Buying a house with a partner is often seen as a major life commitment, much like marriage. A 2026 survey by Barratt Homes found that nearly half of Brits believe couples should wait at least one to two years before purchasing a home together. Only 12% think it's acceptable to buy a home within the first year of dating. This topic has sparked online debate after TikTok creator @charljadehome, 25, revealed she bought a home with her partner just 10 months after they started dating. Experts say the decision to buy a home together should not rely solely on the length of the relationship, but on the couple’s readiness to have open and detailed conversations about finances. Sophie Graham, a personal finance expert, emphasizes the need to understand each other’s income, savings, debts, credit history, and spending habits. She also recommends discussing how to split the deposit, mortgage payments, and household bills, especially if one partner is contributing more than the other. Vix Leyton, a consumer expert, advises couples to consider how much disposable income they’ll have after paying the mortgage. She warns that the term "fixer-upper" can mean different things to different people and could lead to unrealistic expectations. She also highlights the importance of planning for emergencies, such as job loss or illness, and how these situations might affect their ability to make mortgage payments. When buying a home with multiple co-owners, a legal document called a Deed of Trust or cohabitation agreement is essential. Adrian MacDiarmid, Head of Mortgage Relations at Barratt Homes, explains that this document outlines each owner's share of the property and how proceeds from a sale should be divided, which is especially important if partners have contributed different amounts to the deposit or mortgage. Counselor Jonathan Eddie believes buying a home after just 10 months of being together might be too soon, as couples are often in the "honeymoon" phase, characterized by high levels of attraction and excitement. He suggests renting for a year or two before buying a home. However, Relationship Coach Kate Mansfield argues that 10 months isn’t automatically reckless, nor is five years automatically wise. She stresses the importance of gathering real-life evidence about each other rather than relying only on the amount of time spent together. She recommends couples ask each other detailed questions about income, savings, debt, credit, spending, contributions to the home, future goals like marriage or children, career plans, how ownership will be structured, and how they would handle conflict, stress, and disappointment if the relationship changes.