Mar
2010
To Buy or to Rent
Many will question themselves this question at some stage in their life. Although it can come down to the simple fact of having the deposit saved to buy your own place or not, don’t jump on the ladder solely because you have some extra cash.
The Credit Crunch
The UK Property market has witnessed an eventful period to say the least over the last two years with the “Credit Crunch”. One of the prime contributes to the Crunch was excessive leading. Three years ago if you had a excellent credit history you could raise finance on just about anything within reason. Mortgages were being offered at up to 125% on the valuation of the property you were purchasing, for example you could borrow £125,000 over a property only worth £100,000. This type of financial environment could not last and did eventually come crashing down. Banks have gone under, Huge name retailers have gone into liquidation, unemployment increased heavily throughout the UK and property prices took a battering. Now the market seems to be recovering and the worst of the recession is over.
The Current Situation
Now the economy is recovering with unemployment figures dropping and house prices stabilising it seems we are back on the right track to sustainable economic growth in Britain. But we have learnt a very vital lesson over the last two years which can simply be described as “Living within our means”. Of course the recession is not entirely down to excessive lending but this did play a huge factor.
Lending has seriously tightened up with 85% borrowing being the maximum loan ratio in most causes unless you are willing to accept an extortionate interest rate. Although the base rate is at a record low this does not reflect in first time buyer mortgages with average interest rates just over 5%. House prices have been hurt in the recent years with the press releasing concerning percentage drops in prices. This aside purchasing a property is still seen as a sound investment and is one of the largest transactions you will make in your lifetime.
Not only the small factor of requiring a large deposit sum, renting a property provides you with minimum risk. As a tenant you are not liable for common repairs such as external maintenance and roof leaks which can easily cost thousands. You are footloose to a certain extent with flexibility should your circumstances change. Property is available fully furnished taking the hassle out of kitting the place out yourself. The advantage of renting also gives you a much wider choice of property at a higher quality which you may not be able to afford should you look at buying.



