Owning a home has long been a big part of the American dream. In Silicon Valley, if you own a home close to your place of work you are taking it to another level. Let’s reinforce some of our favorite reasons we love to cut down on the commute. It can mean a better quality of life if you live close to work.
Cut Down on the Commute = Live Close to Work
If you live and work in Silicon Valley, homes can be a bit more pricey. But if you live close to work in the Bay Area, imagine cutting an hour each way off your commute. Improving your quality of life might not sound like a good enough reason, but commuting can take years off your life.
Trust us – those hours you are commuting add up.
In one year, you’ll cut out almost 22 days* off time spent in the car or riding public transportation. Over a 10 year period, that’s 220 days you won’t be stuck in traffic! And we aren’t including days that 280 is backed up because of a wreck or for the 101, which always seems to be under construction. That sounds pretty amazing right?
Keep reading and we’ll convince you even further that if you own a home close to your place of work, you’ll have a better quality of life.
Have a Personal Life During the Week
- You can work-out with that extra hour in the mornings.
- Even better, you can sleep in!
- If you get home an hour earlier each night, there will be more time for family dinners. Even better, date night happens more often at your favorite neighborhood spots.
LEFT: We love when my parents come to the weeknight Little League games with us! Living close to work makes all the true family time possible. RIGHT: Real quality of time is making sure my sons spend time with their 89-year-old Great Grandma Jackie.
The Menlo Park Schools Are Top Notch
Let’s take a closer look at Menlo Park. It’s known one of the most educated cities in the country. Did you know almost 70% of Menlo Park’s residents 25 years and older have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher?
There are four local public school districts for K-12 in Menlo Park. Please note: where you attend high school is determined by the neighborhood you live in. You can verify which high school you are assigned to by clicking here.
Menlo Park City School District: Recognition and Honors
Los Lomitas Elementary School District
Ravenswood City School District: Community Events
Sequoia Union High School District: Ed Green Ribbon Winner
Menlo Park also features popular tech companies, over a dozen parks, delicious restaurants, and one of a kind boutiques. Quite simply – the real estate in Menlo Park is a terrific investment because it features something for everyone.
Live Close to Work: Save Money on Gas and Food
1. It’s hard to say how much money you’ll save on gas living closer to home. But with gas prices hovering around $6 a gallon on the Peninsula – if you don’t have an electric car – you know the pain at the pump is real. And it’s not just gas money, you’ll save money on oil changes, maintenance, insurance and more.
2. If you buy a home close to the office, you can eat lunch in your own kitchen. You can walk the dog a few times a week while you are at it. Therefore you get a double bonus: you and the pup get to spend quality time together alone.
3. Because you got your workout in early with that extra hour, you feel healthier.
4. Instead of scarfing down a breakfast burrito from McDonald’s at 6 am on the road, you can make breakfast for your visiting in-laws (ok, so not everything is a plus).
5. Because you cut that hour off your nighttime commute, you cook at home more often instead of ordering Uber Eats because you are stuck in traffic … again. Think: family dinners, more social time if you are single, the kid’s soccer games, joining the neighborhood golf game on Thursdays – the sky’s the limit.
Spending time with friends (left) and family (right, bowling night) at the end of the workday is magical.
Love Where You Live Benefits
1. Your child is the lead in the school play – if you drive more than an hour to the office, you’ll miss it. Instead, you leave the office for a few minutes to watch them shine. You then head back to the office with a proud smile on your face for that 2 pm meeting.
2. Instead of going home for lunch, you can scoot by the school to get your volunteer hours in. This will save you a lot of money on those “I don’t have time to volunteer” dues you pay currently. Just imagine how happy your kids will be when you walk in the door to hang out with them during a school day.
3. With all that time you get back, you will want to socialize after work instead of going to bed early. You can go to happy hour in your neighborhood or hang out with your friends. Or just lay on the couch and binge watch your favorite Netflix shows. You make the call!
True qualify of life is attending school functions and volunteering at school because you own a home close to the office. We love living close to work!
Reach out to J+J Team Homes If you are Ready
Learn more about the communities we focus on in Silicon Valley and on the Peninsula by clicking here. If you are ready to live close to the office and improve your quality of life – reach out today. We can help: reach out to us by clicking here!
* 24 hours day
