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.

⚖️ 购买 vs 租赁计算器

比较购买与租赁的真实总成本 — 包括房贷利息、税费、维护、您首付款的机会成本以及房价增长。

货币

🏠 购买情景

房产价格（£）

首付款（£）

利率（%）

房贷期限(年)

前期成本（£）

维护费用（£/年）

🏘️ 租房方案

月租金（£）

年租金涨幅（%）

保险(£/年)

📊 共同假设

持有年数

房价增长率（%/年）

投资收益率（%/年）

⚠️ 这是一个决策支持工具 且未涵盖所有因素（如灵活性、生活事件）。房产决策因人而异——请咨询FCA持牌顾问。资本存在风险。

超越数字:何时租房胜出

买房并不总是财务上更优。Renting is often the better choice if:

您计划在3–5年内搬家（交易成本会吞噬任何收益）
您的职业具有流动性或国际性
您缺乏与首付同时存在的稳定应急基金
房产需要您无法负担的重大维护
租房可将定金释放用于更高回报的投资（如创业）

何时购买更合算

您将在那里居住 7+ 年
您有可观的首付款和稳定的收入
当地租金相对房价较高（租金/房价比 > 5%）
您重视改造住宅的安全性和自由度
您将自有住房视为强制储蓄/通胀对冲

人们忘记的购房隐藏成本

Stamp Duty — 请查看我们的 Stamp Duty Calculator 以获取确切数字
Legal & survey fees: 典型 £1,500–£3,000
Mortgage arrangement fees: £500–£1,995
Maintenance reserve: 每年预算相当于房产价值1%的维修费用
Buildings insurance: £200–£400/年(强制)
Selling costs: 1.5-3%中介佣金 + 1,000英镑以上法律费用

⚠️

重要提示： 过去的房价增长不保证未来的回报。本计算器有助于说明权衡,但无法捕捉所有个人情况。请咨询独立的金融顾问。