Home is where the stress is
Couples find first-time buying more anxiety-inducing than buying solo
First-time buying: Anxiety doubles when finding a home with your partner!
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Stress and anxiety significantly increase when buying a first home with your partner compared to flying solo
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The likes of searching for a property, applying for mortgages and progressing through the legalities are all significantly more stressful when more than one person is involved
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It’s also having a negative impact on excitement levels, in what should be one of the most exciting periods in a person’s life
Buying a first home with your partner should be one of the most exciting times in a person’s life, but it turns out it’s significantly more stressful and anxiety inducing than buying alone according to a new study from LPL.
According to The First-Time Buyer Anxiety Index, those looking to find a first home with their partner are almost twice as anxious when it comes to the mortgage application process than doing it alone, while going through the legal work, such as surveys and valuations is also 10% more anxiety inducing.
In fact, even finding a property is more stressful and anxiety breeding, with a quarter finding the process an anxious one, compared to just 16% of solo buyers. What’s more, the process is likely to take longer, with solo buyers usually finding their first home within the fourth viewing, while that figure hits five for those searching with a partner, including a quarter taking between six and 10 viewings.
Of course, there is an additional opinion to take into account, and that does heighten every negative emotion across the journey, including stress, anxiety, frustration and uncertainty, which is having an impact on excitement too, to the point where solo buyers are even 7% more excited on moving day!
Louise Stephens-Pantoja, Head of Operations at LPL said: “We often find the more people that are involved in the purchase of a property, the higher the anxiety. It’s taking an element of control away from the individual – after all, we may not be completely aware of a partner’s financial situation or perhaps we have different tastes in what constitutes the perfect home.
“Throughout our study, even with solo buyers, we found that moments where control is taken out of the hands of the buyer, anxiety increases, which is why at LPL we pride ourselves in engaging and communicating with buyers and couples right throughout their journey with us.”
Unexpected experiences, such as delays from solicitors, survey issues and unexpected costs are also more likely to negatively impact mental health when purchasing with a partner, in the case of the latter seeing a 13% increase.
Percentage of People Suffering Anxiety During First-Time Buying:
|
Part of the Process |
Solo vs Purchasing with Partner |
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|
Solo |
With Partner |
Excitement level decrease with partner |
|
|
Saving for a deposit |
13% |
16% |
-7% |
|
Mortgage in principle |
15% |
21% |
-13% |
|
Finding a property |
16% |
25% |
-4% |
|
Making an offer |
15% |
21% |
-7% |
|
Mortgage application |
13% |
25% |
-9% |
|
Surveys and valuations |
18% |
25% |
-12% |
|
Conveyancing and legal work |
14% |
25% |
-13% |
|
Obtaining a mortgage |
14% |
27% |
-18% |
|
Exchange and completion |
17% |
24% |
-7% |
|
Waiting for completion |
24% |
34% |
-11% |
|
Moving day |
13% |
18% |
-7% |
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Breaking Property News 28/10/26