# Buying a home with a partner or friend: what to sort out first

> When you buy with someone, you choose how you own it: as joint tenants, where you own it all together, or as tenants in common, where you each own a share. If you put in different amounts, a declaration of trust records who gets what.

Buying · Published 2026-10-04 · Updated 2026-10-04 · https://firstkey.uk/articles/buying-with-a-partner-or-friend

## Two ways to own a home together

- Joint tenants: you own the whole home together. If one of you dies, the other automatically owns it all. Common for married couples.
- Tenants in common: you each own a share, which can be unequal, like 60 and 40. Your share goes to whoever you name in your will.

This is how it works in England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so ask your solicitor.

## Why a declaration of trust helps

If one of you puts in more for the deposit, or a parent gives one of you money, a declaration of trust records who gets what if you sell or split up. It's much easier to agree now than later, and a solicitor can draw it up for a modest fee.

**Talk about the what ifs.** Who pays what each month? What if one of you loses your job? What if one wants to sell? Writing it down isn't unromantic. It protects you both, and friends buying together especially.

## The mortgage

Lenders add your incomes together, and you're both responsible for the whole mortgage, not just your half. If one can't pay, the other has to. Many lenders lend around 4.5 times your joint income.

[Compare likes with them](https://firstkey.uk/homes?view=liked): Share your liked homes, and First Key shows the ones you both like.

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