If you’re trying to determine whether it’s better to own or rent a home, there are many factors to consider. Both options have their merits and downsides. Owning a home might seem like the more overwhelming choice of the two, yet there are lots of reasons to consider it. Here are some of the major benefits to home ownership:
Buying a home is an excellent investment. The value of your property can increase naturally over time and even more so with every upgrade to your home. Even responsible upkeep can be enough to maintain and increase the value so that you can get a great price if you decide to sell. If your home is in a quickly growing area with popular schools, access to services and other desirable traits, you will hold incredible value by owning your own property.
When you own a home, your regular costs rarely fluctuate. While usage-based utility bills can certainly vary from one month to the next, your mortgage payment will always be the same. This makes budgeting easier and can help you prepare your finances. Property taxes and HOA fees are other examples of regular costs that you can expect on a set schedule.
Home ownership means you have complete flexibility with things like renovations and design. Rather than face restrictions and fees for painting the walls or putting up shelves, you can make those decisions yourself. You can tear down walls, build additions or even replace the roof at will. If your home has outdoor space, you can control your own landscaping design. Freedom to customize your home means the freedom to make it your own.
Home ownership is not for everyone. However, there are some excellent advantages to consider if you’re trying to decide on your next steps in real estate. Keep these things in mind to help you make the best choice.
I'm John Mahan, Sales Associate with William Raveis Real Estate, Harwich Port Office.
Throughout his childhood, John Mahan spent summers on Cape Cod at his parents’ home in Dennis Port. His intro to the Cape was, as he puts it, when his parents “carried me down the stairs at Sea Street Beach when I was a week old.” With a lifelong connection to Cape Cod, it seemed only natural for John and his wife, Mary, to move to Harwich – where they still reside – with their two young children in 1996.
Prior to moving to Cape Cod, John lived in the Worcester-Auburn area where he worked for Mass Electric for 10 years and was a member of the International Brotherhood of Utility Workers. When John and his family moved to the Cape, he worked at NSTAR for six years.
John began his career in real estate in 2002 when he joined Team Waystack Realty in Harwich Port. He has been a consistent top producing realtor in the Harwich area for the past 20 years. John’s approachable demeanor, combined with an integral understanding of the Cape Cod residential real estate market, have allowed him to build trusting, long-term relationships with his clients – both sellers and buyers.
