Renting Forever vs. Owning a Home: The Long-Term Perspective
Recently, I heard someone say they’d rather rent forever to avoid the cost of home maintenance.
And honestly? I get it.
When you rent, there’s a certain peace of mind that comes with having a landlord. HVAC goes out? Landlord. New roof? Landlord. Plumbing issue? Landlord. You make the call, and someone else handles the stress and the bill.
When you own a home, that responsibility shifts—fast.
Roofs can easily run $10,000+ (especially if insurance won’t cover it).
HVAC systems? Also $10,000+ without much effort.
And that’s not even touching plumbing, electrical, or the surprise issues no one warns you about.
Roofs can easily run $10,000+ (especially if insurance won’t cover it).
HVAC systems? Also $10,000+ without much effort.
And that’s not even touching plumbing, electrical, or the surprise issues no one warns you about.
Trust me, I understand. I was a renter once too, and having someone else deal with the big stuff was amazing.
When my husband and I bought our first home, we closed at the end of January. A few weeks later… February 2021 happened. If you know, you know. Ice storm, everything shut down, roads frozen, and of course—water pipes freezing.
If you were lucky, your pipes just froze.
We weren’t that lucky.
We weren’t that lucky.
A pipe busted. Two weeks into homeownership, and boom—our first unexpected expense. Thankfully, that one wasn’t too terrible. But then a few months later… slab leak. That one hurt a bit more.
The following year? Entire HVAC system went out.
Then another water leak.
Then we found out our roof was uninsurable—despite only being four years old.
Then another water leak.
Then we found out our roof was uninsurable—despite only being four years old.
Every single one of these moments tested us. There were plenty of times we asked ourselves, Why are we even doing this? Should we just go back to renting?
But we decided to stick with homeownership.
Why?
Because one day, this home will be paid off.
Because it’s something our children could have if they choose.
Because it’s ours—to paint, change, renovate, or do absolutely nothing with—without asking anyone for permission.
Because it’s something our children could have if they choose.
Because it’s ours—to paint, change, renovate, or do absolutely nothing with—without asking anyone for permission.
And recently, something else really stuck with me.
I heard someone close to retirement say their biggest regret was not buying a home. They’re ready to retire, but they’ll still have a rent payment every single month—for years to come. They said they would’ve rather dealt with maintenance if it meant building equity and eventually having no monthly payment.
That really made me pause.
Homeownership isn’t just about what’s happening right now. It’s also about where you want to be later—especially when retirement comes into the picture.
Now, I’ll say this clearly: homeownership is not for everyone, and that’s okay. Renting absolutely makes sense for many people and many seasons of life.
But it is worth thinking long-term every once in a while. Not just about today’s repairs or expenses—but about the future you’re building.
Sometimes the bigger picture matters just as much as the moment you’re in.