Have you ever felt pressured to buy a house? Maybe from your friends, your family, your co-workers, or even yourself? Like you haven’t actually made it as an adult until you own your home?
It’s a common feeling, but the truth is that buying a house ISN’T always the right decision. In some cases renting is a smarter move, both for your wallet and your lifestyle. Here are four reasons why.
1. Flexibility
Life changes fast. That great new job you just started might turn into an exciting opportunity in a different city. That big family you planned on having might turn into a smaller one.
Renting gives you the ability to quickly change your living situation to best match the new realities of your life. That flexibility can be the difference between seizing an opportunity and having to pass on it.
2. Cost
Proponents of buying like to say that when you’re renting, you’re essentially paying off someone else’s mortgage. So why not buy and make sure that money is going towards yourself?
There is some truth to that, if you stay in one place for an extended period of time (typically 5-7 years or longer), then buying often results in the lower long-term cost.
In the meantime buying can be really expensive. There’s the upfront cost of the down payment. There’s the cost of handling the fixes and improvements that come with any new purchase. There’s the cost of new furniture. There are the ongoing costs of insurance, taxes, and maintenance.
Renting has costs too, but they’re often much smaller and more predictable, at least in those first few years. And in many markets where housing prices are high, renting can actually be a better long-term financial decision.
You can use this calculator from The New York Times to figure out just how long you would have to live in one place before buying became cheaper than renting.
3. Adjustment
Renting is often a great idea any time you move to a new place.
It gives you the opportunity to figure out which neighborhoods you like and which you don’t so that you can eventually make a buying decision you’ll be happy with for the long-term. There’s no sense in being stuck somewhere you don’t like simply because you felt rushed into buying a house.
4. Stress
Owning a home has plenty of benefits, but it can also come with a lot of stress.
Any time something needs to be fixed, it’s on you to either do it yourself or pay for it to be done by someone else. And of course there’s that big mortgage that can feel like a weight on your shoulders.
Renting comes with fewer commitments and fewer responsibilities, which can lead to lower day-to-day stress.
Make Your Own Decision
Of course, there is no right answer here. Buying is better for some people and renting is better for others.
The point is simply that renting isn’t just something you have to settle for until you can buy. In many situations it’s actually the smarter move.