Everyone desires to own a home of their own one day, but the question always remains – what’s the right age to buy your first home? Does making one of the most important decisions of your life boil down to just a number – or is it more to do with your financial standing than the right age? Read more to know about the right age to buy your first home:

Buying Early (25-30)

The rising incomes of professionals at an increasingly younger age has seen them buying homes at an earlier age. While there is no harm in buying a home at the age of 25, waiting a little longer to accumulate a larger down-payment could have meant a smaller home loan and fewer EMIs.

When buying at an early age, you should ensure that you have an emergency fund available to keep you going for at least 6 months along with funds for EMI repayments for the same period. Aside from this, you should take a life cover insurance of 125% of your total home loan if you are unmarried. And for those who are married, take a life cover insurance that’s 200% of your home loan, so that in the case of a mishap, the loan gets paid off, while leaving something substantial for your family’s future too.

Buying Later (After 40)

The biggest advantage of buying your home later in life is that you have sufficient money saved up to go home-shopping with minimal need for a home loan. Since people start planning for retirement from 40 onwards, it’s better not to be burdened with loan repayments at this stage. Large loans at this age can hamper retirement plans. Banks too, prefer to only offer short-term home loans when taken at a later stage in life.

Buying at the Right Age (30-35)

The right age to buy your home is when you have saved up 30-40% of your home’s value as a downpayment. The contingency plan for 6 months expenses and life insurance should be practised here too. This is also the age when salaries are higher and its easier to get long-term home loans.

With proper planning and guidance, homebuying can be an enriching experience – at whatever age!