Your best life: a rent-or-buy lifestyle checklist

When it comes to deciding whether to rent or buy a home, discussions of pros and cons tend to centre around the financial considerations. However, the rent or buy dilemma is about far more than just money. Another important consideration is lifestyle – which option will allow you to live the life you want? That's a difficult question to answer, but we're here to help.

Here's a handy checklist to help you decide if you should be a renter or a buyer.

Renter

I move around a lot, or want the freedom to do so if I choose, and don't want to be tied down to one specific city, neighbourhood or job

I want to live in an in-demand community that has amenities that appeal to me (restaurants and bars, parks, schools, etc.), but can't afford to buy a home there

The idea of having a mortgage and various home-related bills to pay feels like too much responsibility and stresses me out

I like having disposable income and value having a great deal of flexibility when it comes to budgeting

I still don't know what I want to do with my life, and my long-term plans and goals are up in the air

Owning a home is not an important goal for me

Buyer

I appreciate the stability and certainty of being tied to one place and have no plans to move any time soon

If a community has most of the amenities I want, I'm flexible about where I will live in the city

I welcome the increased responsibility of a mortgage and home-related bills, especially when they mean that I have greater control over the place I live and don't have to deal with a landlord or property management company