Australian Property Podcast Should you buy a home or rent?
Dec 27, 2025
The hosts dive into the age-old debate of buying versus rent-vesting, exploring personal circumstances and market cycles. They discuss how changing interest rates have shifted investment strategies and share real-world examples. The conversation touches on common investor mistakes, tax implications, and the benefits of owner-occupied homes. They also tackle when rent-vesting makes sense and the recent policy changes affecting home purchases. Listeners gain practical insights and recommendations for navigating this complex financial decision.
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Strategy Depends On Market Cycle
- Market conditions change the appeal of rent-vesting versus buying a home over time.
- Chris Bates says strategies that worked in 2013 may not suit 2025–26 because borrowing rules and housing policies changed.
Personal Rent‑Vesting Experience
- Pete Wargent shares his rent-vesting experience from the 1990s when he and his partner travelled and built a portfolio.
- He later found owner-occupied homes often outperformed investors' returns over time.
Investors Often Underperform Homeowners
- Many investors chose apartments and underperformed compared with owner-occupiers who drove house prices.
- Chris Bates notes investors often sold too early and missed long-term gains by not holding assets.