Buying house together more commitment than getting married, many believe

Two-fifths of Britons believe that buying a house with a partner is a bigger commitment than getting married, according to research from property website Zoopla.

A survey of more than 1,800 people found that on average, people who had bought a property together said they had been in a relationship for just over three years and three months before buying their home.

Women are more likely to take the lead in searching for properties, with some 40% saying they did so in searching for properties, compared with 30% of men, and two thirds of men trust their partners to view properties without them, compared with 46% of women.

More than one third (34%) of men also said they would trust their partner to put in an offer on a property without seeing it themselves, compared with 19% of women.

Zoopla commented that with the average UK home now costing more than £200,000 and the typical mortgage term lasting for at least 25 years, it was unsurprising that both men and women see getting on the property ladder together as a big commitment.

The company added: "It is also unsurprising that women are taking the lead in the property search, as men appear to be far more laid back about the whole process."