Five Topics All Couples Should Consider When Buying a House Together

If you and your significant other are house hunting, there are several things you should think about in advance. Here, Realtor.com offers some topics to discuss before you start looking for your dream home.

1. Where to buy

Many couples disagree on where they want to settle down—because location affects so much in terms of daily commutes, school districts, and of course, price. Before you begin the house-hunting process, sit down with your partner and talk about which neighborhoods are on your wish lists. Hopefully, there’s some overlap between the two, and if not, discuss how you’ll meet in the middle. It’s much easier to find a compromise you can live with before you’ve started house hunting. That becomes much more difficult once you begin touring homes—and one of you falls in love with a particular property that the other dislikes. 

2. Whether the home is perfect enough to make an offer

Even if you and your partner both like a particular home, feelings often diverge over whether you love it enough to make an offer. Try grading each home you look at on a scale from one to 10, then compare their grades at the end of the day.

3. How aggressive the offer should be

Some couples disagree on how aggressive they should be with their offer. The market should mostly determine how hard of a bargain you should drive. If listings are remaining on the market for months, it’s a buyer’s market where bargain hunters have the upper hand. But if it’s a seller’s market where houses are moving fast, making a lower offer is a risky bet.

4. Who gets which room

Even if couples agree on the home they love and how much to offer, they then have differing opinions on who gets which rooms and where stuff goes. Try to shelve this conversation for the time-being. Instead, live in the house for a while and then circle back around about your best use of space. If you must discuss the issue, consider sharing examples of what you’ve seen in similar spaces or have an interior designer help you create the space you both desire.

5. How much of the home to remodel

Not everyone has the same definition of “fixer-upper,” or the same wherewithal to deal with it. Define what’s acceptable for repairs, with the understanding that the rules may be bent if needed. Consider your long-term plans, as well as what tasks you feel are DIY and those that need a professional’s touch. Then take it slow; there’s no reason to remodel everything at once.