Is renting really throwing my money away?

People keep telling me that renting is throwing money away, and I want to think it through before I talk to a mortgage adviser. I live in . This is a thinking exercise, not a decision. Ask me up to six questions, one at a time, about how long I expect to stay, my rent and savings, how steady my income is, and what I want from a home. Then give me two short lists: what would have to be true for buying to come out ahead, and the same for renting, including the costs people forget on each side. Mark which conditions I already meet. Don’t lean toward either answer, and don’t predict prices or interest rates. Say where a condition depends on local rules or costs you can’t confirm. End with the five numbers I should find out locally and four questions to bring to the adviser.