Does Your Commute Matter When You Buy A Home?
The average commute time for Americans is 25.4 minutes, according to the Census Bureau.
No one likes sitting in rush hour traffic at the end of a long workday. This is why commute time is often a big criterion on a buyer’s list for searching for a home.
In this post, we’ll look at what to consider when considering your potential commute and buying a home.
Price Difference For Longer Commute
There are certain times where to may make sense to take on a slightly longer commute. Home prices can vary greatly by area. Sometimes driving just 10 more minutes can open up a completely new potential in your home search. In that case, sometimes it does make sense to do a slightly longer commute if you’re able to buy a better home for a better price.
Some areas can come with expensive price tags. When that area would be costing you an arm and a leg to live there or it is making it impossible to find a home that you want, opening up your search area can be worth it. Even if you’re having to make a slightly longer commute.
If you’re ultimately able to buy a bigger house or a house with more of what you’re looking for, a longer commute can make it worthwhile.
Job
Your willingness to commute may ultimately depend on your job. You may be a nurse and work weird hours, so you won’t be battling rush hour traffic every day. Or, you may be lucky and be able to work from home, so you only need to commute a couple days a week. Regardless, the flexibility with your current job may ultimately depend on how willing you are to commute.
There can be a very big difference being 15 minutes away and not dealing with rush hour traffic and being 15 minutes away and have to drive through prime rush hour traffic. When battling rush hour traffic, a 15-minute drive can become 30 minutes or more.
Depending on your job situation, this will likely be a big determining factor as to how far you may be willing to drive. When your commute ends up being long, that cuts into time that you have free during those important after work hours. That is time you want to spend with family, friends, or doing other things that you need to do.
Would It Be Worth It?
Commute is part of your daily life. For some people, they don’t mind to spend a few extra minutes in the car. But, for others, driving that extra 10 minutes every single day could be a huge deal breaker. When it comes down to it, it’s personal decision.
Are you willing to commute a bit longer for a better house? Or, does your commute matter more than the house?
The best way to answer this question is to do a bit of driving. Check and see how long it will take you to get home at different times of the day. That way, you know whether or not your commute will be a huge deal breaker or not.
Are you interested in buying a Knoxville home for sale? If so, please do not hesitate to let us know. Rick can be contacted at 865-696-9002 or via email at [email protected]. Kati can be contacted at 865-696-1888 or via email at [email protected]. Also, be sure to check out our Knoxville home search page to see what homes are for sale in the area.
