Still Not Moving

Come November, I’ll have been in my current house for 4½ years. For me, that’s pretty scary – it’s already the longest I’ve stayed in one house since I left home.  (For long-term readers, I lived in Manchester for longer, but that was split between three houses)

I’m also now signed up for another year, so that’s even scarier.

As I’m sure I’ve said before, my current location (between Milton Keynes and Bedford) isn’t my dream place by any stretch. It’s suited my needs, but that’s been more by luck than judgement.

There’s been two key reasons for staying here (and a subsidiary third) which are pretty simple to explain.

The main reason is how easy it is to get away from here. I’m on the crux of two major roads – the M1 North-to-South, and the A421 for East-to-West. Plus I’ve got two easy rail routes for London and the like. It opens things up for social and fun stuff, but also work-wise, gives me a lot more variety/locations than I would’ve thought.  (Of course, the irony is that for two years of that, I’ve been working from home, or on my shortest commute in decades!)  An hour’s drive (which I still consider as an ‘easy’ commute) covers a massive distance – and a two-hour drive covers a huge dollop of the country.

Secondary to that is that I simply haven’t found anywhere that I more want to be.  There’s some places I’d move to, but there’s no real desire or urge to do so. (Also known as the “Yeah, it’s nice. But…” verdict)  Previously, there’s usually been a good reason (or at least a reason) to move, and at the moment there’s just not. So I don’t bother.

Connected to that is also the increase of credit-checking when it comes to new rental agreements. I don’t think it now would cause me any great problems, and my current landlord would provide a decent reference  – but equally, if I don’t have to test the theory, why bother?

So here I am, and signed up ’til November 2017. No real plans to move – and even more bizarrely, I’m actually OK with that.