How long do I have to live somewhere before buying beats renting?

The break-even point is typically 5–7 years in most UK and EU cities. Below 5 years, transaction costs (stamp duty, legal fees, agent fees on sale) usually outweigh the equity built up. Above 7 years, paying down a mortgage normally beats renting. This calculator finds your specific break-even point.

What is the opportunity cost of a deposit?

Money tied up in a property deposit could have been invested elsewhere. If a £50,000 deposit could earn 5% in a global equity index, that's £2,500/year of foregone returns — a real cost of buying. The calculator includes this so you compare like for like.

Should I include rent increases in the comparison?

Yes. UK rents have risen 3–6% per year on average over the last decade. The calculator applies your chosen annual rent rise to project realistic future rental costs.

What about house price growth?

House price growth is the strongest argument for buying, but it's uncertain. The UK average is ~5% per year over 30 years but with significant variation by region and year. The calculator lets you set your own growth assumption — 0% to 6% is reasonable for stress-testing.

Does the calculator include stamp duty and fees?

Yes — input upfront costs (stamp duty, legal, survey, agent commission) and they're applied on day one for the buy scenario and again on sale. Selling costs typically add 2–3% to total cost of ownership.

⚖️ Buy vs Rent Lommeregner

Sammenlign the true total cost of buying versus renting — including mortgage interest, taxes, maintenance, opportunity cost on your deposit and house price growth.

Valuta

🏠 Buy Scenario

Property price (£)

Udbetaling (£)

Rentesats (%)

Realkreditlån term (years)

Startomkostninger (£)

Vedligeholdelse (£/år)

🏘️ Rent Scenario

Månedly rent (£)

Årlig rent rise (%)

Forsikring (£/år)

📊 Delte antagelser

Års held

Husprisstigninger (%/år)

Investment return (%/yr)

⚠️ This is a decision-support tool og inkluderer ikke alle faktorer (f.eks. fleksibilitet, livshændelser). Ejendomsbeslutninger er personlige — tal med en FCA-reguleret rådgiver. Kapital er i risiko.

Ud over tallene: Hvornår er leje det bedre valg

At købe er ikke altid finansielt overlegent. Renting is often the better choice if:

Du planlægger at flytte inden for 3–5 år (transaktionsomkostninger æder enhver gevinst)
Din karriere er mobil eller international
Du mangler en stabil nødfond ved siden af udbetalingen
The property requires major maintenance you can't fund
Renting frees deposit money for higher-return investments (e.g., starting a business)

When Buying Wins

You'll live there 7+ years
Du har et betragtelig indskud og stabil indkomst
Lokale lejer er høje i forhold til huspriser (leje/pris ratio > 5%)
Du sætter pris på tryghed og friheden til at ændre i din bolig
You see homeownership as forced saving / inflation hedge

Hidden Costs of Buying People Forget

Stamp Duty — se vores Stamp Duty Calculator for præcist tal
Legal & survey fees: £1.500–£3.000 typisk
Mortgage arrangement fees: £500–£1,995
Maintenance reserve: budget 1% af ejendomsværdi per år
Buildings insurance: £200–£400/year (mandatory)
Selling costs: 1,5–3% agentprovision + £1.000+ juridisk

⚠️

Vigtig bemærkning: Past house price growth does not guarantee future returns. This calculator helps illustrate the trade-offs but cannot capture every personal circumstance. Consult an independent financial adviser.

Relaterede lommeregnere

Mortgage Affordability — How much can you borrow? Income multiple, stress test and LTV.
Mortgage Repayment Calculator — Månedlige betalinger, samlet rente og fuld amortiseringsplan.
Rental Yield Calculator — Gross and net yield on buy-to-let properties.