Reply to: Working Away From Home, Hotels, B&B's or Renting better ?

[kal]

I book through hotels.com through the business, and then use the free nights for weekends away with the missus, or for long term try and get a bedsit in a posh area near to the client site

+1 Use the same site for this reason also, oh and booking via QuidCo gets me 10% cashback as well

[MicrosoftBob]

I book through hotels.com through the business, and then use the free nights for weekends away with the missus, or for long term try and get a bedsit in a posh area near to the client site

[kal]

Yep, fair enough.......I will ensure I read my posts in future before I submit them

I did of course mean "working away from home". Thanks for the replies, they have helped provide some useful info.

Working too hard

We know but never miss the opportunity to take the mick

[eek]

Working too hard

Do not do that, it sets a bad example

[AvsFan]

Indeed I find the best place to crash when working from home, is in fact home...

Yep, fair enough.......I will ensure I read my posts in future before I submit them

I did of course mean "working away from home". Thanks for the replies, they have helped provide some useful info.

Working too hard

[kingcook]

When I work from home I don't go to the expense of using B&Bs hotels or renting. My strategy is just to work from my own home, this is the cheapest option. As for finding rental properties, this is unnecessary as I just stay in my own home, feeling renting is somehow superfluous.

We did that joke in post #3

[kal]

When I work from home I don't go to the expense of using B&Bs hotels or renting. My strategy is just to work from my own home, this is the cheapest option. As for finding rental properties, this is unnecessary as I just stay in my own home, feeling renting is somehow superfluous.

Indeed I find the best place to crash when working from home, is in fact home...

[flipFlop]

Just wondering what are people's experiences/views with regards to contracts where the distance requires you to work from home.

When I work from home I don't go to the expense of using B&Bs hotels or renting. My strategy is just to work from my own home, this is the cheapest option. As for finding rental properties, this is unnecessary as I just stay in my own home, feeling renting is somehow superfluous.

[DcoC]

If you're near a Uni over the summer, check out their Halls of Residence.

When the students clear our, they might be renting the spare rooms.

Cheaper than 2* hotels, laundry service, not too many people.

[Batcher]

I tend to drive if I'm away all week. It's easier to throw all your stuff in the back of the car and go. I definitely prefer the train over flying, even with low fare flights you still end up paying for parking, idling and whilst you are in the grinder that passes for air travel you generally can't do any work. Also if you add up all the time waiting and going through security it's usually quicker on the train for UK domestic flights, plus the benefit that you can actually work (if you go 1st).

That is a good point about storing things at work or with the hotel/B&B I've done that quite a bit. Another trick is to put all your shirts and smellies in a local laundry on a Friday and collect on the Monday, saves transporting dirty clothes.

Oh yes and if you are working on the continent, take the UK car over. Leave it in the Airport Carpark at the weekend, cheaper than leaving it in the UK Airport car park, plus it makes a great storage locker.

I will drive if it's no more than 4 hours away from home but longer than that I fly. Train it sometimes too but flying is ok for me. I stay 15 minutes from the airport and get dropped off by my good lady so no parking charges.

My last contract I used to WFH on Mondays then fly down after tea. Booked in the hotel and out in the pub to meet the other contractors around 9pm. Security isn't too bad on a Monday evening and the free food and drink in the lounge was nice. Used to be quite well oiled by the time I got to the pub

[d000hg]

Tell them you didn't get a good night's sleep and claim your money back on their guarantee - stay for free

Premier Inn must hate insomniacs.

[TheFaQQer]

My favourite has been Premier Inn. It's the only way to be sure. Lovely and clean, great beds and usually a bar/restaurant on site. Mind you I stay only 2 or 3 nighs a week. All 4 could get expensive. Book ahead and get big reductions, eg £29 per night recently.

Tell them you didn't get a good night's sleep and claim your money back on their guarantee - stay for free

[unixman]

My favourite has been Premier Inn. It's the only way to be sure. Lovely and clean, great beds and usually a bar/restaurant on site. Mind you I stay only 2 or 3 nighs a week. All 4 could get expensive. Book ahead and get big reductions, eg £29 per night recently.

Travelodge can be okay but the quality varies wildly and the beds are usually too soft and worn out.. Life's too short.

With Premier Inn hiking their prices for summer, I am about to rent a room in a flat, and viewing the prospect with some trepidation. Any advice out there ? The elderly landlady seems lovely and the flat is good, but it's 20 years since I lives in "shared" accommodation. It's all a bit cheek-by-jowl.

Appreciate a quick answer as I have to confirm the room rental today...

[d000hg]

Nah bugger that. It'd be just my luck to end up living with some big fella who fancies me.. :-)

I don't think MF is on the site.

[Batcher]

My personal driver is that it needs to be within 10 minutes walking distance from the Gig. No point staying away from home and commuting as well. Other factors are value, I've stayed in Travelodges when cost of the local nice hotel is three times as much. Apart hotels can be surprisingly good value.

My other tip is to pay the extra for flexible booking with Premier Inn / Travelodge, you can change plans pretty much at will and not lose any money. Also you can book up months in advance and cancel if things change, so for instance if you client takes pity on you and lets you WFH on Fridays.

Also don't buy the Travelodge Breakfast, I wouldn't feed it to my dog. With the premier inn breakfast you can pay on the day, if you to skip Breakfast or have it somewhere else you aren't out of pocket. Also bugger all the insurances, not worth the paper they are written on.

The thing with renting a flat is the deposits, landlord hassle, usually no parking and general buggering about. When I'm away from home I want to work, not create a new social circle of friends. Other big issue is you can sign a 6 month lease and I guarantee within a month you will be moving on as the client may need to cut budgets or any number of things could happen that cut your contract short. Even a couple of days of WFH could completely change the financials and make a flat more expensive.

I agree with most of that as I fly when I can to gigs so don't have the car to go around in. I pick a hotel within walking distance and there is usually a good selection of pubs and restaurants around.

I normally try and get some storage at the office so I can leave stuff over the weekend. One place couldn't find me a spare locker so I asked the hotel to keep it in storage for me. No problem as I had booked for weeks in advance.

B&Bs are normally good at keeping a bag for you too.

I've used booking.com quite a lot and they're normally good prices.