'Joint mortgages should not be rushed into'

Although buying a house with a partner or friend can be "a good idea", people should always have an "exit route", advises Scottish Widows Bank.

Research by the bank reveals that 72 per cent of graduate homeowners have entered into joint mortgages but 69 per cent of these would be unable to buy the other person out if needed.

Amanda Docherty, communications manager for the bank, said: "Nobody wants to end up in a situation where they find it extremely difficult to share a home with someone they no longer get on with but can't afford to do anything about it."

She advised that people buying a house with someone else should always have an "exit route" in place should the arrangement turn sour.

The trend of buying a house with someone is not new, she added, but explaining that more people are buying together out of wedlock and with friends and family.

According to the bank, a graduate first-time buyer must put an average deposit down of £16,666 for a house which costs £122,045.

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