Early on in this thread Patrick stated that he lives in London and will buy a house when he can pay for it in cash. So, until that time,
he intends to rent.
Patrick, it may be worthwhile to consider buying now for several reasons :
1. you are buying a house with after tax money. So the more prices go up the more money you need to make (and save as after-tax money) to cover the increases in the purchase price of a house.
In fact house prices may be going up faster than you can save the house price increases.
2. As you are paying rent anyway what is so much different with paying interest on a home loan instead ?
3. Whilst a house to you is a house, to your wife it is a home and she will be a lot happier than she is right now if she were to live in a home rather than in a house.
Actually, by buying now you will achieve also two other things i.e.
your wife will be happier and, as a consequence, the quality of your sex life will improve as well.
4. Owning one's home means that one then is more inclined to spend money on furnishings (which one otherwise wouldn't be inclined to do as they may not suit the next house when there is a need to move house.)
5. Owning real estate is an excellent way of diversification. It doesn't matter how good one is at trading shares (etc), if one lives long enough, inevitably the time will come that one will blow up. (remember the story about the monkeys busily typing away and eventually one of them managing to type the complete works of Shakespear ?).
Chances are that you will pass away before the time arrives for you to blow up. But, .......... what IF it were to happen to you in your lifetime ?
Would you have the resources (money) AND the courage to start all over again with practically nothing ?
Will your marriage blow up too if your account blows up and you are out in the street with nowhere to live because you are broke ?
So why not play safe and diversify now ?
6. Owning your home may make you more inclined to work in the garden thus helping to keep you fit.
Jack123
(I will shortly be publishing a course about how to keep your garden looking nice and keeping fit in the process and living happily for ever after.

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