Doesn’t everyone aspire to own a house?

[Letsmoveondude]

Is it just me? I thought everyone aspired to own a home in their lifetime.

I know that it’s a luxury many of my generation will not have.

Currently trying to understand why someone who has the ability would not take it

Not being tied down and not needing to do building work and maintenance?

Do you know someone who has the ability and hasn't taken it OP?

Don't I guess if you're independentl wealthy and don't have to worry about renting into retirement, and are happy to move if your landlord decides it, then you wouldn't wish to own.

Because right now we don’t know where we want to live so why would we want to be stuck with a house we can’t sell if we want to move. We currently live in a very rural area but eventually we’d like to move back to a city.

I know plenty of people who have no desire to buy. They don't want the hassle of maintenance and decorating and being responsible for boilers. They want the freedom of being able to pack up and leave and go somewhere else with a month's notice. They don't want to be tied down to a financial commitment for 25+ years.

Depends on their lifestyle maybe? We spent a fair few years living abroad (spent a year each in 5 different European cities) and I had absolutely no desire to buy a house as we didn’t want to settle down anywhere.

Posted too soon! Even when we came back to the UK we had no idea where we wanted to ‘settle’ (still don’t really, although we have no bought a place). The concept of a ‘forever home’ seems really alien to me.

We have the ability and don’t want it! Happily renting, I had children young and when they’re up I don’t want to be tied down I want to go back to Germany and enjoy travelling, I don’t wanna be trying to sell a house or be in negative equity or anything. I’m genuinely just not interested.

My friends like to tell me I’m wasting my money, it’s loevly how interested other people are interested your finances when you don’t follow social norms

For us, it's not necessarily that we dont/didn't aspire to, however when (save for a massive lottery win) we won't be able to buy, there's something incredibly depressing about aspiring for something unobtainable. I'd rather my aspirations were achievable through progression, hard work etc than something that no matter what we do is by and large unobtainable for us.

That wasn’t a dig at you, op, btw. More the real life people who enjoy telling me what I should be doing!

Owning a house isn't fun. Currently our house is falling down around us. Need new electrics/Windows/bathroom/guttering and doors but have no £££ to get it done.
We had to live for 7 months without heating and hot water to save for a new boiler 3 years ago!

I've got a few friends the same they weren't interested when we were younger than prioritised holidays/clothes/going out and don't regret it now the dc have left home they travel, move around more they aren't interested in being fixed

No desire to buy, but not in the UK. I assume it'd look very different there.

Renting is a solid reliable thing here. Dh and I intend/hope, not unrealistically, to carry on doing our jobs as long as poss. In our current location I'd be terrified of not being able to sell again (market moves much less quickly here). Have no desire to become an accidental landlord.

Flexibility.
Being able to move quickly for opportunities, jobs, to get into school catchments (!), if the area deteriorates.
Not trusting the UK housing market, not wanting to have all your money tied up in one asset that may decrease in value, flood, need expensive repairs.
Not wanting to be in debt with a mortgage.
Having plans that involve moving in a few years and not wanting to pay stamp duty.
Being from another country where people aren't obsessed with house owning, and wondering wtf English are obsessed with property ownership.
Having no interest in home repairs and maintenance.

Yes Laiste, my husband has just told me he has very little intention of buying a house - despite working for the past 8 years to get into a position where it would be possible.

The thing is, according to the numbers I’ve run, we could end up with a house like what we currently rent, for less than we currently pay, without the worry of figuring out how we will afford to keep a roof over our heads in old age.

I’m just struggling to see it as a sensible decision.

Everyone I know aspires to be a home owner. Most will have their mortgage off by 55. No dead money wasted on rental properties

Again, if we were staying put in one place it would be ‘dead money’ but there’s no way we’d have been able to do all the moving around/travelling we did without renting (beautiful apartments), and I wouldn’t have changed that for anything.

DDI. I’m really sorry to hear that. Is it just a case of the house falling into disrepair or? Sorry I don’t mean to pry, I just have it in mind that there would be nothing better than buying a house.

We’re kind of stuck in place because of our daughter, business, dog, and his parents.

But dead money... it’s depressing at 1k a month, and that’s a favour sort of price. Other people in our estate rent out properties in the exact same layout and condition for £300 more.

Yes Laiste, my husband has just told me he has very little intention of buying a house - despite working for the past 8 years to get into a position where it would be possible.

Hmm. This is one of those issues a couple need to see eye to eye on. Like wanting to have kids or not.

If i'd been working towards a mutual goal for 8 years only to have the goal posts unilaterally changed i'd be pissed off too OP

I do aspire to own a home, but I wouldn't necessarily buy right now even if the chance came up. I don't know exactly where I want to settle long term, and I would worry about getting stuck in negative equity. I wouldn't want to be a landlord and have to rent out a property I couldn't (afford) to sell.

It's also quite convenient for me not to have to worry about building maintenance right now, and my current flat includes white goods which would be expensive for me to buy/replace if I owned my own place.

If I were going to buy a house, it would be with the intention of being able to live there for at least the next five years. I would have to absolutely love it. Renting, I can make compromises.

Laiste! Definitely, but weirdly I feel more confused by the whole thing. I don’t understand because it’s felt like the right thing to do, so I’m trying to see other people’s point of view.

I can't really understand why,if you can afford it you would continue renting and not buy your own home.

You would really have to ensure that you have a pretty decent pension to be continuing to shell out for rent once you are past retirement. Not to mention to uncertainty...not being able to make any big changes to your home be because its not actually yours....