Do you dream about what owning a home makes possible?

Homeownership is much more than bricks and mortar. It’s more about how we feel about having a secure place to live.

Summer is a season for making memories, spending time with the people who matter and thinking about what comes next.

For many aspiring homeowners, it’s also a reminder of why having a place to call home matters so much.

When people talk about buying a home, the conversation often focuses on deposits, mortgages and affordability.

And while mortgages and interest rates matter, the reasons people want to buy a home normally focus on what owning a home makes possible.

Such as:

• Security
• Stability
• A sense of belonging
• The ability to make plans.

Maybe that’s why so many aspiring homeowners talk about peace of mind rather than property prices when they describe what homeownership means to them.

A greater sense of stability, security and control.

Research consistently shows that housing plays an important role in our well-being and mental health.

The Health Foundation research concluded that housing matters to our health and well-being, describing a healthy home as one that is affordable, warm and provides security.

If a home doesn’t meet those essential needs, it creates stress, anxiety and impacts our ability to plan for the future.

The British Psychological Society describes a home as “a place of love and support. It is a place where you can relax and be yourself, where you have privacy. It is somewhere where you have control over the environment.”

Numerous studies by Generation Rent support that theory, showing that homeowners receive a far greater sense of security than those living in the private rented sector, whose experiences, such as a lack of control and insecurity, can make it difficult to feel at home. In fact, one study showed that nine in 10 private renters stated that privately renting had negatively affected their mental health.

That’s not to say that owning a home automatically makes you happier.

But having a greater sense of stability, security and control over where you live can make a real difference to how you feel about the future.

More than bricks and mortar.

For many, owning a home is more than getting onto the property ladder; it’s about having a place to call home.

It’s easy to think of homeownership as something that sits somewhere in the future. Something that will happen when you’ve saved enough or waited long enough.

But life shouldn’t have to stop while you’re working towards your deposit goals.

Birthdays, family gatherings, places to visit, memories to make. They’re not distractions from your future. They are part of it.

Building a life and planning for tomorrow don’t have to be separate things.

A plan that works with real life.

At Own Homes, we believe everyone’s journey to homeownership is different. What matters is finding a path that works for you.

Homeownership isn’t just about buying a house. It’s about creating a home where life happens and fits around it.

Could RentSaveOwn work for you?

If you can afford a mortgage but struggle to save a deposit, Own Homes may be able to help.

You can rent your new home, save while you rent, and own when you’re ready.

If you’re searching for a way to move towards homeownership without putting life on hold, learn how #RentSaveOwn works.