Thread: Wiltshire / Hampshire

Right...let's hope this is in the right place and that I can explain myself coherently.

I am currently overseas and in the process of applying for jobs back in the UK (basically anywhere within driving distance of Portsmouth) so that we can get on with our lives without flights and such like!

OH currently lives in SNCO mess accommodation on his camp, and when I come back we would like to perhaps stop camping out in various places at weekends and actually be i the same place. So...seeing as I am very new to the whole accommodation thing questions are this

1. If we live together about between 10 and 40 miles from his camp for the most part weekends, holidays, sometimes during the week when not too tired to drive etc (i.e. his registered address would be with me) would he still be entitled to a room on camp for him to use Monday - Friday?? (that's serving unaccompanied??)

2. Anyone got any ideas of nice places to live between Portsmouth and Marlborough (I know nothing about the area!)

3. IF (and this is a big *if*) we decided to get married and wanted SFA would we be eligible for a house for kids. He has 3 kids from the last marriage and the court arrangement is that he has them with him every other weekend and every school holiday - at the moment as they can't come to his camp it's costing a fortune a) in travel to see the (about 2.5 hours by car away) and having somewhere to stay with them. He thinks he gets no financial assistance with this and I just thought I'd ask as someone on here may know!!

Think that's about it for now....!!
Thank you muchly in advance for any sage words !

A mate of Mr Tree's does something similar. He lives with his girlfriend but because he still requires a room in the block from time to time he s as far as the army are concerned living in the block. He can't be registered at a different address and keep a room in the block but there's no reason he can't do it the other way round.

To the best of my knowledge unless he has custody of the kids he wouldn't be entitled to a house that caters for them. I don't think there is any way around this although I hope for yours and his sake someone comes along and corrects me on that one.

As for areas I think that's going to depend a lot of your budget! I live in the New Forest and if I privately rented my quarter we probably wouldn't be able to afford to eat!

Thanks ST
As for rental - up to about £850 a month would be ok - and looking at either house or flat with minimum 2 bed (though also needs to be furnished as I'm not dragging all this stuff from overseas with me!). Am looking around Salisbury etc at the minute (but also *not* looking as don't want to jinx the interview!)

RM - there is a bloke who lives across the way from me and he lives in the MQs on his own. He has been divorced for years now and he has kept that house as they have children together. I will add his children are older, live with his wife in NI and I have never seem them in the year and a half that I have been here. Apparently, although he is now single, he is entitled to have a house for somewhere for his kids to stay *IF* they were to come to visit. He said he's been in that same house for 20 years now, I suppose if he were to get married then he would be able to just move his new wife in (letting the navy know first of course). So if he can have a house just for the fact he has kids, even though theyre never there, you should be able to state on the form you fill out for houses on the patch that you will have kids half of the time. Hope that all makes sense, struggling to wake up this morning! Not sure about the rest though, sorry! Xx

There are lots of places between marlborough and Portsmouth, have a look around.
As for the MQ question - he would have to state on the application for that he has his children half the time, as stated in court proceedings. This would mean he would be entitled to a house.
He wouldn't be entitled to a room in the mess/block if he rents a house/flat with you and its within driving distance of his workplace. So I would suggest he keeps that as his normal place of residence and just "visits" you every night!

Kayleigh - sounds complicated doesn't it! I mean MQ may be a while off for us yet (unless he gets a trip overseas to *that* place again then it will be different!) - but just trying to get my head around what he may or may not be entitled to!! Am looking at at least 2 beds though really needs to be 3 with the 3rd being a study for me and the little girl can stay there and the boys can share...
Difficulty in waking up this morning - hangover or the cold still there? X
Mrs M - I can see lots of places - I guess what I am asking are the nice places. I quite like the look of Salisbury and Easleigh in southampton seems to pop up when I put in 30 mile radius. What's the regulation on 'driving distance' to place of work??

Gonzo is the one to talk to about Eastleigh, drop her a PM.

Mr Tree says he thinks distance is 45 minutes by public transport (though he qualifies it with that's not gospel). I know here (here being marchwood) they house people in Gosport which according to Google maps is 49 minutes drive away. I have no idea if that's helpful though!

I'm pretty sure that "drivable" distance is 50 miles, but I may be wrong. It seems an awfully long way but thats how they get around not moving people from MQ to MQ.
Eastleigh is quite nice I'm lead to believe. Salisbury can be a nightmare to get to Plymouth from on a daily commute.
I work occasionally in Fareham and Southampton and it takes me about 45 mins to either from me in Andover.
There are some outskirts of Southampton which are pretty nice areas. Watch out for those gypsies though!!!

Distance is calculated using RAC route finder, fastest route.

Is it from Plymouth or Portsmouth?

If its Portsmouth then Bournemouth isn't that far and a lovely place to live (was there for 3 years ) although rush hour can be a bit of pain.

oops sorry, that was me, I put plymouth when I meant Portsmouth

I know that part of the country very very well. Drop me a PM and I can go into detail if you like.

If he has access to the kids, he'd be eligible/entitled (depending on the court order) to a 3 bed MQ, but you can't live there, however, the housing person told me (I was doing the OH's March in) that I could stay odd weekends as long as there were no neighbour complaints.

I have no idea on the other side of things as my OH believes that if he moved in with me, he could still get a room some nights at the base, but he's Navy and I think, it's because it's just over 50 miles to the places we are thinking of buying together, it would be fine for him when he's assigned to a ship as he would automatically have a bunk, but he thinks shore draft would be the same (just not a bunk on ship) but I don't think he's looked into it.

Not sure that's helped much but I'm also looking in Hampshire area just not Salisbury and have looked in Wiltshire, but it started to get too far on the commute for us, so if you change areas, I may be able to tell you good/bad letting/estate agents.

Mr K never had a problem having a room in the block and our own home as well. According to him it's just that you can't have a quarter and a room in the block at the same time. I'm pretty sure the distance to work thing is also only relevant if you're in a quarter (i.e. they can't give him a quarter more than a certain distance away from his work).

Have a look at Overton and Whitchurch, nice places, just of the A34, 45 minutes to Portsmouth. Salsibury is a bit of a bugger to Portsmouth as the road up to the M27 is quite notorious for accidents and delays especially in the morning. We lived just outside of Newbury for DH's commute into the dockyard, which was fine.