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House Issue

LegacyUser

Almost a year ago my boyfriend and I decided to buy a house together and started looking at properties in Dublin. I have to say it has been a nightmare for both of us!

It is clear now that we both want two very different houses. My preference would be for a new house as I had owned an older house before - it took a long time, loads effort and money to refurbish it and I'm not keen on repeating that experience any time soon. I managed to sell that house and now I'm in a position to put money towards a new house (new build). I've always been very careful with money (don't really go out, buy luxurious items, clothes etc) so I've managed so save good bit on top of that. My contribution towards the house would be over 120k.

My boyfriend has only started properly saving about 2 years ago. His contribution towards the house will be around 15k. He's very passionate about cars and his only dream is to have his own shed/garage that comes with the house. The problem is that there are no new houses with garages/sheds so we pretty much have to look at older properties. There are not many 2nd hand properties with garages/sheds in decent locations that don't require work. Most are priced pretty high and require thousands to make them comfortable.

He keeps finding houses that are either at top of our budget and require work or are in not so great locations. Only thing he cares about is if the house has a garage/shed or not. We argue a lot over that. I am tired from my past experience and I would like a house that does not require a lot of work other than decorating. I don't want to be saving for next few years to do up a kitchen or bathroom. My ideal plan would be to have a low maintenance, modern house (hence the idea of getting a new build) and travel as much as possible, see the world. The idea of getting a new build would give us a relatively stress free lifestyle.

I feel like we are not equal in this. I have significantly more money than him and I try and push myself to save as much as possible every month. He saves as well but he's not pushing himself too hard - he would have a capacity to save more but often chooses to buy things instead e.g. car parts. Am I wrong thinking that he should compromise on the garage/shed idea? Many people would love an opportunity to buy a house in the current climate. He has an opportunity to live in the 500k brand new house but makes me feel bad for the fact that there is no garage in it!

I'm very tired of constant fighting over that. We do get on well otherwise, just the house thing...Should I buy something smaller on my own instead?

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amcalester

the_pen_turner wrote: »

No there is not.
She added to it by by saving g really hard. That's great but it doesn't explain where the first house and the money from it came from. It could be from hard work but it's not clear

It’s irrelevant though. It’s her money.

Even if it was a lottery win or inheritance or stolen he has no claim to it.

MissShihTzu

I speak from bitter experience. OP - DO NOT buy a house with a partner! You're setting yourself up for a world of pain, should you separate. It's an absolute minefield trying to split the asset, should you be unlucky enough to part.

The only way I would buy now is with my husband.

babi-hrse

Always Tired wrote: »

Irish houses aren't really built to accomodate ppl who want a space to pursue a hobby. You have to rent a separate space. That's reality.

But I find people who are 'passionate about cars' are often a bit out of touch with reality. If I was a woman I would never date someone with that passion I just find it so annoying and pointless. Here in Donegal they have this big rally every year, every year people are killed at it, this year no exception. But still it continues. Stupid redneck nonsense. No way I'd let it affect my home or a huge investment like that. I'd tell him to take his 15k and rent a garage and buy the house on my own. The activities of a garage often are loud and spill out onto the front of the house and that would wreck my head.

As someone who bought a house that needs renovation nothing I have to move out of it for which I am still doing and enjoy.
I have a shed that was probably knocked up in a week by previous owner who worked on stock racing cars. I've been picking rusted nuts and bolts and indicators out of the gravel for 6 Months and still finding more everyday. Oh and a whole heap of spent tires. You'll just have a project car laid up with the tyres sagging and moss growing in the windshield if you let him turn your property into a hobby.

the_pen_turner

amcalester wrote: »

It’s irrelevant though. It’s her money.

Even if it was a lottery win or inheritance or stolen he has no claim to it.

Of course its relivent
It is being used against him to diminish the level of savings he has.
If the op earned it then its hugely different than if she won it.

I'm not saying he has any claim to it.
The OP wants a 500k home. The boyfriend wants a garage with his home. If they can save some money and put it towards his requirements while still getting as many of the ops as possible then it's the right decision. We cannot have everything we want

amcalester

the_pen_turner wrote: »

Of course its relivent
It is being used against him to diminish the level of savings he has.
If the op earned it then its hugely different than if she won it.

I'm not saying he has any claim to it.
The OP wants a 500k home. The boyfriend wants a garage with his home. If they can save some money and put it towards his requirements while still getting as many of the ops as possible then it's the right decision. We cannot have everything we want

Well the boyfriend seems to be making a good attempt at it, €500K house with a garage, a fair chunk of which is paid for by someone else.

The_Honeybadger

the_pen_turner wrote: »

Of course its relivent
It is being used against him to diminish the level of savings he has.
If the op earned it then its hugely different than if she won it.

I'm not saying he has any claim to it.
The OP wants a 500k home. The boyfriend wants a garage with his home. If they can save some money and put it towards his requirements while still getting as many of the ops as possible then it's the right decision. We cannot have everything we want

I don’t agree that’s relevant at all, it is her money, end of. However she came to have it she is putting it at risk by buying with a partner, that’s all that’s relevant.
Perhaps he has done nothing wrong but she has enough doubts about this enormous life changing transaction to post a thread on here about it and look for advice. We only have one side of the story but it does sound like he is at best being irrational by putting forward houses at the top of their budget that need significant work.

The first thing they need to do is agree exactly what they are looking for, budget including any renovations etc. It sounds like they are pulling in opposite directions right now.

LegacyUser

Peonie83 wrote: »

Almost a year ago my boyfriend and I decided to buy a house together and started looking at properties in Dublin. I have to say it has been a nightmare for both of us!

It is clear now that we both want two very different houses. My preference would be for a new house as I had owned an older house before - it took a long time, loads effort and money to refurbish it and I'm not keen on repeating that experience any time soon. I managed to sell that house and now I'm in a position to put money towards a new house (new build). I've always been very careful with money (don't really go out, buy luxurious items, clothes etc) so I've managed so save good bit on top of that. My contribution towards the house would be over 120k.

My boyfriend has only started properly saving about 2 years ago. His contribution towards the house will be around 15k. He's very passionate about cars and his only dream is to have his own shed/garage that comes with the house. The problem is that there are no new houses with garages/sheds so we pretty much have to look at older properties. There are not many 2nd hand properties with garages/sheds in decent locations that don't require work. Most are priced pretty high and require thousands to make them comfortable.

He keeps finding houses that are either at top of our budget and require work or are in not so great locations. Only thing he cares about is if the house has a garage/shed or not. We argue a lot over that. I am tired from my past experience and I would like a house that does not require a lot of work other than decorating. I don't want to be saving for next few years to do up a kitchen or bathroom. My ideal plan would be to have a low maintenance, modern house (hence the idea of getting a new build) and travel as much as possible, see the world. The idea of getting a new build would give us a relatively stress free lifestyle.

I feel like we are not equal in this. I have significantly more money than him and I try and push myself to save as much as possible every month. He saves as well but he's not pushing himself too hard - he would have a capacity to save more but often chooses to buy things instead e.g. car parts. Am I wrong thinking that he should compromise on the garage/shed idea? Many people would love an opportunity to buy a house in the current climate. He has an opportunity to live in the 500k brand new house but makes me feel bad for the fact that there is no garage in it!

I'm very tired of constant fighting over that. We do get on well otherwise, just the house thing...Should I buy something smaller on my own instead?

Thank you for all the posts, currently reading them all and processing. Few things below to provide some clarifications:

BF savings:
- He is currently saving 19% of his net salary per month (I save 30%, earn 8% more than him). In addition we both put 100 per month each on holidays.

- We both have very good career prospects. However, I've had a continuous career for much longer than him. He was unemployed during the recession for a while (architecture).

- To be fair he is not a user. I mean we share all expenses 50/50, he treats me well, we enjoy our time together. However, we do have very different attitudes towards money which clearly bothers me as otherwise I wouldn't be on this thread.

BF and cars:
- He is currently renting a shed for which he pays 100 per month. For him getting a house with a shed is a way of saving that money and being able to work on his car or other DIY projects more frequently.

- Once we are done with saving for a house - his statement which I highly dislike as to me saving is a way of living. He suggests having a monthly amount to spend on car stuff which I guess is ok as I would also dedicate some part of my income towards things I enjoy. It might mean him staying at home (with his car stuff) and me going on few extra trips a year without him.

House:
- It would not be a joint tenancy but tenants in common. Of course I will seek legal advice and only pursue if I'm well protected. Thankfully, I have an excellent Solicitor that I've been dealing on family/house matters in the past.

- Very good advice from someone: "Buy your own home on our own. Treat him as a licencee if you decide to share. Pay the mortgage yourself and let him do the other bills." One of the ways to avoid issues later on as a cohabiting couple is to ensure that your partner does not contribute to the mortgage so that he/she can't make a claim on your property later.

- In fairness, the reason why we are looking at 500k properties is totally on me. I would love a good location, high spec, 3 bedrooms, walk in closet etc. All that comes with a price tag. He would be happy with a cheaper house in a less desirable location as long as it has a garage. Unfortunately, many of those houses require work. Also, pretty much any property is very expensive in Ireland atm.

- Yes, we did view houses with garages in Royal canal Park but I did not like the location and 900 per month management fee so said No to those.

- Yes I do think we would fight a lot over renovations. We both have very strong opinions and don't like compromising, I totally agree this might be a big issue. As i mentioned before, renovations are not for easy, they drain everything out of you - time, money, energy.

- It has been a roller coaster year looking at houses, arguing, trying to decide. I'm starting to resent my BF...our relationship is definitely deteriorating, I'm not happy atm.

amcalester

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

We only have one side of the story but it does sound like he is at best being irrational by putting forward houses at the top of their budget that need significant work.

Yeah, I’d have more sympathy for him if he was suggesting cheaper houses that could be done up and come in on budget.

the_pen_turner

The_Honeybadger wrote: »

I don’t agree that’s relevant at all, it is her money, end of. However she came to have it she is putting it at risk by buying with a partner, that’s all that’s relevant.
Perhaps he has done nothing wrong but she has enough doubts about this enormous life changing transaction to post a thread on here about it and look for advice. We only have one side of the story but it does sound like he is at best being irrational by putting forward houses at the top of their budget that need significant work.

The first thing they need to do is agree exactly what they are looking for, budget including any renovations etc. It sounds like they are pulling in opposite directions right now.

It's very relevant if it's being used against him
I agree that the OP needs to sit down with her boyfriend and talk things through but asking for a garage isn't a bit ask. Maybe a compromise buying a house with an area available for a shed

The_Honeybadger

the_pen_turner wrote: »

It's very relevant if it's being used against him
I agree that the OP needs to sit down with her boyfriend and talk things through but asking for a garage isn't a bit ask. Maybe a compromise buying a house with an area available for a shed

I wouldn’t be using the money to run him down personally but she did say that he only started saving two years ago. Whatever the case may be she is putting more at risk in the transaction and that is why the advice is being framed with a view towards protecting herself.

There will have to be some compromise on both sides probably, that’s a good suggestion regarding buying a place with room for a shed / garage. I do agree with the OP though that a newer more efficient and maintenance free home should be the priority and the garage very much second. They won’t be living in the garage.

Ursus Horribilis

the_pen_turner wrote: »

It's very relevant if it's being used against him
I agree that the OP needs to sit down with her boyfriend and talk things through but asking for a garage isn't a bit ask. Maybe a compromise buying a house with an area available for a shed

Yes, in areas that aren't so great, she says. Unless you want to suggest she might be a snob?

LegacyUser

the_pen_turner wrote: »

No there is not.
She added to it by by saving g really hard. That's great but it doesn't explain where the first house and the money from it came from. It could be from hard work but it's not clear

I don't think it matters where money comes from but to answer your question - working full time and saving since 25, bought a house with a family member in a very desirable location during the recession (mortgage), renovated it and sold at a profit not too long ago. Continued saving during that time, up skilled, got promoted few times.

Someone is suggesting in the other post that I might be a snob. Maybe I am. I am a snob about wanting to live close to some village with few shops/pub, having good commute, good schools at your doorsteps, not being too afraid walking home late in the evening.

LegacyUser

Easy solution here.
Equal partners= equal contribution = equal risk.
If he has saved €15k towards deposit , well then that's what you put towards your part of the deposit too. (Plus, the balance of your savings gives you freedom to travel, & a cushion should you ever part ways)
Unless you're married, protecting yourself against every eventuality is an absolute must. You can always pay off mortgage early in future if things become more serious commitment wise. Meantime, be smart about your investment

Ursus Horribilis

Peonie83 wrote: »

Someone is suggesting in the other post that I might be a snob. Maybe I am. I am a snob about wanting to live close to some village with few shops/pub, having good commute, good schools at your doorsteps, not being too afraid walking home late in the evening.

That would've been me and I was being a bit facetious. When it comes to buying a house, location is everything. I also think that you would come to bitterly resent making a compromise on this.

Is there a big gap between what you and your boyfriend earn? Would you be open to parking the house-hunting and giving him time to save more money towards his side of the deposit?

jlm29

Dgvvc wrote: »

Easy solution here.
Equal partners= equal contribution = equal risk.
If he has saved €15k towards deposit , well then that's what you put towards your part of the deposit too. (Plus, the balance of your savings gives you freedom to travel, & a cushion should you ever part ways)
Unless you're married, protecting yourself against every eventuality is an absolute must. You can always pay off mortgage early in future if things become more serious commitment wise. Meantime, be smart about your investment

This was my first thought too. Putting the issue of the garage aside, you do seem concerned about putting in more money than him, whether rightly or wrongly, and I don’t think your plan to own a bigger share of the house than him would actually mean much legally down the line, so maybe you should hold on to your savings and contribute an equal deposit, if it would make you feel better.
Ultimately, this might mean that One or both of you will need to compromise, but at least you might be happier that it’s equal. It’s the biggest purchase you’ll ever make, but that goes for both of you, regardless of where the deposit is coming from, so ideally it would be something that both parties would be happy with.
All that said, he needs to be realistic about what’s available, and maybe removing the larger deposit and lowering the budget accordingly will help with that

Anne_cordelia

I disagree with most posters here and think the OP is being unreasonable. It was her choice to sacrifice living her life in her 20’s to save so much (not going out or buying things for herself) and now she wants to dictate that they should buy in an expensive location and he should compromise. Her boyfriend has done what most people do and enjoyed life and his hobbies and now has knuckled down to saving. Sacrificing having a good time for years for an end goal doesn’t make such sense to me as we never know what way things will turn out. A garage is not an unreasonable request and the OP would probably be grateful for one to store things rather than having them piling up in and around the house.

the_pen_turner

Peonie83 wrote: »

I don't think it matters where money comes from but to answer your question - working full time and saving since 25, bought a house with a family member in a very desirable location during the recession (mortgage), renovated it and sold at a profit not too long ago. Continued saving during that time, up skilled, got promoted few times.

Someone is suggesting in the other post that I might be a snob. Maybe I am. I am a snob about wanting to live close to some village with few shops/pub, having good commute, good schools at your doorsteps, not being too afraid walking home late in the evening.

i think it matters a huge amount. if you got by inheriting it or similar and were holding the it agaist him it would be wrong. you hve clarified that it came from hard work and thats great

what was he doing during this time while you were saving and investing

im not sugesting your a snob but you do seem to value the things on your list over the one small thing on his list.

i agree with you about buying a new (ish) house with no problems . old houses are a bloody neusence . always something to fix or improve.
but there is no way i would live in a 500k house and be tied into any debt that comes with it without at least havign some of my needs met.
in this case its a shed to do his hobby in . im sure you will dedicate parts of the house to your indevidual needs so why not him.

a lot of people have dedicated areas for their hobby be it an alotment, garden, greenhouse, sewing room, workshop or garage, music room etc. its a space for that person to be themselves and get away from the world and relax

if i was in your boyfriends position and my girlfriend and i were having a row over me haveing a shed (my space) it would be a huge red flag. to me it would be controling behaviour ( not saying it is in your case)

sportsfan90

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

I disagree with most posters here and think the OP is being unreasonable. It was her choice to sacrifice living her life in her 20’s to save so much (not going out or buying things for herself) and now she wants to dictate that they should buy in an expensive location and he should compromise. Her boyfriend has done what most people do and enjoyed life and his hobbies and now has knuckled down to saving. Sacrificing having a good time for years for an end goal doesn’t make such sense to me as we never know what way things will turn out. A garage is not an unreasonable request and the OP would probably be grateful for one to store things rather than having them piling up in and around the house.

Eh who says the OP didn't enjoy her 20's? Not everyone likes spending stupid money on expensive shoes and clothes or falls into the category of wanting to get pissed drunk every weekend and drop €100 each time in the process.

The_Honeybadger

the_pen_turner wrote: »

i think it matters a huge amount. if you got by inheriting it or similar and were holding the it agaist him it would be wrong. you hve clarified that it came from hard work and thats great

what was he doing during this time while you were saving and investing

im not sugesting your a snob but you do seem to value the things on your list over the one small thing on his list.

i agree with you about buying a new (ish) house with no problems . old houses are a bloody neusence . always something to fix or improve.
but there is no way i would live in a 500k house and be tied into any debt that comes with it without at least havign some of my needs met.
in this case its a shed to do his hobby in . im sure you will dedicate parts of the house to your indevidual needs so why not him.

a lot of people have dedicated areas for their hobby be it an alotment, garden, greenhouse, sewing room, workshop or garage, music room etc. its a space for that person to be themselves and get away from the world and relax

if i was in your boyfriends position and my girlfriend and i were having a row over me haveing a shed (my space) it would be a huge red flag. to me it would be controling behaviour ( not saying it is in your case)

In fairness I don’t think she is actually against him having a shed, it’s more that properties in good areas with a shed or space for a shed are prohibitively expensive and him having his shed will therefore compromise the quality and location of the home they can afford. She has already been through a refurb and doesn’t want to go down that road again and I do not blame her, they can be a nightmare.

I can see both sides. It’s probably best to put off buying until they are on the same page whatever they decide

[Deleted User]

ive to be honest

if you are thinking about how to keep yr partner who you want to buy a house with out of your finances you need to throw the brakes on big time on either the relationship or the housebuying

earlier i thought it was the latter

reading your latest responses im not so sure

as an aside, if a fella was buying a house and putting more of the cash towards it i doubt it very much that there'd be such a strong support for him to keep her cut out of joint ownership and to keep her out of decisions about location and spec.

theres real signs here that you arent committed to this relationship- nothing wrong with that at all but why youd be rushing to buy a house in that instance is beyond me

reverse the roles for a sec- would you happily take the role of licencee in your partner's new house?

TheBlock

OP Buy your own house and let him move in. From reading your posts you both have very different wants and outlooks on life. This could get quite messy in a few years.

ManOfMystery

I've been in this situation. Massively into cars, but the house we bought in the end was a new build which had no garage/shed. Although I would have loved somewhere I could tinker on my vehicles, overall there were bigger things to worry about and the value of the house, quality of the area, being a new build, etc - were all more important than having a theoretical place I could explore my hobby in the limited amount of free time I have.

Just a suggestion though, if you have a driveway which goes by the side of the house (and enough space) then a car port is a relatively inexpensive compromise. Granted, it's not as secure as a garage or shed but it will - depending on the one specced - offer a dedicated place to park the car and work on it even if weather is poor.

LegacyUser

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

Her boyfriend has done what most people do and enjoyed life and his hobbies and now has knuckled down to saving. Sacrificing having a good time for years for an end goal doesn’t make such sense to me as we never know what way things will turn out.

No where did the OP imply they hadn't had a good time in their 20s, they just want to continue to have a good time in their 30s and beyond. I'm late 30s and I own a house and travel several times a year so the OP is not being unreasonable wanting to do both.

Anne_cordelia wrote: »

A garage is not an unreasonable request and the OP would probably be grateful for one to store things rather than having them piling up in and around the house.

A garage is unreasonable if you aren't the one footing most of the bill. The OH enjoyed his 20s and now is facing the reality of that, no garage! There were lots of things i'd like to have with my house but I had to make concessions based on cost/location/etc. As others have suggested the easiest solution would be for them both to put the same amount in for the deposit. That will bring their overall budget down a lot and might make both consider what are actually the most important things they need from the house vs what they'd like.

Whatever you do OP do not buy on your own and let him move in, it opens up a lot of legal questions on co-habitation and you may end up joint owning the house anyway.

the_pen_turner

can't log in wrote: »

No where did the OP imply they hadn't had a good time in their 20s, they just want to continue to have a good time in their 30s and beyond. I'm late 30s and I own a house and travel several times a year so the OP is not being unreasonable wanting to do both.

A garage is unreasonable if you aren't the one footing most of the bill. The OH enjoyed his 20s and now is facing the reality of that, no garage! There were lots of things i'd like to have with my house but I had to make concessions based on cost/location/etc. As others have suggested the easiest solution would be for them both to put the same amount in for the deposit. That will bring their overall budget down a lot and might make both consider what are actually the most important things they need from the house vs what they'd like.

Whatever you do OP do not buy on your own and let him move in, it opens up a lot of legal questions on co-habitation and you may end up joint owning the house anyway.

we dont know that the boyfriend was out enjoying himself. he could be investing in his trade ,tools, education etc. unlikely but posible.
we dont know his situation and income. that 15k could be a lot for him.

he will be footing the bill for some of the house. he will be in joint debt for 360 k with the OP. thats a lot of money to be in debt and not be getting anything you want. especially something so small as a garage.

[Deleted User]

my understanding was that you could get a tenants in common contract to have unequal shares in the property. it might be worth talking to a solicitor to find out more since you are contributing more

LegacyUser

the_pen_turner wrote: »

we dont know that the boyfriend was out enjoying himself. he could be investing in his trade ,tools, education etc. unlikely but posible.
we dont know his situation and income. that 15k could be a lot for him.

he will be footing the bill for some of the house. he will be in joint debt for 360 k with the OP. thats a lot of money to be in debt and not be getting anything you want. especially something so small as a garage.

My reply regarding what both were up to in their 20s was in response to another poster making assumptions of the OP wasting their 20s while their OH enjoyed themselves.

Regardless of the OHs situation in saving 15K the reality is the OP is putting considerably more into the purchase and it's already leading to resentment just looking for a place, what is it going to be like when they purchase some place and aren't happy as one of them is going to have to give up something they want. the garage isn't a small thing as they aren't common in Ireland and they certainly aren't common with most new builds so someone is going to have give up something they want in order to purchase a place. Either the OH gives up on having garage and is resentful or the OP agrees to a second hand house and is resentful of the amount of work involved in doing it up.

Their choices are put the equal amount in each for deposit so theres no chance of money being held over anyones head, doesn't fix the what type of house we should buy issue but at least they are more equal in the risk or keep looking in the hope they eventually find somewhere that ticks most boxes which could take months even years if it happens at all.

SozBbz

OP, you do know that after living together for 3 years already in rented accommodation, then you'd only have to live together for 2 years in your new home for him to have rights over your "share" of the property.

Also, the market has cooled dramatically so perhaps just wait and see what comes on the market. Perhaps a decent compromise will become available.

Finally to all those saying that the OP is being horrible to her partner -its not that she actively doesn't want him to have a garage. I'm sure if new builds these days typically included garages they'd simply buy one and all be happy however they don't so shes simply dealing with the reality of the stock available on the Dublin market.

I've an OH with a space consuming hobby. A garage would have been great, albiet not essential. He did want decent outside space which I can easily understand. This enables him to get a shed and keep his stuff out of our living space. We both knew that we probably wouldn't get 100% because our budget wasnt unlimited, so there would always be compromise. We worked through this by viewing properties and trying to achieve the spirit of what we require where possible and thing up future solutions if we cant get everything we'd want.

Himself was originally keen on buying in cheaper areas so we went and viewed some property and it worked well as it really helped focus the mind. Have you actually gone out viewing OP?

d8491prj5boyvg

Does the garage have to be next to the house? Buy the house you want and let him buy the garage he wants with his own money elsewhere. A lock up somewhere would be cheaper and do the trick. It also means it is not coming out of your pocket.

Dial Hard

SozBbz wrote:

OP, you do know that after living together for 3 years already in rented accommodation, then you'd only have to live together for 2 years in your new home for him to have rights over your "share" of the property.

That's not how it works. Cohabitation rights clock only starts ticking once they start living in house one or both of them owns.

airportgirl83

Dial Hard wrote: »

SozBbz wrote:

OP, you do know that after living together for 3 years already in rented accommodation, then you'd only have to live together for 2 years in your new home for him to have rights over your "share" of the property.

That's not how it works. Cohabitation rights clock only starts ticking once they start living in house one or both of them owns.

You don't just acquire rights to the property there are other conditions that must be met e.g. direct contribution (see below). Some info below...of course discuss with your Solicitor.

If a cohabiting couple splits up, the family home (and other family assets) will belong to the person who holds the legal title to the home/assets. This means that in the case of the family home, the person who originally bought the house and whose name is on the title deeds will usually own the house.

This also applies to a married couple who split up. Marriage does not automatically give you ownership of your spouse’s assets. Where the family home was bought and registered in both spouses’ names, they are the joint owners. However, where the house is registered in the name of one spouse only, it may be solely that spouse’s property.

If your relationship breaks down and your name is not on the title deeds to the house, you may still be able to show that you have some ownership rights in relation to the house. These rights are based on the fact that you made a contribution to the purchase price of the house with the intention of gaining a share in the ownership of the house.

Contributions to the purchase price of the house can be direct or indirect. Direct contributions include contributions to the initial down payment for the house or contributions to the mortgage installments. Indirect contributions may include paying some of the other day-to-day household expenses or unpaid work in the legal owner of the house's business. It has been held by the courts that working in the home looking after children and money spent or work done on home improvements are not contributions that give you any right of ownership in relation to the house.

Usually, where you can show that you have made a contribution to the purchase price of the house, you will be entitled to a share in the house in proportion to your contribution. For example, if you have shown that you paid off half of a mortgage that represented 90% of the purchase price, you would be entitled to 45% of the ownership of the property.

As well as showing that you made a financial contribution to the purchase price of the house, you must also show that your contribution was made with the intention of gaining a share in the ownership of the house and that you were not making a gift of the money to the legal owner of the house.