'A renter I helped is about to buy own home because she focused on two things'

'A renter I helped is about to buy own home because she focused on two things' A property expert said there was a common mistake renters made Anyone following the property market could be forgiven for thinking now is the worst possible time to buy a home. Mortgage rates remain higher than many buyers would like, asking prices have softened in some parts of the country and uncertainty continues to dominate the headlines. But, according to property expert Patricia Ogunfeibo, founder of London-based tenant2owner, waiting for everything to feel perfect could actually leave buyers worse off. She said many people spent so long waiting for lower rates, lower prices and better news that they missed opportunities sitting right in front of them. Patricia said: "People often tell themselves they'll buy when mortgage rates fall, prices come down or the market feels more settled. The reality is that there is rarely a perfect time to buy. If you keep waiting for every light to turn green, you may never move." While headlines often paint a gloomy picture, Patricia said the behaviour she saw from aspiring homeowners told a very different story. At tenant2owner, which helps renters move into homeownership, she said demand remained remarkably strong. Patricia said: "Over the past month alone we've welcomed more than a thousand new visitors to our website, despite only recently rebuilding it. What really stands out is what they're looking at. The most popular pages aren't general property information. They're our readiness checks and rent-versus-buy calculator. People are actively trying to find out whether buying is possible." She said she believed this reflected a wider trend among serious buyers. She said: "The casual browsers may have stepped back, but people who genuinely want to own a home haven't disappeared. They're doing the homework, understanding their finances and preparing themselves rather than waiting for the headlines to improve." Patricia also believes today's market can work in buyers' favour. With competition easing in many areas, buyers often have more negotiating power than they would during a booming market. She said: "When demand softens, sellers usually become more realistic. That creates opportunities to negotiate that simply don't exist when buyers are competing against multiple offers." One recent success perfectly illustrates the point. Patricia said: "One of the renters who attended our very first webinar six months ago completes on her own home very soon. She didn't wait for a perfect market. She focused on understanding what she could afford and preparing herself to buy." Patricia stressed she was not suggesting everyone should buy immediately. Affordability, job security and personal circumstances should always come first. But she believes buyers should spend less time worrying about headlines and more time understanding their own position. She added: "Nobody buys a headline. They buy security, stability and somewhere to call their own. If your finances are ready, don't let negative headlines stop you exploring whether homeownership is possible."