131–140 of 304 posts
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you can buy all of that on craigslist for ~$700 ... $100 for each bed, $100 (or free) for sofa, $200 for fridge $100 for tv, ac for $50 and dining table for $50.. If you plan on relocating in six months to another city, that might make sense...
Sure, if you wanted vastly inferior quality...
Not sure about furniture and clothing, but Joymode sounds interesting - kitchen gadgets, game consoles, VR headsets etc. Things someone might want to try, but could just sit around unused once the initial excitement is over. REI also, for outdoor gear - I've got backpacking stuff that sits in the basement doing nothing most of the year. It's much easier to acquire things than unacquire them - selling on craigslist, c…
That's a good point. I wish it was easier. I have a lot of things in my home I'd like to get rid of and which still could be of use to someone else. I'd gladly sell them for a dollar or two each, but at that price point it isn't even worth the time I'm spending writing this HN comment, much less putting it up on an auction, paying the processing fee, and mailing it to someone. I could give them away for free on one of the local giveaway/exchange groups, but the very thought of getting someone to drive a couple kilometers to pick up a dollar-item makes me cringe - it's a ridiculously anti-environmental practice.
It's one of the reasons I tend to put not-completely-destroyed things on a side of a trash container in our neighbourhood - a local dumpster diver may appreciate it and get extra mileage from things I no longer need.
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I live in Germany and I never heard of this "need". Nobody forces you. Yes, you may want to change your old heating (that's what I do), but you get a lot of subvention from the state. You do this, then you also get some good terms on taxing etc. Same with electricity. You get a better insurance policy if you have it new.
Actually, you have to replace your heating every 30 years. Unless you are exempt, which is becoming more and more unlikely. See EnEV §10.
And I am getting an exempt, because I am using Holzpellets ( not sure how are they called in English )
EDIT: Wood pellets, that is.
Renting an apartment vs owning a house is not necessarily a bad financial move. Depends on a number of factors. For instance, if you anticipate moving within a certain time frame, between closing costs, mortgage fees, commission, etc...it can cost more to own in the first 3-5 years, especially if prices are stagnant. Also, there are hidden costs of home ownership not necessarily factored in for, like repairs, mainten…
Paying rent isn't that much lower than pay off a loan. And in one case you actually end up with property. Additionally, people invest much more in their own homes than rented property.
I am not in the US with a high property tax, but I believe this to be true almost universally.
Of course, you always pay a price if you commit to anything.
Renting an apartment vs owning a house is not necessarily a bad financial move. Depends on a number of factors. For instance, if you anticipate moving within a certain time frame, between closing costs, mortgage fees, commission, etc...it can cost more to own in the first 3-5 years, especially if prices are stagnant. Also, there are hidden costs of home ownership not necessarily factored in for, like repairs, mainten…
> Finally, one can use the savings from paying rent What savings? Rent as you stated already includes anticipated maintenance costs, property taxes, the landlord's mortgage costs, often an agency fee, plus a margin for the landlord. I don't think I've seen rental rates ever cheaper than a personal mortgage. The main advantage of renting is avoiding long-term commitment but you'll pay a premium for that flexibility. O…
Now I own my own place and I finally actually have rights and I will choose when I move on.
They were generally things people did because they didn’t have stable well paying jobs.
That’s still the reason. All this disruptive new economy rebranding notwithstanding.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Finally, one can use the savings from paying rent What savings? Rent as you stated already includes anticipated maintenance costs, property taxes, the landlord's mortgage costs, often an agency fee, plus a margin for the landlord. I don't think I've seen rental rates ever cheaper than a personal mortgage. The main advantage of renting is avoiding long-term commitment but you'll pay a premium for that flexibility. O…
I live in the UK. It's cheaper to buy than rent almost everywhere but I never minded that. The main thing that moved me to buy was because the protection for renters is nowhere near as good. I moved on average every 18 months for 10 years because the landlord decided they wanted to sell the place or just wanted me out so they could increase the rent. One landlord didn't even bother with that and just asked if I'd be…
This is why you shouldn't agree to a rolling tenancy. When the initial tenancy period is over, negotiate for a year or two. Most landlords, in my experience, don't want their houses sitting empty so they're happy to have you on the hook for a year. Although, it depends where you live: I work remotely so I tend to rent in less expensive parts of the country like Devon where there isn't so much volatility in the market.
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London's also a bit of an odd one in that regard. You either need half a million+ for a shoebox or to live way out of town, and run the risk that the foreign-investment-fueled housing bubble collapses off the back of Brexit, leaving you with more mortgage than equity. (This is why I'm still renting...)
At this point one has to wonder, who's making money off Brexit situation still being unresolved...
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> and throw it out every two years. Um, they're not throwing it out. Someone else uses it afterwards.
I'm a little skeptical of this - I know for car leases this is true, but is there really a market for 2 year old ex-rental sofas?
Renting an apartment vs owning a house is not necessarily a bad financial move. Depends on a number of factors. For instance, if you anticipate moving within a certain time frame, between closing costs, mortgage fees, commission, etc...it can cost more to own in the first 3-5 years, especially if prices are stagnant. Also, there are hidden costs of home ownership not necessarily factored in for, like repairs, mainten…
> Finally, one can use the savings from paying rent What savings? Rent as you stated already includes anticipated maintenance costs, property taxes, the landlord's mortgage costs, often an agency fee, plus a margin for the landlord. I don't think I've seen rental rates ever cheaper than a personal mortgage. The main advantage of renting is avoiding long-term commitment but you'll pay a premium for that flexibility. O…
This comparison is usually apples to oranges. For example, in Austin, a 20s-30s homebuyer may have a budget of 300-400k for a property. This amount pretty much limits the options to homes on the edge of town or in suburbs. The same person may prefer renting in or near downtown, if they aren’t buying, and that could cost just as much as a mortgage on a much larger house (in a much less expensive location).
So, hard to do fair comparisons.