Millions of British couples stay together just to buy a house

One in ten people would consider staying in an unhappy relationship if if meant they could afford a home

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Getting on the property ladder is no easy feat in 2017.

So much so, that 1.8 million UK adults are staying in relationships simply so that they can buy a house faster, a new survey has found.

According to the research, conducted by L&C Mortgages, 11 per cent of non-homeowners would stay in an unhappy relationship if it allowed them to buy their own property.

The survey also revealed that 44 per cent of aspiring homeowners wouldn't have stayed with their partner had property purchasing not been part of the equation.

“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,” David Hollingworth at L&C Mortgages said.

He explained that due to the large sums needed for deposits, combining salaries with a partner is often the only option.

“Getting onto the property ladder is just unfathomable for me right now,” explained 24-year-old Nathaniel. “Salaries for people my age are incredibly volatile so planning ahead seems impossible, the only option is to rent,” the brand consultant told The Independent.

The average price of a first home in the UK hit a record high this year, at £207,693, 50 per cent higher than in 2012.

Naturally, it’s worse news for Londoners, for whom the average home costs a penny-popping £410,000.

Unfortunately the forecast for housing prices is no less bleak, increasing by roughly 2 per cent this year, according to Nationwide building society.

Oh the joys of adulthood.