So I got curious about how big-shot football managers handle their homes – like Gareth Southgate, you know? That England gaffer who always wears waistcoats. Figured looking into whether he bought or rented his place could teach us regular folks a thing or two about real estate.
Diving Into Southgate’s Property Info
Started by hitting Google hard, typing stuff like “Gareth Southgate house North Yorkshire”. Turns out the bloke owns this £3.75 million mansion near Harrogate. Crazy part? He bought it back when he was just Middlesbrough’s manager, not even England boss yet! Found these details scattered across trashy tabloids and property sites.
My Own Rent vs Buy Math
Got inspired to run my own numbers for a pretend flat in Manchester (way cheaper than Southgate’s place obviously):
- Renting: £1,200/month feels lighter upfront but burns money like those 5am kebabs after pub crawl
- Buying: Mortgage would be £900/month but then you got council tax + repairs. Still, 20% goes back to YOU
Made a crusty spreadsheet comparing 5-year costs. Shock moment: Even with interest rates sucking right now, buying came out £15k cheaper long-term. Southgate definitely knew this.
Asking Property Mate Dave
Phoned my mate Dave who flips houses. His golden rules:
“Rent if you might bolt town in 2 years. Buy if you’ll piss in that toilet for 5+ years”.
Also said what Southgate did smart: bought BEFORE his England salary exploded. Value jumped 40% since! Dave called it “getting skin in the game early”.
What I’ll Do Different Now
After this deep dive:
✅ Stopped thinking renting is “safer” – it’s just paying someone else’s mortgage
✅ Started squirreling cash for deposit like mad squirrel
✅ Checking Rightmove daily like it’s football scores
Kinda get why Southgate bought that mansion now. Bloke played long game like his penalty tactics. Slow but steady wins.