Hi Teena

Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't fully understand your concerns here. You say that you will have peace of mind by paying the full amount upfront but that will give you worries about whether the property you want to rent will still be there in 12 months time. I think the advice that you just pay a deposit now and keep your money safe until it's time to pay the balance makes a lot of sense. As far as the issue of losing your deposit is concerned, I'd suggest negotiating with the owner on that point or perhaps taking out insurance.