I reflected on buying a house later in life and distilled the key guidelines that shaped my decision.
I bought my house at age 40.
The EMI shouldn't be more than 30% of my income, and I had no other loans running at the time.
Delaying the purchase allowed me to respect the 30 % EMI rule and stay debt‑free, which gave me a strong positive emotional boost – “The feeling was great for a moment.”