Buy vs Rent Calculator (2026)
Net wealth in 5 years if you buy versus if you rent. Includes mortgage, SDLT, upfront costs, maintenance, council tax, insurance, house appreciation, rent growth, and the deposit's investment return if invested instead.
Buying ahead by £8,696 over 5 years. Breakeven in year 5.
All assumptions matter. Try changing house appreciation or investment return to see how sensitive the answer is.
Net wealth over 5 years
Buyer's net wealth (terracotta) versus renter's net wealth (teal dashed). The vertical green line shows breakeven year, if one exists.
Year-by-year breakdown
| Year | House value | Mortgage left | Buyer paid (cum) | Buyer net | Rent paid (cum) | Renter portfolio | Renter net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | £300,000 | £270,000 | £38,100 | £0 | £0 | £30,000 | £0 |
| 5 (breakeven) | £347,782 | £236,494 | £153,498 | £-42,209 | £89,193 | £38,288 | £-50,905 |
Try a different scenario
- £300k home, 5-year horizon (short — usually rent wins)
- £300k home, 25-year horizon
- £500k home, £100k deposit (London-ish)
- £200k home (Northern UK)
Related tools
- Mortgage payment calculator
- Affordability calculator
- Stamp Duty calculator
- Take-home pay calculator
- House prices by UK local authority
This calculator is general information for comparison purposes — not financial advice. Outputs depend heavily on assumptions you can't verify in advance (future house prices, future rent growth, future investment returns). Treat the headline numbers as directional, not predictions. Speak to a qualified independent financial adviser. SDLT is computed via Homecost's SDLT engine against current HMRC rates.