Which is better – Buying a house or living in a rented apartment?

While owning a home is typically every Indian’s dream, skyrocketing property prices, especially in metros, have led to people preferring to rent rather than buy. Many who can afford to purchase a home, on the other hand, face a difficult decision between buying and renting. In India, it has been observed that people who can afford to buy a house place a higher value on owning a home, with renting serving as a compromise. Both options have distinct advantages and disadvantages, and some of the advantages are as follows:

Benefits of buying a house:

1. It instilled a sense of safety and pride in one’s home.

2. Rent is a monthly cost that does not result in the creation of any physical estate. Paying EMI, on the other hand, has two advantages: it not only offers a month’s worth of accommodation, but it also increases the proportional ownership of the property.

3. When you rent, you sometimes have to move, which wastes time, money, and energy, but this isn’t the case when you own.

4. Real-estate investing is a safe investment backed by a tangible asset with the potential for capital growth and tax advantages.

Advantages of renting a house:

1. Renting relieves one of the burdens of EMI fees, property taxes, and other legal problems that come with owning a home.

2. Renting gives the impression of less responsibility. In metro cities, a house worth Rs 50 lakh can be rented for just Rs 10,000-15,000 per month. Also, if you buy a home for the same price, you would have to pay an EMI somewhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000. (equated monthly instalment).

3. While it is possible to rent nearer to work or good schools, the same properties may not be affordable or within one’s budget.

It isn’t easy to choose between renting and buying. Only a comprehensive investigation will lead to a proper conclusion. Let us use the example of an individual who wants to own a property in the NCR area to understand better the financial implications of renting vs owning. The first step is to find out how much money you’ll need to buy a ready-to-move-in flat in a residential project in Delhi/NCR for Rs 50 lakh.