Given the costs attached to buying a property, it can sometimes be worth renting instead, especially if you are only planning to live in your new home for a short period of time.

Fill out the form below to compare the total outlay over a set period of time involved in renting or buying a property of the same value. Hold your cursor over the various fields for a pop-up explanation of what the field value relates to. The fields are initially populated with some default values as a suggestion:

	House purchase price
	Mortgage loan amount
	Annual rent on equivalent property
	Rent reviewed every
	Buying costs
	Selling costs as a % of house price
	Annual maintenance costs:
	- as owner occupier
	- as tenant
	Average mortgage interest rate payable
	Maintenance costs inflation rate
	House price inflation rate
	Initial tenant's free capital
	Assumed net return on tenant's capital
	Calculate for		(48 max)
	Conclusion		Renting is better for the first years

Work out weekly and monthly totals for any number of people sharing.

Calculate whether you're better off to buy or rent, given a variety of costs, returns and other factors.

Calculate your monthly mortgage repayments over a set term or the whole life of a mortgage.

Get a tabular or visual idea of what your payments will be like during the term of your repayment mortgage.

The APR for a mortgage rate might be quoted, but you can still compare 2 schemes using this calculator.

Even if a remortgage offers a cheaper deal, switching costs such as early redemption penalties can make it a financially unwise move.

Examine the Return On Investment generated by rental property and the effect that mortgage borrowing has on the returns enjoyed.

Riga is the capital of the Republic of Latvia and the geographical centre of the Baltic States. 100 hectares of life as it used to be. Farmsteads, windmills, fishing villages, churches and other historic structures have been moved to Riga and preserved for posterity. Watch craftsmen perform various tasks or try some Latvian cuisine and drink in the tavern.

When it comes to bargains, there's not much better than renovation projects to reduce demand and therefore offer up some interesting opportunities. At the low-to-middle sector of the UK renovation market, these properties all offer potential for capital growth...

The city is well known for its architectural and cultural values, skilful labour and developed infrastructure. Riga is not only the backbone of Latvia's economy but also the largest centre of education and science. This is confirmed by a large number of cultural events, international exhibitions, scientific conferences and seminars that every year takes place in Riga.

2 Bedroom Apartment. Sandling Park has excellent road and rail links with the M20 less than a mile away (which connnects to the M26/M25) providing good access to both Gatwick and Heathrow airports. The channel tunnel is easily accessible from the M20 at Junction 11.

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If you're feeling adventurous, you can find cheap property abroad with good potential returns…

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