My husband and I bought a house a little over three years ago. I am really glad we did, but it definitely took a while to get into a position where it was a possibility. We bought it from the builder, so they have fixed a few problems we had that were covered by the warranty. Even so, we have had to spend money to landscape the yard (still working on that), set up the gas hookups, put a roof on the laundry area, etc. You will need to set aside money for a lot of things:

Insurance: In this country insurance coverage for damage from disasters like fires and earthquakes is included in the mortgage payment. On top of that, we pay for extra insurance for damage to our possessions. We live in earthquake country, so it is necessary to have.

Repairs when something breaks, and you can’t fix it yourself.

Appliances: Sometimes appliances like refrigerators and washing machines are included in the sales contract, sometimes they are not. If they are not, that will be another expense to consider.

Additional furniture if you are moving to a bigger place.

Property taxes.

As Sarah said, tools for minor repairs.

You say you like to do renovations. Even if you do them yourself, plan to spend a lot of money at the home improvement store.

If you buy a condo or a house in certain communities, there are monthly fees. Here we have security guards to pay and public spaces that need to be maintained, so we have to pay about US$50 to cover those expenses.

I remember when I rented in the US, some of the utilities were included in the rent. If you own, you have to pay for everything yourself. If you move to a larger place, the bills are likely to be higher, especially if you have a lawn to water.

Those are just some things to think about. I would hold off on buying until I was sure I had money to cover these expenses if I were you.