Buying vs. Renting: When to Buy a house and When to Rent

Buying your first home can indeed be an incredible milestone in your life. In line with this, you may feel a mixture of many emotions like fulfillment, happiness but at the same time, there’s nervousness that may impair judgement. You feel nervous about this big decision that you have to make, likely the largest financial decision in your life. And one of the most common questions you have to face is – are you going to rent or buy? Let us discuss about buying vs. renting in this post. Before you come up with any further decision about moving on your own, you have to ask yourself, is it time that you buy your own house or are you better off renting a home? When to rent? Living solo? Renting a home might be more suitable for you. Living alone in a big house may be a bit too much – too much space and too much work or cost for the upkeep. If you don’t have the money for a down payment and all the costs of owning a house then renting is likely more advisable. Also, if you are concerned about job security then this is a sign to perhaps continue renting for the moment. Think of the impact to you and your family if you decided to buy a house and then lose your job after few months. How can you afford to pay for the mortgage? Do you need to rent a room or part of the house to make it work? These considerations are very important before you come up with your final decision. Do not rush in to buying a house most especially if you’re not financially and mentally ready. There is nothing wrong with renting first. Being practical will give you more benefits in the long run. Most of all, your REALTOR® is a source of valuable information to you as a first time home buyer. rnWhen to buy? Now, when is the perfect time to buy your house? One main factor to that is when you are financially stable. And when we say financially stable it means that you have funds for at least a 5% down payment for the new house, a permanent and stable job and probably a savings to serve as your back-up plan, should you need to repair or renovate the home. Also, you have to remember that it doesn’t end in paying the down payment; you also have to pay for other costs in buying your own house like budget for the furniture, utilities and of course the monthly mortgage rate. During the purchasing process you will be writing cheques to home inspectors, insurance policies and lawyers. Having a family could be another factor that will lead you into the decision of buying a house. Raising a family in a house you can call your own is definitely ideal. Having your own garden so that your children can play or a big kitchen where you cook and eat together as family are just some perks of living in your own house. It is very important to assess your situation and all other factors before you decide if you are going to buy your own home. If the assessment turns out that you are not yet ready, then settle for renting first.