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Buying a house is no joke. It involves a massive upfront investment and taking on a big loan. It can provide a sense of security, not to mention the joy of decorating it as you wish and making it a place you can call your own.
If you’re here, you’re probably thinking of buying a house as well. And banks seem to be offering attractive housing loan rates. So by all means, go for it if you feel it’s the right choice for you. But ensure you evaluate all your options before making a decision. Is it better to rent or buy a house? Here’s a few things you should consider before you decide.
Let’s evaluate using two parameters
It’s really easy to get emotional when it comes to buying a house. Or if you’re someone who’s thinking really long term and is keen on creating a legacy for your future generations, then buying a house is a good option.
There's so much that goes behind buying a house, and before you begin you need to know if it's the right time for the same. So, let’s objectively look at how this works. First, let’s understand the costs of buying vs renting a house in India.
An upfront amount paid initially, giving partial ownership of the house. So if you’re buying a house and the down payment is 10%, you will have proportionate ownership of the house.
Next, you’re probably going to take a loan to pay the remaining 90% of the cost. This is basically the cost of taking a loan. If you look at it, this is also a form of rent that you pay as EMIs to a bank instead of a landlord.
Since you’re the owner of the house, it becomes your responsibility to take care of it. This includes a monthly maintenance charge that you can’t avoid.
The amount you pay to the landlord. In many metro cities, you also need to pay an upfront deposit when you move in. This can be 2 to12 months of your monthly rent, depending on the location (and landlord). This amount is refundable when you move out of the house.
These are monthly expenses to keep the house in good condition, especially if you’re living in an apartment.FYI - costs like electricity bills, water bills etc., are common expenses in both cases, so we’re excluding them here. Before diving in further, let’s look at a super important concept you shouldn’t sleep on when you rent or buy a house.
This is the return on property achieved through rent.
Suppose you own a property of a certain value. The rental yield is the percentage of the value of the property that you can earn with one year’s rent. In India, this rental yield hovers between 2% and 3%.
Let’s understand this with an example. Say, you’re staying in a 4BHK plush apartment in Koramangala with every amenity you can think of. The value of that apartment is ₹5 crore. And the rent is ₹65,000, which looks a lot but let's do the maths here.
In a year, you pay ₹65,000 x 12 = ₹7,80,000. Dividing ₹7.8 lakhs with ₹5 crore gives a rental yield of 1.56%. From a house owner’s perspective, you get only 1.56% of the total value of your house, and from a tenant's perspective, you pay only 1.56% of the total value of the house as rent.
Assuming that the growth rate of rent and the house's value grow at the same rate, then it will take close to 65 years to pay for the house's actual value through rent!
If you’re still considering buying a home as an investment, then there are risks associated with them, just like any other investment.
Owning a home provides security but involves huge costs. You most definitely will take out a loan to buy one, which puts you under debt spanning decades. A major chunk of your income will go into paying EMIs.
If you’ve taken a loan, then there’s a lot riding on you to pay EMIs every month. And if you fail to make the payments, then the repercussions are severe. The bank will take back the house, and your credit score will take a beating. You may also not be able to purchase a house in the future, and even if you can, the rates and terms will be unfavourable.
Owning a house becomes your responsibility to upgrade it as per the market standards constantly; otherwise, you may lose out on the value when you give it for rent or decide to sell.
Here’s an example to make the comparison easier. Let's walk through the numbers to see who wins in rent vs buy.
Assuming the period is for 20 years when taking a loan to buy a house for a value of ₹60 lakh
Similarly, looking at the case of renting a house for ₹20,000
So the numbers suggest that it’s better to rent rather than buy since the net benefit from renting is ₹1.73 crore as compared to ₹1.61 crore from buying a house. While there are debates on whether buying a house is an investment, the current status favours renting one out.
But things may change. For instance, if the property's value increases to 12%, then it may be beneficial to buy a house in such a situation. So there is no absolute answer to whether to rent or buy a house as it all depends on your location, rates and market conditions at the time. But if numbers make you dizzy, then check out Fi’s Rent vs Buy calculator, where you just need to plug in a few numbers, and the calculations will be done for you. Now that’s neat, isn’t it?
The decision to rent or own a home depends on factors like lifestyle, financial situation, and long-term goals. Renting offers flexibility, lower upfront costs, and limited responsibility. Owning provides investment opportunities, control over the property, and stability. Ultimately, the decision between renting or owning depends on individual circumstances and priorities.
The rent vs buy debate depends on multiple factors like the location, housing market, and individual financial situations. In some cases, renting may be cheaper than owning a home, especially if the housing market is expensive and the individual does not have a large down payment or steady income. However, in other cases, owning a home may be more affordable in the long term, especially if the housing market is stable and the individual plans to stay in the home for several years. If you want to do a quick calculation to know if you should be renting or buying, check this calculator out.
A ratio of less than 15% is ideal to purchase a property in India. Of course, factors like location, city, and housing markets do effect this.
Renting vs buying depends on a bunch of factors like location, individual needs, housing markets etc. While renting comes with the benefits like less upfront costs, increased flexibility and fewer responsibilities, buying in some cases can be profitable on the long run. India, with its vast terrain comes with different housing markets and opportunities around housing. It's important to look into your needs and calculate what works for you best.
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