Money · Timing gauge
Property Market Timing Gauge
Calculate the real cost of waiting to buy versus buying now: rent paid, deposit erosion, and price appreciation missed over your chosen wait period.
What this means
This instrument starts blank so it does not judge a made-up example before you have entered your own situation.
Formula used
Cost of waiting = rent paid + price appreciation missed - deposit interest gained + deposit inflation erosion.
Worked example
Waiting 12 months at £1,500/month rent, with prices rising 3%/year on a £350,000 property, costs £18,000 in rent plus £10,500 in appreciation — roughly £28,500.
Common questions
What if prices are expected to fall?
Enter a negative percentage for the expected price change. The tool will show if the fall is large enough to justify the rent paid while waiting.
Does this include mortgage costs?
No — this tool focuses on the cost of timing, not the ongoing mortgage cost. Use the mortgage overpayment tool for ongoing cost comparisons.
Plain-English summary
Fill in the questions on the left to generate a verdict card.
This section translates the result into a short, direct takeaway rather than leaving the page at a bare number.
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