Many countries around the world have seen a trend towards owning your own home instead of renting. This essay will consider why this is the case, and whether or not this is beneficial.
The first reason why people wish to buy their own home is because it provides them with a sense of stability. Rental contracts are temporary agreements, often just between 6 and 12 months in duration, at the end of which you may have to leave and find alternative accommodation. Owning a home means you get to live there permanently.
The second reason, and one which has grown in importance in recent years, is that owning your own home is seen as an investment. Property prices generally rise, so real estate can be a safe place to invest your surplus income. House prices in the UK, for example, rise by around 4%per annum whereas interest on bank deposits is close to zero.
For individuals, then, there seem to be clear positive benefits to owning your home. But overall, I feel there are considerable downsides, both for individuals and for society as a whole. For most people, buying property requires taking out a mortgage, typically for a length of 25 years, and if at any time during this period borrowers are unable to maintain mortgage payments, they risk losing their property. For society as a whole there are also negatives. The demand for buying property leads to house price inflation, which can mean people on low incomes, such as young people, can find it impossible to buy their own home, forcing them to rent.
In conclusion, a desire for stability and seeing a return on your investments are key reasons behind the trend towards buying property, but despite these benefits, there are serious problems.
Many
countries around the world have
seen
a trend towards
owning
your
own
home
instead
of renting. This essay will consider why this is the case, and
whether or not
this is beneficial.
The
first
reason why
people
wish to
buy
their
own
home is
because
it provides them with a sense of stability. Rental contracts are temporary agreements,
often
just
between 6 and 12 months in duration, at the
end
of which you may
have to
leave
and find alternative accommodation.
Owning
a home means you
get
to
live
there
permanently
.
The second reason, and one which has grown in importance in recent years, is that
owning
your
own
home is
seen
as an investment.
Property
prices
generally
rise,
so
real estate can be a safe place to invest your surplus income.
House
prices in the UK,
for example
, rise by around 4%per
annum
whereas interest on bank deposits is close to zero.
For individuals, then, there seem to be
clear
positive
benefits to
owning
your home.
But
overall
, I feel there are considerable downsides, both for individuals and for society as a whole. For most
people
, buying
property
requires taking out a mortgage,
typically
for a length of 25 years, and if at any time during this period borrowers are unable to maintain mortgage payments, they
risk
losing their
property
. For society as a whole there are
also
negatives. The demand for buying
property
leads to
house
price inflation, which can mean
people
on low incomes, such as young
people
, can find it impossible to
buy
their
own
home, forcing them to rent.
In conclusion
, a desire for stability and seeing a return on your investments are key reasons behind the trend towards buying
property
,
but
despite these benefits, there are serious problems.