Millennial Finally Buys A House Only To Realize They ‘Despise’ Everything About Being A Homeowner
Prostock-studio | Shutterstock In a Reddit post, a millennial was initially proud of himself for being able to buy a home, while most of his peers in his generation are unable to. However, he quickly realized it might not have been the financially responsible decision he had hoped.
Buying a home has traditionally been the pinnacle of success, especially in America. Unfortunately, the cost of living has made it difficult for many people, including millennials and older Gen Z adults, to follow in their parents' and grandparents' footsteps when it comes to being a homeowner. In 2025, the average age of a first-time homebuyer in the U.S reached an all-time high at age 40.
A millennial bought a house only to realize he despises everything about homeownership.
"As a millennial, homeownership is out of reach for most of my generation; however, through blood, sweat and tears, I bought my condo all on my own...and it's been the worst decision of my life. I hate home ownership," he began in his Reddit post.
He explained that if anything goes wrong, it usually ends up costing thousands of dollars to fix or get completely replaced. His savings have depleted significantly, and his mortgage has gone up for the second time, and it's only his third year living in his home. On top of that, his HOA expenses have also increased by at least 10%.
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"I'm in California and homeowners insurance and taxes keep going up. I bought my place as an investment to hedge against rising rent (so I can afford to change careers, go part time); but, at this point it might take 10 years before I see that come to fruition," he continued. "I know homeownership is the natural progression to economic success; but for 2 years I've been in constant anxiety mode thinking about what's going to fail next."
Most homeowners can't afford the upkeep of their homes.
Researchers at Today’s Homeowner surveyed 1,000 U.S. homeowners about homeowners' insurance and how rising prices affect their decision to address home repairs and maintenance. They found that most homeowners have at least one issue in their home that needs to be addressed.
Of those homeowners, nearly 45% have one to two issues that need repair, while nearly 30% have three to four issues that need repair. Almost 9% of respondents say they have five or more home issues.
Nearly 79% of homeowners surveyed say they plan to address their home repairs within the next six months. According to the survey, the reason they're waiting is that more than half can't afford to make those repairs.
Depending on finances, renting might be a better option for many.
With how expensive everything is right now, it's not shocking that some people are learning that renting might be the best move. There's all this financial pressure that comes with owning a home, including the repairs when something inevitably goes wrong.
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In fact, Bankrate found that the average monthly mortgage payment for a median-priced home in the United States, including average property taxes and homeowners' insurance, rose 2.4% year over year to $2,768 as of February 2025. When it comes to renting, the numbers have remained steady. The average national monthly rent came in around $2,000 in February 2025. Nationally, an average mortgage payment costs 38% more per month than an average rent payment, and that doesn't factor in any other costs like repairs or HOA payments.
Success shouldn't have to be defined by being a homeowner. Sometimes success looks less like owning property and more like choosing the best financial option so you aren't spending beyond your means. There's no blueprint for success, so owning a home doesn't need to be a goal unless you want it to be.
Nia Tipton is a staff writer with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and journalism who covers news and lifestyle topics that focus on psychology, relationships, and the human experience.
