Important — But Potentially Uncomfortable — Conversations To Have Before Searching For A House For Sale With Your Partner
Posted on: 29 December 2016
If you've been dating someone for a short period of time and things are going well, you might opt to move in together. If neither of your current homes is suitable for the two of you, searching for homes for sale in your area and buying a home together might be an option. While it's probably exciting to think about buying a home and moving in, you should also have some open and honest conversations about the future. This can especially be important if you haven't been dating very long. Here are some important and potentially uncomfortable topics of discussion.
Dealing With A Breakup
You don't want to think about your relationship ending, but this is an important topic to cover before you take the big step of buying a home together. If your relationship were to end while you own a home, you can't simply give notice and move out in the same way that you would when renting an apartment. You'll have to work together to sell the home, and you'll also have to decide how to divide any possessions that you've gathered together. At least one of you should have a plan about where you'll live during this phase if you don't wish to both live together. Customarily, one person will remain in the house while the other will find alternative accommodations.
Division Of Household Tasks
You should never make assumptions about how you'll divide the household tasks before you buy a home and move in together. Instead, it's better to actually make a list of the tasks that are a part of home ownership and talk frankly about how these things can be divided. For example, one partner shouldn't assume that the other will do all of the repair work and maintenance projects. If neither of you is capable of such projects, you might wish to reconsider buying a home. Or, consider if you're friends with a contractor who could help you out.
Ability To Share The Expenses
There's no one-size-suits-all way to share the expenses that come with owning a home, but you need to decide what will work for you. For example, you might wish to split everything 50/50, or one partner who earns more at work may opt to pay the bulk of the expenses in exchange for the other partner doing more cooking and cleaning, for example. Making sure that you know the approach you'll be taking, and that you're both comfortable with it, is key before you begin your search for a home.
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