First Time Buyer Mortgage Advice in Nottingham
So you’ve been living with your parents your whole life and you now think that it’s time to move on and move out. It may sound like a simple answer, but do you rent or do you buy? If you are a first time buyer in Nottingham, you need to weigh up the pros and cons of buying or renting and then choose the option that is best for you.
As a Mortgage Broker in Nottingham, we always recommend that you take your time and make a decision that will benefit both your personal and financial situation. If you need help with this, our Mortgage Advisors in Nottingham will happily lend you a hand, we have worked with thousands of First Time Buyers in Nottingham before.
Buying a property in Nottingham
Parents often encourage their children to buy before renting; and depending on your situation, they may be right and it may be the best thing to do. However, there are always both sides to an argument, so it’s always best to do your research before rushing into a purchase deal.
Mortgage payments
When comparing a homeowner’s monthly mortgage payments to a tenant’s monthly rent payments, the homeowners are likely to have less going out each month.
Depending on the mortgage deal that you’ve taken out, your payments may fluctuate from month to month. For example, if you’ve taken out a tracker mortgage, your interest rate will be taken from the Bank of England’s base rate of interest. This rate is likely to change from time to time, which means that your mortgage payments will too.
There are other mortgage products available that won’t change your interest rate, such as a fixed-rate mortgage. If you are on a fixed mortgage rate, your rate stays the same throughout your fixed-term mortgage period.
If you choose to rent over buying, it’s possible that your monthly payments won’t stay the same. You have to remember that your lender has a mortgage too and their interest rate is also likely to increase from time to time. If their mortgage rate increases permanently, you shouldn’t be surprised if they also up your payments. With rising maintenance costs and increasing Buy to Let mortgage rates, it may prove worse off to rent over buying.
Also, you should know that landlords will rarely decrease your rent, the costs only ever seem to go up!
Security
Assuming that you can keep up-to-date with your mortgage payments, you will always have that sense of security when owning a home. No one can force you to move out of your home as you own the property.
As a tenant, you have a little less security in situations where the landlord wants their property back for themselves. At the end of the day, you don’t own the property, so you can’t really argue against their decision. Of course, you won’t be kicked out instantly, you’ll always get a notice period. If your lender is lenient, they may extend the length of your notice period if you have a difficult personal situation. This worry won’t come with owning a home as you own all rights over the property.
Uncertainty
The property market has a tendency to reshuffle things every so often, it’s always a surprise when it happens too. For example, in March 2020, as soon as the lockdown was announced the market went crazy. You really never know when a crash or a boom is around the corner. With this in mind, it’s likely that property prices are going to fluctuate during your time of owning a home. Sometimes they go up, sometimes they go down.
When owning a property during a period of time where property prices go up, this is good when you are selling your home but bad if you are trying to buy one – it works both ways. If you opt for renting over buying, then property prices rise, you may struggle to afford a deposit. This is another reason why buying over renting could end up being the best option for you.
However, you should know that if you are forced to sell your home at the wrong time, it may result in you losing money. You may have to sell your home quickly because of a relationship breakdown, a reduction of income or another personal situation.
Don’t rush into a purchase, get Mortgage Advice in Nottingham
As a Mortgage Broker in Nottingham, we always recommend that you never rush into a property purchase, especially if you are unsure on how the process works and what sort of mortgage that you’ll need. A mortgage is a huge financial commitment and you should only proceed with one if you are completely ready to do so.
If you are unsure on the mortgage process and need an extra helping hand, our Mortgage Advisors in Nottingham will be more than happy to help you. If the question of “Should I rent or buy?” is still on your mind, feel free to have a chat with our team and they will be able to lay out the pros and cons to each side for you.
Mortgage Advice in Nottingham for tenants
Now that you’ve gained further insight into some of the factors that come with buying a home, let’s touch upon what it’s like to rent. Renting could be your best option, it’s down to your personal and financial situation.
Flexibility
Renting is your safest option if you want flexibility. If you look at your long terms plans and can see yourself moving within the next 5-10 years, renting is probably most suited for you. When renting, you are under no obligation to live in the property for a certain amount of time, you can leave whenever you want. For example, you may want to rent so that you have a place to live whilst you save for a deposit for a mortgage. Once you have saved, you can move out whenever you want, you just have to give your landlord your notice.
If you don’t see yourself living in a particular area for very long then it’s worth considering renting as an option. You can be as flexible as you like to when it comes to how long you live in the property for.
Repairs
When you are renting, your landlord should be responsible for any major repairs on the property. There will always be better landlords than others, for example, some may take their time in getting back to you, some may be responsive and very quick at replying. As a Mortgage Broker in Nottingham that has a long history of working with local landlords, we would suggest that you take a look at their reviews before going ahead with one.
You may have to contribute to minor repairs though, for example repairing broken lights. Your landlord will expect you to take care of smaller repairs so that they can focus on the major repairs. In Nottingham, if you choose to buy a home you will have to take care of all of the repairs and damages inside of the property.
Moving Home in Nottingham with a friend(s) / family member?
If you are planning to buy or rent with a friend(s) / family member, as a Mortgage Broker in Nottingham, we would advise that you look at renting first. If you want to avoid getting tangled in a mortgage deal with lots of different people, renting will be best for you.
Getting tied into a mortgage deal with multiple names on it could potentially cause problems for you further down the line if you want to move out of the property. It can sometimes be hard to get your name removed from a mortgage in all situations.
You may need specialist mortgage advice in Nottingham to get the ball rolling with any application with multiple names on it, so you should get in touch with a Mortgage Broker in Nottingham like us. We would love to help you out, so if you are in this situation and you don’t know whether to rent or buy, please get in touch.
Summary – Buying vs Renting
Now that you are aware of some of the different things to consider when choosing whether to rent or buy in Nottingham, you should weigh up your options. Which one will benefit you most? Do you plan on living in the property for a long time?
We even suggest making a pros and cons list, we know that it’s cliché, but it definitely helps!
When it comes down to the numbers, most people choose to buy over rent, they see it as an early opportunity to get themselves onto the property ladder. People would also rather the money go towards their own benefit rather than someone else’s.
If you need more renting vs buying Mortgage Advice in Nottingham, feel free to get in touch with our friendly team today and claim your free mortgage consultation.
Date Last Edited: November 21, 2023
