Understanding the Descision to Rent or Purchase a Home

Purchasing a home is a big investment and like all big investments it is one that should be made carefully. There are quite a few advantages to owning a home, but there are also a number of disadvantages, especially if it is something you rush into.

One of the biggest disadvantages of owning a home is that it in many ways reduces your freedom, as most people are financially and legally tied to a home. This means that if you do not like your neighbors, you can not just leave, and if you do not like the city regulations, you can’t just move a little further out. This translates to a lot of reduced freedom, which is often taken for granted by renters, who whether they know it or not, are in most cases at most going to loose their deposit if they decide they would like to change location.

However, for many, this is not a disadvantage at all, as it does provide a strong sense of security and really helps the homeowner understand that it is more than just a few rooms and a bath, but it is actually some place you can call home. Still, it is something that should be considered and fully understood before buying a home.

Another disadvantage to owning a home is that if things break, you have to fix it, either by doing the work yourself or by paying someone, but ultimately, when the AC goes out in the summer, you can’t just call up and complain to your landlord. There are a number of federal and state regulations in place to protect renters, which ensure that rental properties meet a certain set of standards, so if your rental property isn’t meeting these standards, such as not having a heater, you have the power of the law behind you to ensure that the landlord meets these requirements.

While this can be a disadvantage for some, it is also a positive things for others. This is in part because it means you get to decide how you use and change your home. For example, if you do not like the living room, you can simply tear out the wall and start over, presuming it isn’t load bearing anyway. Along the same lines, if you would rather have a tank less water heater or a more energy efficient heat pump, you can install one and will not be held to whatever your landlord decides to install. Of course, this does mean it comes out of your pocket, but most of these types of improvements help improve the value of the home, so ultimately it ends up being, at least partially, a long term investment.

As the above examples show, there are not only advantages and disadvantage to owning a home, but it is never simply black and white either, with there usually being a positive side to most negatives. However, buying a home is a big decision and one that bears thought, so it is essential to consider all of the aspects associated with buying a home, including the mortgage or other loan sides.