Three things you need to think about when buying a house with your partner

As your relationship with your significant other progresses, you may want to consider moving in together. Here are three tips to help you.

If your current home lacks room, you’re renting, or if you both have children with previous partners, you might need to consider a fresh start. The first step to moving in with a partner is often renting.

Buying a house together can be quite a big deal and may even cement the permanence of your relationship. But it also comes with big decisions that need making. To help you, we’ve put together three things you need to think about before making the leap together.

1) Choose the right real estate broker

When you want to find a home, you may need to sell the place you currently live in. This can sometimes be a long, tedious process. You may also want to make sure you get enough money to be able to afford a better home than before.

It might be a good idea to do your research into any company you find, such as Compass, rather than simply opting to use the first one you see. This can help you to find out a bit more about them, as well as to see whether their morals and values align with your own. They may also have some experience with other couples buying a first home together, so be able to give you a little bit more insight.

2) Decide on your boundaries first

Although you may be adults, you might want to set out some boundaries for when you move in together. This could help to avoid disagreements and make those first few months a little less awkward. This could involve how you split the bills, as well as who is responsible for which chores.

Having this printed out and put up in your home can allow you to refer back to it at a later date if there is a disagreement, or even if you simply want to refresh your memories. Being open to change, such as if someone is unwell or under a lot of stress, can also help you to make that house feel more like a home, and make the experience of living together a more positive one.

3) Consider your requirements

When you bought or rented your previous home, the decision regarding size, space, and even décor may have been yours alone. Now that you plan on buying a home as a couple, you may need to learn to listen to what your partner would like, and even make compromises on certain things so that you both get a bit of what you want.

Alongside some of the minor details, there may also be larger aspects you need to consider, such as the location of the property, as well as the budget you have. Keeping some money back in case of repairs or other emergencies, rather than using all of your savings as a down payment, may also be a good idea.

Getting to the stage of wanting to buy a home together can be an important milestone in your relationship. Thinking through your options, rather than making impulsive decisions, could help you to stay strong together, even when the search gets stressful.