Should I buy or should I rent?

Why would someone write an article on buying versus renting a home?

What’s in it for the author of the article?

Why would you read one?

What is it you want to hear? Do you just want confirmation and justification for what you already believe and want to do? Or, are you looking to be convinced otherwise?

These are all good questions to ask yourself if you find yourself reading an article on whether it makes more sense to buy a home, or rent a house.

There are “reasons” to buy, and “reasons” to rent.

People want to make choices based upon reason. So, if you start reading about whether to buy versus rent a home, you’ll certainly be given “reasons”, like:

• When renting you’re just paying someone else’s mortgage.
• You’re throwing your money away when you rent. You have nothing to show for it. If you buy, you’re building equity.
• Many of the richest people built their wealth through property.
• Property is a great long-term investment. Values always go up in the long term.

Certainly all valid to some degree.

But if you start reading articles bent on renting a home, versus buying, you’ll be given opposing “reasons”, like:

• When you rent, you aren’t tied down to an area. You have freedom.
• You aren’t responsible for the upkeep and maintenance when things break.
• Property values are not guaranteed to always go up.
• Your house could be less than you bought it for at times.

Again, all valid “reasons” to some degree.

Regardless of whether the article is pro-buying or pro-renting, the “reasons” cited tend to be the same, decade after decade, regardless of the market. They are overused and pretty useless to anyone in particular.

There is no absolute answer that is right for everyone.

It shouldn’t be a DIY diagnosis

You can find plenty of “sources” to formulate your opinion on what makes sense for you.

There are online calculators to help you figure out if renting or buying makes more sense for you.

But that’s kind of like looking up health information online…

It’s good to get some thoughts and perspectives. Educate yourself. But it’s not necessarily proper for you to diagnose and treat yourself.

Same when it comes to financial and property-related decisions.

Certainly, educate yourself. Become informed. But truly assessing whether or not it makes more sense for you to buy a home or rent a house warrants getting some professional help.

Professional help can cost less than self-help. (At least in property…)

While you can certainly sift through all the information you want for free, and come to your conclusion, you can also get the advice of someone who is a property expert for free.

All you have to do is reach out to an estate agent. A good estate agent will help you figure out if buying or renting makes better sense for you. They’ll help you assess your situation lend you their thoughts and insight based upon their knowledge and experience. Notice I said a “good” one, beware of the large corporates who hide behind multiple business names. Often the advice is based on the head office target they need to hit this week!

And most of them will do this for free. They get paid if and when you end up buying or renting a place.

Now, certainly, you might question their motives…

Will they push you to buy versus rent to make more money? Will they push you to rent because it’s quicker, easier money? Why would they help me for free? There’s got to be a catch…

Sure, some agents are in it just to make money or hit head office targets. But most independent estate agents are more caring and concerned about their clients’ best interests, than their self-interest.
That doesn’t mean every estate agent will necessarily be able to give you the best advice, even if they are caring, concerned, and not pushy.

So, make sure you find a great agent when you ask for an agent’s advice.

(If they’re all offering their advice for free, you might as well choose the best, right?)

Who’s the best agent to talk to?

Considering this is my article, of course, it makes sense that I feel like I’m the best agent for you to talk to. Rightmove and the property academy also rate us the best agents in the country!

The best way to find out is for us to have a quick chat. Maybe I’m the best agent for you to talk to… Maybe not. But if I’m not, I probably know another agent who may suit your situation better.

So why not give me a call, or send me an email, and let’s schedule a time to talk. No obligation.

I never push people to do one thing over another. If buying makes more sense for you, we’ll figure that out. If renting does, we’ll figure that out.

I just want to make sure you’re able to make the best and most objective decision possible.

Contact me anytime for informal, free advice, based only on your personal needs. I have been doing this for many years now and am always happy to help you.

Call me on 01935 277977 or 01460 477977 or email us: info@orchardsestates.com