Compares your net worth if you buy a home vs. if you rent and invest the difference. The 6 fields below are all you need — the rest are pre-filled with sensible defaults, tweak them only if you want.
Before the numbers — the non-financial side
| Criteria | Winner | Renting | Buying |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom - Customise | Buying | Limited say in renovations — it's someone else's place | Renovate, extend, or change it however you like |
| Freedom - Relocate | Renting | Move cities or neighbourhoods anytime — job change, family, anything | You're tied to one place |
| Risk - Landlord's mood | Buying | Rent can be hiked, or you can be asked to vacate at renewal | No landlord to answer to, ever |
| Risk - Disaster's exposure | Renting | Structural damage is the landlord's loss, not yours | It's your property — your risk to carry |
| Stability | Buying | Always someone else's property, however long you stay | Truly yours — a lasting sense of stability |
| Flexibility | Renting | Your money stays free to invest anywhere you choose | A large chunk gets locked into one property |
6 everyday angles, 3 wins each — deliberately not slanted either way. Weigh these against the numbers below: pick the non-financial side that sits closest to your heart, or scroll down and let the math decide.
The financial side — run the numbers
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
—
| 🏠 Buy | 🔑 Rent + Invest | |
|---|---|---|
| Final net worth | — | — |
| Paid along the way | — | — |
BUY
—
RENT + INVEST
—
"Net worth" = home equity after selling costs and remaining loan (Buy) vs. the value of a portfolio seeded with your down payment and topped up every month by whatever buying costs more than renting (Rent). Estimate only — actual returns, rates and prices will vary.