While there are lots of positive changes to living so close to work, I’d just like to add some of the negative ones I’ve found since I moved:
1. A 3 hour commute would leave me exhausted when I got home. I would wake up at 7:30, get into the office at 10:00, leave at 19:00 and be home around 20:30. I’d eat dinner and then settle down for to bed. Since moving I now have so much time in the evenings for practising guitar, video games, reading and social events, but I’m no longer tired in the evenings which is preventing me from sleeping.
2. Living in London is stressful. I’m on a quiet street, but it’s a lot of people, a lot of light pollution and a lot of noise pollution. I’m used to pitch darkness and dead quietness. The air is also no where near as fresh.
3. I find that living so close to work makes it harder to unwind. Upon getting home I’m still in work mode. The commute was a nice chance to forget about work and calm the mind.
4. I used to walk almost 25 miles a week, it’s less than 10 now. Sure I can go running more often, but it requires more effort to enforce the habit.
5. I spend so much more cash living in London on rent, food, social life and dating, which leaves almost none for savings and motorsport/track events/cars.