potter… J.K. Rowling famously thought up her boy wizard during a train journey and Fiona Mozley, wrote her Booker prize nominated novel ‘Elmet’ on her smartphone while travelling to and from work. So, come on, get that bestseller underway!

·      Clear your mind. Meditation and mindfulness are enormously effective ways of remedying the stress of the commute and working life. We love the Headspace app, which is easy to engage with even on a busy train carriage. It’s a subscription service which enables you to meditate and find your peace even while the transport network crumbles around you.

Do let us know in the comments below how you go about making your commute bearable.

Why buy a weekend home in the country?

Image courtesy of Unsplash / Sam Knight

Life is all about balance.

There may be all sorts of reasons why you might not feel ready to make a full-time move into the country – perhaps you don’t want to move your children out of school, you may not want to increase your commute time or leave friends behind. You might feel that you don’t want to give up the convenience of the city, the cultural opportunities or the ‘buzz’.

And yet the countryside has an allure that is hard to ignore. A dose of peace and tranquillity in the country is the perfect remedy to the pressure-cooker feeling of a week in the big smoke. From cleaner air to fantastic pubs and the ubiquitous village fête, there’s a lot to be gained through spending your weekends out in the country.

A wonderful way to get the best of both worlds is to embrace the 5:2 lifestyle – spend your week up in London and escape at the weekends to your home in the country. It’s a great way to ease yourself into country life and there is a real benefit to spending your weekends consistently in one place – with a little effort on your part you’ll find that you soon begin to lay down roots and accumulate a social life.

Dividing your time in this way makes a lot of sense. You’re able to focus on work and your life in town during the week with the minimum of travel then on Friday night you can head off and leave the stresses of the week behind. You’re also able to look further afield than you might, were you to settle for an in-between commuter belt solution. We’d say that the Surrey/Sussex/Hampshire borders were the perfect spot in this regard – far enough away to feel that you’re out of the city, but close enough that you’re still getting the most out of your weekend.

Photo by Ashleigh Joy Photography on Unsplash

Photo by Ben Lowe on Unsplash

Many people feel slightly nervous at the prospect of being seen as ‘weekenders’ by their new neighbours. In our experience a little social involvement goes a long way! If you’re so inclined, a visit to church is always a quick and friendly way into the community and then there’s always that other centre of village life – the pub. Get to know your new neighbours, make sure you’re signed up to the local village magazine and keep an eye on any local noticeboard. For example, in a village close to us, there’s an annual cider pressing where everyone brings the apples from their gardens and presses it on the green. The resulting juice is taken away and the resulting cider is divided among the villagers. Events like these are wonderful opportunities to get stuck in and make some friends.

A major draw to many who arrange their weeks in this way are the leisure opportunities that the countryside can afford. Leave behind the art galleries and theatre and jump on your bike! Cycling in the countryside is a very different proposition to biking in town. Forget belching exhausts, feckless taxi drivers and constant traffic lights and embrace the freedom of the country lanes. The South Downs National Park is an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and for the price of a few steep hills can offer some truly spectacular views. There’s horse riding, hunting, shooting, even polo lessons, not to mention the countless miles of walks and fabulous lists of must-visit pubs.

If this all sounds like something that might just work for you, then the first step is to get in contact and find out what we can do for you! Do have a read of our other blogs to get a feel of what is out there and how you might make it all work.

We look forward to speaking to you!

Potted Haslemere

Reputedly the home to more first-class season ticket holders than anywhere in the country (and with a station parking waiting list to rival that of the Hurlingham Club) it won’t surprise you to learn that Haslemere is a mecca for commuters. Nevertheless there’s a lot more going for Haslemere than the fact you’ll be back home within the hour.

Image Courtesy of Ben Gamble, and shared under a Creative Commons License

Outstanding Natural Beauty

Tucked in the corner of Surrey on the borders of West Sussex and Hampshire, surrounded by the Surrey Hills and South Downs, this is proper countryside. It’s easy to forget that you’re less than an hour from London.

The incomparable Black Down is the highest point in the South Downs National Park and was a favourite haunt of one of Haslemere’s most famous former residents – Alfred Lord Tennyson. ‘You came, and looked and loved the view, long-known and loved by me, Green Sussex fading into blue, With one grey glimpse of sea.’

Photo by Alison Day via Flickr, used under Creative Commons License without amendment

Architectural Gems

The houses are predominantly Surrey style, tile hung gabled affairs, but head into the hills and surrounding villages for Georgian, Victorian, Tudor and even achingly cool modern piles. While fears about the property market abound in other areas of the country, the market in Haslemere and surrounds is understandably competitive; but rest assured we can help match you up with your dream home!

Keeping busy

While London can be reached in 52 minutes, you can also be paddling in the clear waters at West Wittering within the hour. It’s a mere half hour to Goodwood with its racing of both the equestrian and motored varieties and slightly less to the Cowdray Estate for your polo and golf fixes.

Surrounded as Haslemere is by beautiful countryside, walking and riding opportunities abound as well as a bounty of fantastic pubs. Try The Lickfold Inn for fine dining or the Noah’s Ark in Lurgashall for a glimpse of village life so perfect it could have been created by Disney.

Image thanks to the Noah's Ark

Well Stocked

As well as a Waitrose in the town centre there is a COOK in Wey Hill. This is no identikit high street – there is the ubiquitous Costa and Boots, of course, but also a wealth of independents. There are some fabulous clothes boutiques in Have to Have It, Noggs, Woodie & Morris, Hengelo and Anya. Caracoli on the main drag is a popular spot for a flat white and catch up with friends while Hemingways serves a mean carrot cake.

For local produce straight from the source, the Farmer’s Market runs on the first Sunday of each month.

Schools

You’re spoilt for choice on the school front in Haslemere. In the state sector try Grayswood Primary, Camelsdale, St Bartholomew’s and Woolmer Hill. Independent preps at Highfield and Brookham, Amesbury and St Ives are popular choices. 

The Royal School takes both boys and girls from 6 weeks up to 18 while the Guildford big hitters, such as the Royal Grammar School and Guildford High are a 20 minute train journey away.

As you can probably tell, we’re passionate about this part of the world and would love to talk to you more about finding the perfect spot for you and your family.