Should I buy a home on my own before we get married? Helen Marsh answers the Financial Times reader’s question

A row of modern townhouses features large glass doors and brick façades. The buildings have balconies above the ground floor, and the symmetrical design is set in a suburban environment.

Residential Property Partner, Helen Marsh, answers a reader’s question in the Financial Times’ article entitled “Should I buy a home on my own before we get married?”

Helen identifies two issues in her response, one relating to tax and the other to joint ownership, and discusses the benefits of entering into a declaration of trust which clarifies respective shares in a property. She also addresses issues around stamp duty and other tax implications if gifted money is shared between a couple in order to purchase a property in which one of the individuals is not a first time buyer.

The full answer can be read here, behind the paywall.

For further guidance on this topic, please contact our Residential Property team.

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Helen Marsh

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