Home Ownership Is Completely Overrated

Home Ownership Is Completely Overrated

8:25 AM, 14th August 2016, About 8 years ago 62

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Home Ownership Is Overrated

 

My 30 year love affair with home ownership is well and truly dead. I am divorcing myself of it.

I will NEVER buy another home to live in.

For three decades I have been advising on finance and property and building my own rental portfolio but it has taken me until now to realise that home ownership is overrated.

My recommended strategy to anybody from now on will be to rent the home you live in and own property that you can rent to other people.

Why?

Because home ownership is a millstone around your neck!

Because the return on capital from home ownership is pathetic in comparison to property investment!

Because mobility is crucial in modern life!

Because life is just too short!

For many years I believed that I was doing the right thing by owning the home I live in. It is a common British mentality so I didn’t think to challenge it. Now the fog has lifted I see what a fool I have been. I dare not think too deeply about all the opportunities I’ve missed due to my former obsession with home ownership, which I now realise has held me back on so many occasions.

I’ve had this discussion with a lot of people recently so I’ve heard and debated several counter arguments in favour of home ownership already; here’s a few examples:-

  • You can’t decorate – I don’t want to, the place I’m renting is lovely as it is and if I get bored I can move on a whim.
  • You can’t plant trees and flowers – I did that at my last home and it’s hard work. If I want trees and flowers I will rent a property with trees and flowers that have been planted by somebody else. If I ever get bored of the spectacular sea views I’m enjoying at this very moment I might decide to live on a golf course.
  • You will lose your place on the property ladder – maybe, but only if I don’t own other property which I rent out. Given that my rental properties produce a far greater return than capital tied up into home ownership I am actually in a position to climb the property ladder quicker if I choose to do so.
  • Renting is dead money, you are paying somebody else’s mortgage or pension – I am indeed, and I do not begrudge that. For somebody else, owning the property I am living in makes sense, even if it is only returning them a 2% yield. On the flipside, my tenants are paying my mortgages and the rental profits are paying my rent, and some more on top.
  • You don’t get the same choices in terms of furniture etc. – Yes I agree (to a point), I get far more choices and I am far less bound by them than I would be if I owned the home I live in and the furniture within it.
  • There’s no CGT on capital gains when you sell a UK home – agreed, but what if you don’t want to live in the UK anyway?

As you may be aware, I decided at the beginning of this year to live on the gorgeous Mediterranean Island of Malta. My new beliefs regarding home ownership would be no different if I had decided to remain in the UK though. Nevertheless, moving to Malta has helped me to see things from another perspective so perhaps I should also explain why I made that move.

Malta has numerous advantages over and above 300 days a year of sun filled lifestyle for me. Five percent income tax on UK dividend income and virtually no CGT on property sales or incorporation of a rental property portfolio, even with latent gains, being two big financial ones. That choice (living in Malta) raises other critique though such as:-

  • You can’t see your loved ones as often – oh yes I can, they love the free holidays and the tax I save even allows me to buy them flight tickets for birthday and Xmas presents. I speak to Mum and Dad via Skype frequently. They’ve been here to stay with us for a total of 42 nights in the last three months (that’s 6 weeks) which means I actually seen more of them then when I lived just 30 miles away!
  • The time you can spend in the UK is very limited for the first 5 years – it is indeed if the reason for moving is to become a tax exile, in my case to just 14 days any rolling year. However, the world is a very big place. I can’t see myself needing to use up my annual visiting allowance to the UK any time soon, certainly not within the next five years anyway.

I’ve realised that for the last 30 years I had been lying to myself, have you?

By the way, I recently wrote this linked blog to help frustrated first time buyers to deal with their own stinking thinking.

Whilst I don’t want to over sell living in the the jewel of the Mediterranean (it isn’t everybody’s’ cup of tea) here’s a few more of my observations which you might find interesting:-

  • The National Health system is far better than in the UK. The 11th best hospital in Europe is here.
  • We drive on the left.
  • English is the second official language, everybody speaks it.
  • The education system is good and there are English private schools
  • Unemployment is less than 1% and crime rates are much lower than the UK
  • Malta has the second strongest economy in the EU
  • The island has close connections to the UK and is steeped in history with monuments pre-dating the Egyptian Pyramids and Stone Henge

This blog isn’t supposed to be about living in Malta though. I only added that detail because it’s my blog, hence it’s also personal to me. I will look back on this in years to come.

The real purpose of this blog is to raise debate on whether home ownership makes sense.

It has taken me nearly 30 years to realise that home ownership is overrated.  Better late than though never hey?

So what’s your excuse for owning the home you live in?

I look forward to reading your thoughts on the subject.


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Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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8:16 AM, 19th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mick Roberts" at "19/08/2016 - 07:30":

Hi Mick

Growth comes from owning investment property, invariably more growth than in a home.

Nothing to stop anybody paying off a BTL mortgage.

And my big house in Norfolk made nowhere near the same returns as my rental portfolio by the way.

I'm not saying don't buy property. I'm just saying that for many people, buying the property they live in is not the best or the smartest thing to do.
.

Craig Rennolds

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9:48 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Hi Mark,

I was under the impression from previous posts that Uk rental income is still taxable in the Uk even if you live permanently abroad? This is why I have not given too much thought to living overseas as there are a few parts of the world I could spend my time in!

Craig

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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10:07 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Hi Craig

You are correct, UK rental income is always taxable in the UK regardless of where you live.

However, dividends from a property company are taxed in your country of residence so structuring your financial affairs optimally is very important.

Also, Once you are resident abroad, CGT on gains made prior to April 2015 are taxed in your Country of residence. Capital gains made after April 2015 are taxed in the UK.

I hope that answers your question?

Property Wannabee

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10:34 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

We did this 9 years ago, rented out our main property and moved to Spain. Since then we've lived in Barcelona, Marbella, Greece, Cyprus, London, a pub, a boat and we've been discussing Malta as one of our possible next destinations.

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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11:02 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Property Wannabee" at "20/08/2016 - 10:34":

Nice lifestyle!

We plan to stay in Malta for the next few years to maximise the tax benefits and then go on a worldwide wander for a few years, perhaps between one and 12 months in Florida, Thailand, Las Vegas, French Alps, Budapest, Dubrovnik, Marbella, Southern Italy, Iceland, New York, St Petersburgh, Dominican Republic, Yosemiite and San Francisco) (California) and Yelets (Russia).

Of course we also plan to take holidays in some or all of these locations whilst we are living in Malta.

One of our holidays next year will also be in Devon and Cornwall.

Craig Rennolds

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11:08 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Hi Mark,

Would it be possible to communicate privately concerning these issues? As it may work for me if I was to structure through a limited co or be becoming resident overseas.

Regards
Craig

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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11:24 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Roger Stott

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11:38 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Mick Roberts" at "19/08/2016 - 07:30":

Hello to all. Good assessment from Mike regarding the initial thread from Mark. I have to disagree with everything that Mark has said regarding ownership, possibly excluding moving to Malta. Can't fault you there, Chief.
Perhaps my perspective is a little different having worked offshore for the last forty years. If you work away it doesn't much matter where you live, and the argument about being able to up sticks and move becomes invalid as, if you don't like where you are, why did you move there in the first place? I moved to Anglesey for a six week job (as a renter) thirty five years ago, and I will leave the property that I have owned there for thirty four years in a box in the back of a black car. The property is mine. I own it. It belongs to me.

Mark Alexander - Founder of Property118

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11:47 AM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Roger Stott" at "20/08/2016 - 11:38":

I'm a massive advocate for owning property Roger, just not the one I live in.

Perhaps I'm fickle but I cannot imagine living in the same place forever. I might love it to begin with but things change, people, areas, aspirations etc. When they do I like the idea of being able to up sticks with nothing much to think about other than where I want to move to and how I'm going to get my stuff there.

Paul Haines

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12:18 PM, 20th August 2016, About 8 years ago

Hi Mark,
Thanks for poking me with a stick! This is something that has been running through my mind for the last 6 months and I am still deciding on the best strategy. But I am definitely with you on this one! May even end up in Malta myself - if I do will buy you a beer.
A few thoughts as I have read the comments - people seem to look at their home as either an emotional asset or a financial asset or mixture of both.
I am in a place at the moment where I am untangling myself emotionally from the home I live in. Being emotionally attached to a collection of bricks and slates is not rational! That being said a lot of people do it! I remember talking to my wife's parents who own there own home outright to try to get them to see benefits of getting some cash out of their property and use it for some nice holidays while they still had good health.
This was too far out their comfort zone so they carried on asset rich, cash poor. Years later, they are in a house that is too big for them, they cannot physically maintain it, find it painful financially to maintain it and is totally unsuitable for their current needs. Mobility issues mean a stair lift fitted, conversion on downstairs space for bathroom/toilet using up a lot of the little free cash they had.
I can see why they are where they are: family home, raised children there, happy memories, comfortable/settled etc but it was a wake up call for me never to be in that position myself, as I saw their house asset quickly turn into a burden for them.
So back to my exit plan from my own home. We asked ourselves the question....if we moved out what exactly would we want/need to take with us? How much of our acquired belongings are actually in a sorted state to move? I swear we have boxes in the loft unopened from when we last moved home 16 years ago! How do we acquire so much stuff? Like that pasta kit that I have had for 20 years used twice, and refused to let go because one day I will have the time to make my own pasta - it even has a little drying rack so you can hang up your spaghetti to dry! Oh please, It's crazy I know but a lot of people accumulate stuff along the way, so one of the projects is to sort and declutter and be ruthless about it.
I am also researching places to go and live for weather/quality of life (including some tax benefits) in retirement. Malta is on my radar Mark, as well as Portugal - if you did the research on this and blogged anywhere point me in the right direction please.
So I currently live in my own 'home' I don't own it, it is mortgaged and I have made interest only payments. I have no intention of 'paying the mortgage off' as I don't see the sense in storing cash in bricks unless there is a financially viable reason. In fact as part of the emotional detachment exercise my 'home' Is just a vehicle for property investment. I have borrowed against it, remortgaged it and used the cash to invest in buy to let and a holiday home in Morocco.
I see renting my 'home' in future as a natural progression for me. Even if I want to paint a Lion King mural nothing is stopping me as long as I paint it back to beige before I move on ......probably be too busy making my own spaghetti rather than painting, assuming that little pasta mangle survives the declutter!

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