@antonia_investing: Renting vs buying. Here's the honest answer nobody gives you. Right now, renting is technically cheaper than buying in most of the UK. The average monthly rent is £1,547 against a typical new mortgage payment of £1,670, a difference of £123 a month. So no, buying is not automatically the cheaper option today. But that comparison has a flaw. Rent rises. Private rents in the UK increased 3.5% in the 12 months to April 2026, according to the ONS. Over ten, twenty, thirty years, that compounds into a number most renters haven't sat down to calculate. A fixed-rate mortgage locks your payment for years at a time. Rent rises almost every year. Over the long term, that difference compounds. And then the mortgage ends. Probably in their 60s, the buyer's housing cost drops close to zero. The lifelong renter is still paying market rent at 70, 75, into retirement. Buying isn't the only path. But not buying requires a plan: building enough wealth through investing or other means to cover a perpetual housing cost in retirement. Most people renting in their 20s and 30s haven't made that plan yet. The question worth asking isn't "should I buy?" It's: if I don't, what does my housing cost look like at 65? This post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute personal financial advice. Property values can fall as well as rise. Your individual circumstances will affect what is right for you. Speak to an FCA-regulated financial adviser or mortgage broker before making property or investment decisions. Sources: Rightmove rent vs mortgage data, April 2026 | ONS Price Index of Private Rents, April 2026

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Friday 19 June 2026 14:15:41 GMT