Almost 2m would stay together 'unhappy' if it meant they could buy

Some 1.8m UK adults have stayed or would stay in a relationship chiefly in order to get on the housing ladder, a mortgage firm claims. 

A L&C Mortgages survey discovered that when looking at those planning to buy in the next five years, the number of those having stayed in a relationship purely to be able to afford a home is around seven per cent. 

On top of this, 11 per cent of non-homeowners said they would be prepared to stay in an unhappy relationship if it allowed them to get a foothold on the property market.

On average, 44 per cent of those who stayed with their partner to be able to afford the mortgage or deposit did so for more than a year longer than they would have ideally done, had buying a property not been a factor. Some 40 per cent are currently still together after deciding to stay with their other half in order to buy a home.

“The fact that so many people view staying in a relationship they perhaps don’t want to be in as one of their only options for getting onto the housing ladder is indicative of the struggle people face when buying their first home” says David Hollingworth from L&C Mortgages.

L&C’s research also reveals that two thirds of those planning to buy feel under pressure to get on the housing ladder; over a third of these feel under pressure to buy due to their partner. 

On top of all that, almost one in five said that they feel pressure to buy with their partner but would rather not purchase a property at all.