Working from home.. Where?

[K50 DEL]

Sadly I picked just about the only part of the "technology sector" where working from home is almost impossible.

Whilst the "IT Management" side of my role (policies, procedures, regulatory stuff etc) can be done from home, the actual support function can't
This means I'm tied to an office for 95% of my days.

I really should have studied a programming language, then I'd be sat in Portugal somewhere!!

[carreauchompeur]

Aw man, the thought of basing myself elsewhere is such a compelling one. Sadly my current job really cant be done from anywhere else and it's not specialised enough to make it possible to strike out on my own as, say, a security consultant.

One day Rodney...

I'm a qualified EFL teacher but it's hard to make a good living in most places avoiding teaching kids

[Cneci]

I work for a Consultancy at home (for the most part).

Live in Wales, did live in London but returned after a project finished.

Taking my patriotic hat off for a second, if I could live anywhere and work remotely it would probably be the south of France. This is a romantic view on my part though, based on holiday experiences.

[Vaud]

Cneci said:

Taking my patriotic hat off for a second, if I could live anywhere and work remotely it would probably be the south of France. This is a romantic view on my part though, based on holiday experiences.

The good thing about rubbish weather in the UK is minimal distractions and it never gets too hot.

I would love the South of France.

BUT... I know my productivity would decline, especially in the warmer months when the temptation for lunch in town, or a slow dinner in the evening would be deadly...

[zippy3x]

K50 DEL said:

Sadly I picked just about the only part of the "technology sector" where working from home is almost impossible.

Whilst the "IT Management" side of my role (policies, procedures, regulatory stuff etc) can be done from home, the actual support function can't
This means I'm tied to an office for 95% of my days.

I really should have studied a programming language, then I'd be sat in Portugal somewhere!!

Don't know where everyone gets the idea that programmers work from home.
In 20 years of coding - 9 permie and 11 contract, ive had precisely 2 jobs WFH.

The first was a contract and a disaster - the guy clearly didn't trust developers WFH and we had twice daily meetings to discuss progress. Stuck that out for about 3 weeks.

The second is my current contract. be at it for about 7 months now and loving it. Left to get on and report progress once a fortnight.

However chances are i'll be back in an office for my next role.

I don't know any devs WFH fulltime. I know a couple who can average maybe 50% WFH, but that's not going to be long term enough to move somewhere isolated.

[768]

I'm a dev, only worked from home for about 5 years now, apart from one 6 month period. I've not moved round as much as most contractors, perhaps.

I should think if you moved somewhere cheaper and sunnier to enjoy life a bit more and had the mortgage paid off then 50% might be ideal. My biggest issue is moving kids from a UK school.

[zippy3x]

768 said:

I'm a dev, only worked from home for about 5 years now, apart from one 6 month period. I've not moved round as much as most contractors, perhaps.

I should think if you moved somewhere cheaper and sunnier to enjoy life a bit more and had the mortgage paid off then 50% might be ideal. My biggest issue is moving kids from a UK school.

What sector, tech, skills are you in/using (if you don't mind me asking)

[768]

Sure, defence/gov ish, sell myself as a Java guy but end up doing all sorts.

[Big Rod]

I'm in IT/comm's and for the past 5 years have worked from home.

The last 3 years of that I've been working with a predominantly US based client which can also make my hours a little 'unusual'.

With one exception, (only because I knew him before), I've not met anyone I work with in person for 3 years.

That's a bit odd, even though I'm used to it.

I do miss the element of human interaction from time to time.

[SystemParanoia]

Big Rod said:

I've not met anyone I work with in person for 3 years.

[tankplanker]

I've had my home designated as my office for over 20 years across three different employers, although I do have to spend a week or two at a time at a customer site every couple of months at worst, at best its a monthly meeting for a half or full day. I only go into my actual office for end of quarter parties...

Obviously I'm in IT, so I've always made it part of my negotiation when looking for a new job, and avoided anywhere that won't honour it. Frankly I couldn't work for somebody who wanted to judge productivity by presenteeism rather than actual output, it smacks of them being unable to measure the actual quality and volume of your work and is a good indicator of their management style.

I've thought long and hard about having a second home somewhere warm to decamp the family for the school holidays but I know I'd struggle to make it work for all of us all of the time. I'm hopeful once the kids go to Uni in a couple of years we can make it work.

[Welshbeef]

I've worked a few month ends while out in our pad in Bansko. So manage a 2-3 week stint out there lots of sun golf and when it's winter can ski on the weekends.

Internet indifferent to home speed - I always work month at home anyway.

Working at home in the U.K. Literally at home the drawback I find is you soon get cabin fever.

[Big Rod]

Welshbeef said:

Working at home in the U.K. Literally at home the drawback I find is you soon get cabin fever.

That's why I started cycling and lost four stone in the process.

[Amateurish]

If you've school age kids then factor in a good international school. Sticking children into a local school where they don't know the language is the quickest way to an unhappy family and marital discord.

[Welshbeef]

Amateurish said:

If you've school age kids then factor in a good international school. Sticking children into a local school where they don't know the language is the quickest way to an unhappy family and marital discord.

Or more likely Wife says no thanks.

Other things to consider are
1. Family a long way away
2. Friends a long way away
3. Local support network gone/a long way away
4. It isn't always grass is greener
5. Kids taken away from their friends / a long way away
6. BBQs/friends birthday parties or family birthday parties you'd frankly not go.

As lovely as it sounds you become islolated and distant in more than one way from them.
We have friends who "only" moved 100 odd miles away - before we'd see them easily weekly for golf pool BBQ dinner parties kids play dates meals out beers out etc. Looking back in the last 12 months for one reason or another we haven't seen them once (though we both have been to the same areas but simply pre engaged and away at those times). Constant texts calls emails etc but you lose the contact. (This is decades old friends).

Longer distance means a real big commitment to visit and overseas means £ and likely using up annual leave.

Sure you can make new friends but you generally have very few good lifelong friends and you never know when you might need their help OR they reach out to you to help them.

Going overseas to live is a huge call.

[BobSaunders]

Announced for us today that by 2020 the entire business will be working from home two days a week. It means that they can seek to reduce property and building needs - smaller buildings only needed for people needing to be there.

[spikedjack]

Been Homebased for about 2 years and I too go in to the office maximum once a quarter. These days with Skype I probably speak to people more than I would in the office.

Only thing you miss is the incidental banter; you have to call someone for a purpose, not just for pleasantries as you would bumping into someone in the office kitchen etc.

Works well for me, saved me relocating.

I'm about an 1.5h from man airport and 30mins from bhx so for any international travel it's fine.

In project management in the pharmaceutical industry.

[feef]

I'd be looking for a chalet in the 74430 postal code area of the Haute Savoie in the France Alps. Decent skiing on the doorstep, and less than an hour to Geneva. Chalets in Le Biot and La Baume seem particularly good value with the prices rising the closer you get to Motriond and Morzine.

Right now, I'm in Cambs, so less than an hour to Kings X on the fast train and it does well for home working

[Amateurish]

feef said:

I'd be looking for a chalet in the 74430 postal code area of the Haute Savoie in the France Alps. Decent skiing on the doorstep, and less than an hour to Geneva. Chalets in Le Biot and La Baume seem particularly good value with the prices rising the closer you get to Motriond and Morzine.

That's where we have our chalet - lovely spot. La Baume suffers from being on the wrong side of the valley and having inconvenient access.

[Vaud]

feef said:

I'd be looking for a chalet in the 74430 postal code area of the Haute Savoie in the France Alps. Decent skiing on the doorstep, and less than an hour to Geneva. Chalets in Le Biot and La Baume seem particularly good value with the prices rising the closer you get to Motriond and Morzine.

That would be a very good spot.