We often talk about the financial benefits of buying a home, which can be substantial. But did you know that owning a home offers important emotional benefits as well?

Not only does it guarantee a stable roof over your head, but it offers other mental boosts that often go unrecognized.

Consider these 5 ways owning a home contributes to mental health, provided by Sold.com.

It connects you to a community:

Experts agree that solid social connections are a prime indicator of happiness. Most people who buy a home plan to stay in it for ten to 20 years. That allows time for befriending neighbors, volunteering in schools and otherwise becoming civically engaged—in other words, strengthening your social connections in important ways.

It lowers your stress:

Buying a home can add stress if you can’t comfortably afford your mortgage payment. But if that’s not a problem, homeownership beats rent on several emotional levels: Unlike rent, you don’t have to worry about your mortgage payments rising unexpectedly (provided it’s a fixed-rate mortgage). Also, mortgage payments act as forced savings, allowing you to build equity that provides a financial safety net and adding to your sense of security.

It allows you to create the ambiance you crave:

Paint any room you’d like; tear down—or put up — any walls. You don’t need permission to make the home your own and nest in exactly the way you please.

It benefits your children:

Children don’t like being uprooted frequently. The increased stability that comes with homeownership enhances their sense of well-being.

It allows you to control environmental toxins, adding to peace of mind:

Renters are at a landlord’s mercy when it comes to chemicals used in and around the property. Not so, homeowners. “You can choose non-toxic materials and fertilizer and you can take care of mold, pests, or other concerns before they become a problem,” notes Sold.com.