Pension fund vs mortgage-free house?

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Forgive the rookie questions, I'm usually quite head-in-the-sand about finances. I've always lived in rented accomodation and just made sure I spent less than I earnt. But in my 30s now and newly single, I think I need to start making some long term decisions.

I have enough saved, from my earnings and an inheritence, to buy a small house here outright. But I have hardly anything in a pension. I also still have a student loan, on the old terms. No other debts.

My instinct is to spend nearly all my savings on a house, avoid a mortgage/rent, and then in the years after that build up a pension fund. And keep paying minimum payments on the student loan. Is that the sensible way round? Are there advantages to getting a mortgage?

I would do what you suggest. Buy the house and then plough your mortgage-free income into a pension. If you earn enough to have saved so well then your pension will build up well. Good luck with it!

I would buy the house without a mortgage and then plough money into your pension and a stocks and shares isa possibly. S

I paid off my student loan early as just wanted it gone for my sanity
as I really hate debt but the general advice is don’t pAy them off early.

There used to be some tax advantages to a mortgage but that was decades ago. Make sure you don’t cut corners when buying the property as we bought without a mortgage and the solicitor will let you sign off things that he wouldn’t if there was a mortgage involved.

Yes, I think it makes sense to buy the property outright and then start ploughing as much as possible into your pension. Especially if you get any degree of pension match from your workplace. Leave the student loan at minimum payment.

In your position I'd also buy a house outright... Then start to plough money into a pension... Prioritise secure now over later...

Not sure there are advantages of having a mortgage, but there are tax benefits to paying into a pension scheme. I would also expect a pension fund to grow faster than the interest rate on your mortgage. If it was me I would take out a small mortgage and start paying more into my pension.

Have you thought about speaking to a financial advisor?

Thanks everyone. Good point about not cutting corners just because u don't need to convince a mortgage provider