To think suggesting you rent together before buying is highly impractical in 2026?

[rentbeforebuy]

It’s hard to know what is best, when you have a relationship that is fairly new (<2 years) but living together a year or so in makes sense. What do you do? Everyone says to rent first to see if you are compatible. I previously owned a house with my ex and now living with family unable to afford to buy independently. The rental market is abysmal, lettings in very short supply, the security is not there and the cost is absolutely extortionate, not to mention wasted money each month! Equally, I have experience of having to sell the house when things went south after years and years of being together, so it’s not an experience I’d try to repeat.

Well if you jointly afford to put the same in fine but one person should not be a bank

You have to balance the cost of renting for 6 months against the cost of selling after a short period. Of stamp duty, surveys and solicitors.

While renting is expensive these days, buying houses and then swiftly selling to buy two smaller ones is a lot of wasted money.

renting first is very sensible advice.

I went into a rented property with a partner who didn't work out. Had we bought, I wouldn't have been able to walk away with only my deposit down the drain.
I would advocate for try before you buy!!!

DH and I didn't rent together before buying and we have been fine (been married 20 years now). We got married and then moved in together into our bought house. Before we got married, we lived separately, him in a shared flat and me in a self contained flat with my DS. We didn't need to rent together to see if we were compatible because we felt we knew each other well without living together and are tolerant of issues that might arise. We were in a relationship for 5 years before getting married.

I would suggest just being in a relationship and living separately until you are ready to buy.

It’s highly impractical to realise, six months into living together, that you have completely different standards around household chores, sharing the mental load, and paying bills, and then being stuck either having to sell the house or worse, in a legal battle because one of you won’t agree to sell the house.

If you don’t want to rent then you need to take the time to be very sure that this is someone you share all the above values with and that you can trust; and not ignore even the smallest red flags around his housekeeping in his current home, how he treats your home, and his approach to finances.

I'm an advocate for rent first.
I rented with my first serious boyfriend after 3 years of being together. We split up 4 months into a 6 month tenancy. Separation was easy, he kept the rental and I was removed.
Dh and I rented for 6 months, plan was a year, but we fell in love at the rescue we volunteered at and adopted a dog and our ll wouldn't allow us to have him, so we moved plans forward, parents fostered our dog for 4 months and we bought with a smaller than planned deposit.

If I had bought with my ex who knows how long I'd have been tied up financially for... I think there's more security in "try before you buy"

I also believe a holiday is also another good test run before buying a house. There are many stressful aspects to going abroad.