BuyRentCompare logo: a blue house and an orange house side by sideBuyRentCompare

England & Northern Ireland

Buy the house, or rent it and invest the difference?

Renting saves you stamp duty, legal fees and ongoing capex — and crucially leaves your cash savings free to compound in the markets. This works out which side wins for your circumstances, and how sensitive that answer is to the two things nobody can predict.

After 5 years

Renting and investing wins by £75,263

Owner net wealth (after selling fees)
£127,757
Renter portfolio
£203,020
Stamp duty saved by renting
£15,000
Standard SDLT bands
Capex avoided
£12,500
0.5% of house value per year
Renter invests from day one
£120,000
Buyer has £0 left to invest
Monthly mortgage payment
£2,087
£400,000 loan over 30 yrs

Net wealth: owner vs renter

Owner wealth is home equity net of selling fees plus any leftover savings invested. The renter invests all their savings, plus the monthly difference whenever owning costs more than renting.

Amortisation schedule

Each payment split into interest and principal, with home equity building on the right axis. Switch to yearly for a summary.

Interest paid £91,188Principal repaid £34,007
YearPaymentInterestPrincipalBalanceEquity
1£25,039£18,867£6,172£393,828£106,172
2£25,039£18,567£6,472£387,356£112,644
3£25,039£18,253£6,786£380,570£119,430
4£25,039£17,923£7,116£373,454£126,546
5£25,039£17,578£7,461£365,993£134,007

Paying down the loan

Mortgage balance falling as equity builds.

Annual cost of each option

Owner outgoings are mortgage payments, capex and insurance; rent rises with your inflation assumption.

Scenario grid

Renter net wealth minus owner net wealth after your holding period, across house price inflation (columns) and investment returns (rows). Everything else stays as you set it.

Return ↓ / House ↗-5%-4%-3%-2%-1%0%+1%+2%+3%+4%+5%
+15%
£256k
£235k
£214k
£192k
£170k
£146k
£121k
£95k
£68k
£40k
£11k
+14%
£244k
£224k
£203k
£181k
£158k
£135k
£110k
£84k
£57k
£29k
£223
+13%
£234k
£214k
£192k
£171k
£148k
£124k
£99k
£73k
£46k
£18k
−£11k
+12%
£223k
£203k
£182k
£160k
£137k
£113k
£89k
£63k
£36k
£8k
−£21k
+11%
£213k
£193k
£172k
£150k
£127k
£103k
£79k
£53k
£26k
−£2k
−£31k
+10%
£204k
£183k
£162k
£140k
£118k
£94k
£69k
£43k
£16k
−£12k
−£41k
+9%
£194k
£174k
£153k
£131k
£108k
£84k
£59k
£34k
£7k
−£21k
−£50k
+8%
£185k
£165k
£144k
£122k
£99k
£75k
£50k
£25k
−£2k
−£30k
−£59k
+7%
£177k
£156k
£135k
£113k
£90k
£67k
£42k
£16k
−£11k
−£39k
−£68k
+6%
£168k
£148k
£127k
£105k
£82k
£58k
£33k
£7k
−£19k
−£47k
−£76k
+5%
£160k
£140k
£119k
£97k
£74k
£50k
£25k
−£687
−£28k
−£56k
−£85k
+4%
£152k
£132k
£111k
£89k
£66k
£42k
£17k
−£9k
−£35k
−£63k
−£92k
+3%
£145k
£125k
£103k
£81k
£59k
£35k
£10k
−£16k
−£43k
−£71k
−£100k
+2%
£138k
£117k
£96k
£74k
£51k
£27k
£3k
−£23k
−£50k
−£78k
−£107k
+1%
£131k
£110k
£89k
£67k
£44k
£20k
−£4k
−£30k
−£57k
−£85k
−£114k
0%
£124k
£104k
£83k
£61k
£38k
£14k
−£11k
−£37k
−£64k
−£92k
−£121k
-1%
£118k
£97k
£76k
£54k
£31k
£7k
−£18k
−£44k
−£70k
−£98k
−£128k
-2%
£111k
£91k
£70k
£48k
£25k
£1k
−£24k
−£50k
−£77k
−£105k
−£134k
-3%
£105k
£85k
£64k
£42k
£19k
−£5k
−£30k
−£56k
−£83k
−£111k
−£140k

Swipe the grid sideways to see every scenario.

Renting ahead Buying aheadOutlined cell = your assumptions. Values are renter net wealth minus owner.

Illustration only, not financial advice. Assumes a repayment mortgage at a fixed rate for the whole period, monthly compounding, no tax on investment gains (as in an ISA or pension wrapper) and no void periods or moving costs for the renter. Total interest paid over the period: £91,188. Total rent paid: £121,211.