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Buy or rent / St Albans

Buy or rent in St Albans?

A typical home in St Albans costs around £545,000, and renting one costs around £1,950 a month. That's 23.3 years of rent to buy outright. A first-time buyer with a 15% deposit would need £101,150 in cash, including £17,250 of Stamp Duty. Over 10 years, with the calculator's starting assumptions, renting comes out £30,238 ahead.

These local figures are rough starting points, last updated 16 October 2026. Change them to match the homes you're actually looking at.

£
%

£81,750

£/month

After 10 years

Renting leaves you £30,238 better off

Buying doesn't get ahead within 10 years. Renting here assumes you invest whatever buying would have cost you extra.

£0£100k£200k£300k£400k£500kYr 2Yr 4Yr 6Yr 8Yr 10RentingBuying
Net worth each year. Buying: home equity after selling costs, plus anything invested. Renting: investments plus the tenancy deposit.
years

Stamp Duty first-time buyer relief stops at £500,000, so at this price the standard rates apply.

Mortgage
%
years
%

Most people remortgage instead, so this is a cautious guess.

years
Growth and returns
% a year
% a year
% a year

What the renter earns on money not spent on the home, after fees. Assumed tax-free, as in an ISA.

% a year
Running and one-off costs
£/month

Paid whether you buy or rent.

£/month
% of value a year
£/month
£/month
£
£
% of price
Cash needed to buy
£101,150Deposit £81,750, Stamp Duty £17,250, fees £2,150
First month's costs
£3,804 vs £2,160Buying (mortgage £2,985 plus running costs) vs renting
What if your assumptions are wrong?
ScenarioBetter off after 10 yrsBuying ahead from
Your assumptionsRenting by £30,238Not within the period
Mortgage rates 1.5 points higherRenting by £118,070Not within the period
House prices don't growRenting by £237,954Not within the period
Rent rises 2.5 points fasterBuying by £10,877Year 9
Investments return 2 points lessBuying by £25,085Year 7

Before you decide

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