The rent-or-buy debate more often than not revolves around money. While many Australians in Liverpool still dream of owning their own home, thousands of renters say they are just happier without the hassle of a mortgage. But which will make you happy?
Renters
For renters, there is no mortgage looming every week. While Real Estate is a great financial investment, mortgage payments often consume most if not all of an income and the family home quickly becomes the only financial investment a family can afford. Having all of your nest eggs in one basket, so to speak, can cause stress and anxiety for many home owners.
Renters are spared foreclosure fears. Even when times aren’t a financial burden, the threat of losing everything due to foreclosure can cause grief and panic, often overriding the positive feelings associated with owning. Equally, however, renter’s fear that the rental payments they are making could be going into an investment for the future. Thus, psychological stress in either case tends to mount.
Homeowners
Homeowners in Liverpool tend to be wealthier, but not always because they own a home. In many cases, a mortgage can allow a redraw amount. For this reason, the home mortgage becomes a “savings” area, where additional repayments can be withdrawn at any time for expenses such as maintenance, a new car or even a holiday. For this reason, there is motivation to increase mortgage repayments above their minimum requirement. Also, when purchasing a property, a deposit is often needed. This deposit takes time to save and can teach homeowner’s valuable money-saving tricks which will help them later on in life.
There is no right or wrong answer to this question, but rather, it is important to look at the facts of your individual lifestyle to make a decision that’s right for you. If you believe renting is a cheaper alternative and may help you save money in the long run, by all means give it a shot. On the other hand, if you would rather have a mortgage, you might decide the commitment keeps you in line with saving.
