Should you rent or buy a home?

Should I buy or rent a home?

Buying a house is a long-term investment and can work out cheaper than renting over the term of a mortgage, which is normally between 20 and 25 years. To buy a house, you will need:

Is it cheaper to rent or buy a house?

If you are renting, then you will already be paying a set amount each month to your landlord. 

In early 2020 the average rent in the UK was £700 a month according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The average price of a house in September 2020 was £261,795, according to the ONS. The average monthly mortgage payment was around £750.

But buying a house will involve other upfront expenses, not just the mortgage repayment.

How much can I borrow on a mortgage?

If you feel you are able to commit to a monthly mortgage, then your next step is to find out what amount of mortgage you are able to borrow.

Find out how much mortgage you could borrow

Can I afford a mortgage?

Next you can check to see if – based on current interest rates – you can afford the monthly mortgage payments. 

Use this calculator on our mortgage comparison to see how much each deal could cost you per month.

If you have a deposit or guarantor, this will also help with your mortgage application. 

A deposit can come from your savings or a gift from a relative. A guarantor has to agree to cover any mortgage payments you miss, however their home as well as yours will be at risk if you do not keep up repayments.

Here is how to check if you can afford to get a mortgage

What are the advantages of buying a home?

It can be cheaper to own but there are other advantages to owning your own home. 

What are the disadvantages of buying a home?

Buying a home will initially be more expensive than renting; there are upfront costs like mortgage fees and stamp duty which you will need to budget for.

Why should I rent a home?

There are still advantages to renting, if you have to move around for work then you can move home quickly when you need to.

Renting may also be a good idea because:

What are the disadvantages of renting a home?

One of the main disadvantages of renting is that you will be making large monthly payments to your landlord, not towards owning a home.

Is it cheaper to rent or buy?

It is usually cheaper to rent in the short term because:

However, mortgage repayments can sometimes come to less than paying rent, depending on the property you choose. Buying a home could cost less in the long term.

You can use this calculator to work out how many years it will take until buying works out cheaper than renting.

How do I decide whether to rent or buy?

If you should rent or buy your home depends on your financial and personal circumstances. Ask yourself these questions to help make up your mind:

Do you have enough for a deposit?

You need to save a deposit to get most mortgages, which is the amount you pay towards the purchase yourself.

It is shown as a percentage of the property's value, and you usually need at least 5%. This would come to £10,000 on a home worth £200,000.

You can get some mortgages that need no deposit, but you usually need a family member to agree to cover any payments you miss.

If you still cannot afford a deposit, here is how to save up for one.

Do you have enough to pay for the upfront costs of buying a home?

Moving does involve some costs, and buying a home involves having to pay a conveyancer – or solicitor. This can be several thousand pounds; you may also have to pay Stamp Duty.

This is a tax you pay when you buy a home and is based on a percentage of the property’s sale price.

Find out how much you may need to save to cover the other costs of buying a home.

Do you earn enough to afford a mortgage?

You can only buy a house if your income is enough to:

Here is how to make sure you will be able to afford a mortgage's repayments

How long will you stay in your next home?

If you will only live in an area for a short period of time or you expect your circumstances to change, renting is usually cheaper and more flexible when you need to move home.

This is because the initial costs of buying a home are much higher than the deposit you pay when you start renting a home. These include mortgage fees, stamp duty, valuation fees and your solicitor's charges.

However, if you intend to live in an area or property for a long time, buying a house can work out cheaper.

Here are 7 ways to save up a mortgage deposit

Will you be living alone or with someone else?

If you will be living with a partner or someone else, you may be able to afford to borrow more if you buy a house. Here is how to get a joint mortgage and how they work.

You could buy a house with friends instead of renting. Here are the benefits and risks of buying a home with friends and here is how joint mortgages work.

Are there other ways of getting help to buy a home?

There are government schemes including the Right to Buy scheme and the Help to Buy scheme.

What to do if you decide to buy

Here’s your home-buying checklist:

If you're a first time buyer or looking to move house or remortgage, we can help you compare mortgages. 

How to get a mortgage with no deposit