Oojam,
When on a tour, are the nightstops generally abroad, in the UK away from your home base or a combination of both?
Combination of both – I’d say very roughly about 80% abroad, 20% UK.
Can I buy 1 1/2 hours away without shooting myself in the foot?
Sorry, but this is far too subjective for a simple yes or no answer. Its certainly possible to live a long distance away without “shooting yourself in the foot” - there are some commuters from e.g France/Spain, and further.
As for the practicalities though, some people don’t mind travelling long distances regularly whilst others do. You will have to make the return journey into work ~5-8 times/month (+ a fair bit more than that when you’re training or on a reserve period) and a fair proportion of these will be for circa-crack-of-dawn reports! Just have a long think about what this will involve logistically, and the relative merits of being closer (like more
!) vs your personal circumstances in wanting to be in a particular place further away.