Rent vs buy

[Jbest]

I’ve rented points from a family friend and will be doing the same for a trip in 2022. I’m interested in buying DVC... but if we can rent points cheaply, does it make sense? Even if I rent from someone else, it seems cheaper than buying?
Currently we only go every 3-5 years.

 

[CarolMN]

I’ve rented points from a family friend and will be doing the same for a trip in 2022. I’m interested in buying DVC... but if we can rent points cheaply, does it make sense? Even if I rent from someone else, it seems cheaper than buying?
Currently we only go every 3-5 years.

If you go only "every 3-5 years", DVC is not a good fit for you. My advice is to continue to rent.

 

[Sandisw]

Definitely renting is the way to go, especially since you have an owner who you trust!

 

[npatellye]

Agree with everything @CarolMN and @Sandisw said. If it was every year or every other year, it might make sense to buy but not for every 3-5 years.

 

[snappy]

Rent until/if you decide to go to WDW more often. There are so many other places to go for vacation.

 

[scbruno]

I agree with the others. DVC is good is you use it often. more the you use it the better it is.

 

[Matty B13]

Really have to be going at least every other year to make it break even and that's only after 10 years+.

 

[Jbest]

Thank you everyone!

 

[J Spaziani]

Anything wrong with buying a smaller contract and letting the points build up? My wife and I have rented before. But purchasing seems like the way to go, even if we don't get down there every 3 years as we can rent out the points before we can't use them. Looking at Poly. Also, at this rate, it looks like the points will be worth more 10 years down the road then they are today. Is there something we are missing?

 

[RoseGold]

Anything wrong with buying a smaller contract and letting the points build up?

It didn't go great in 2020. They can and have changed the banking/borrowing rules, which can mess up your whole plan.

Small contracts cost even more per point in the closing and such, making them even worse deals.

 

[havoc315]

I’ve rented points from a family friend and will be doing the same for a trip in 2022. I’m interested in buying DVC... but if we can rent points cheaply, does it make sense? Even if I rent from someone else, it seems cheaper than buying?
Currently we only go every 3-5 years.

Typically, buying will be cheaper in the long term. But not necessarily. For example, running the math on some of the shorter contracts, renting could be cheaper than buying at BWC and BCV.

But then there is the big factor: convenience. If you're truly only going every 3-5 years, then buying makes no sense. Rent when you want to go. Even if you go every 2-3 years, renting gives you much more flexibility in terms of picking the time you want to go. Also gives you the flexibility to watch out for regular cash discounts which are *sometimes* better than DVC points. For example, free dining for a family of 4+ will often save you far more money than using DVC.

 

[Deb & Bill]

If you go every three years, you have to make sure you don't cancel your booking and not rebook during that same UY. Otherwise, you would lose the banked points since you cannot bank them a second time.