Why do you consider property ownership so important?
This is an open question to everyone by the way. It's one of these peculiarly English obsessions I've never understood.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:28, 6 replies, latest was 14 years ago)

For my parents, the ability to sell up and move to a whole range of other places, and Independence from the state.
Also, Property ownership is in a wider sense the whole basis of modern economics.
(888777555, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:30, Reply)

You do realise you can move to a whole range of other places and be independent from the state if you rent, yes?

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:33, Reply)

And, I suppose, to gain equity.
Ultimately, when a mortgage is paid off, people just like the thought of owning a house.
It also gives more of an Incentive to make the house look nice and decorate, add a loft conversion, conservatory.
Go down any council estate and you can tell which are the private houses.
(888777555, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:38, Reply)

I don't, particularly
working in science, I'll never be earning enough to get a mortgage on my own for the kind of place I'd be happy to live in. So I've more or less given up on the idea, to be honest.
If I were to settle down and raise a family though, I'd prefer to own rather than rent as 1) a lot of rented places get funny about kids and babies, 2) I'd want the security of owning the place and being able to change what I wanted. You don't get that with rented flats, it's all magnolia and shit carpets.
(berk, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:32, Reply)

...and the landlord suing you
after they lied about the contract

or is that just me?
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:34, Reply)

For me it was purely the idea that i had the freedom to change the house to what i wanted.
When tied in to Landlords it's rare (at least around here) to be able to anything except put up pictures and maintain it as it is.
I was lucky to come in to some money, and thought, fuck it, it's not much more than my rent is now, and it will be fun to design a house fro the bottom up.
( Windy Pig I'm naturally quite suspicious about the moon., Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:34, Reply)

It's not really that important.
But in the majority of cases, by the time you've paid off your mortgage, your house is worth considerably more than you'd have paid for it, meaning you've got an asset to leave to any kids you might have. Given that there is a lack of social housing, in years to come being of 'stock' that owns property will probably open more doors and opportunity than those who have to pay the market rate to rent somewhere.

Add to that, if you rent, you are paying rent for life. If you have a mortgage (aside from moves/remortgaging) you are technically 'rent free' after 25 years, which makes econimic sense.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:37, Reply)

This
you basically pay the same amount, but after a bit you own it. Rent is dead money and all that.
(berk, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:41, Reply)

Yeap, and you're paying for someone else to own it more often than not.

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:44, Reply)

It could very much be both security and a millstone around someone's neck.
I know my expenses are halfed by buying a place and all the money resulting from the purchase of property, however, I have an initial outlay which oblitorates all of my savings which is just going on a mortgage. I guess it's like mass-purchasing, I'm buying like 20 year's (or whatever) rent in one bosh.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 20:39, Reply)

It's becoming less so
And renting is far less of a social stigma than it was even twenty years ago.

In Belgium and Holland only about 25% of people ever own a home.

Naturally I'm a little biased here as my money comes from rented property...
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:05, Reply)

Yay! TD
How was Old Trafford? I managed to catch the highlights, it looked like the best game of the series.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:06, Reply)

Yes that's the way it looked to me too.
It turned out that I didn't have a ticket, having been offered one in January and turned it down for Trent Bridge, which I didn't go to.
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:08, Reply)

Ouch.
That must have stung a bit.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:09, Reply)

Found out on Friday night
When I rang my mate to find out where we were meeting.
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:11, Reply)

That's even worse.
Especially as you drove last time. Were you not tempted to go anyway and pick up a spare ticket outside?
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:19, Reply)

Considered it
But I'd have been paying silly prices and I have this odd thing that when I go to cricket I actually quite like to sit and watch it with my mates.

Also I got mightily ratted on Friday night.
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:26, Reply)

Do you have any other cricket trips in the pipeline?

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:28, Reply)

Twenty Twenty semis/final at Edgbaston in August.
Would like to have done one of the India tests but none of my happily married cricket-watching buddies could make them.
( The Disappointed Caravanner of the year, Mon 11 Jul 2011, 21:32, Reply)