To think that renting at the age of 40 is abit tragic?

[katkitya]

It's not how I imagined things would pan out but, here I am. It's not very grown up, is it? I just can't seem to save enough for a deposit in London on my own. My friends that have done it have done so in couples or with family money. It sucks. Am I the only one that still rents?

MoreBeta, but unless you have a generous retirement package, paying rent is still going to take a significant part of your income. That's one of the main reasons/pros for buying. Come retirement age, I shall have no mortgage to pay. (which is ideal as I only have state pension to look forward to and dp's pension isn't generous by any stretch of the imagination).

And also is there an abundance of cheaper flats/houses out there waiting to be rented?

I was helped onto the ladder by my parents. We will help neices and nephews and DCs onto the ladder. Without that help I don't know if we'd have managed it.

I was asked to leave with 2 months notice. The 2nd time in 2 years. I had a normal contract.

I hated the insecurity of renting because you do not know what could happen in a months time.

The Europeans seem to have it right.

That's the major difference with the European system - longer fixed contracts so tennants have some security.

But when you want to get out of the long term contracts you are stuffed.
My DH signed a nine year contract. It is the norm in Belgium. Luckily, he was able to find someone to take it over or he would have paid shed loads of cash to free himself.

Pros and cons for both IMO - I am 40 this year btw!

We rented for 4 months last year when a house purchase fell through but it was fine...too small for us in the long term but it was never going to be long term and the rent was cheap. Lovely location, sweet house, no garden though.

Still miss it in a way

We are now in our new house and in the 6 months we have lived here we have had to spend £4k on; new boiler, repairs to conservatory roof and all new kitchen appliances.

I am pretty bitter about how things have turned out here, but thats life and that is home ownership. Am having to sell my car to replace the savings we lost....

Had we been renting I could have just rang the LL and got it sorted.