Girlfriend wishes to contribute to my mortgage

OpenToSuggestions · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:13

Hey all.
I have a house that is mortgaged. I have significant equity in it, with 180-190k being a solid estimate.

My girlfriend moved in with me in 2022. Upon doing so we both signed a form that we created together saying that per month she will pay half the bills, £100 towards general repairs and upkeep, but £0 towards upgrades and £0 towards the mortgage. It explicitly stated that she will have no claim over the property in any form.

The relationship is going well, and she wishes to put £45k into the mortgage plus start contributing each month.

We are both of the opinion is that we need another cohabitation agreement, but this time it should be performed with a Solicitor.

Our plans are to encircle the equity that we both currently have, then agree some form of split going forward with future equity.
Neither of us are interested in getting married.

I wondered if there was anything I could be missing here with our intent on getting a cohabitation agreement from a Solicitor?

darael · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:19

I'd keep things simple and just keep the mortgage in your name. If she loves you, she'll understand.

Diddums · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:24

Tell her to buy her own bloody house.

JamesH85 · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:26

Don't do it.

Diddums · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:27

Pics of girlfriend first obvs.

MissChief · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:29

Diddums said:
Pics of girlfriend first obvs.

This. Honestly all the Posters above have disappointed me greatly.

sidimmu · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:29

Tell her to stick the money into a marriage between you, she gets the same result and makes you feel special at the same time.

BUDFORCE · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:30

Diddums said:
Pics of girlfriend first obvs.

This, crucially, otherwise it's like going in blind.

Raymond Lin · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:30

If you love enough, marry her.

If you are treating this on a strictly business sense, this is a bad idea.

throwaway4372 · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:30

If I'm you, there's no way I'm letting a girlfriend who's lived with me for 1 year claim part of my house.

If I'm her, there's no way I'm spending £45k on property in this market when I don't have to.

I also wonder how old you both are, if she's about 30 expect a child and her taking your house and everything else you own.

Minusorange · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:31

Why can't she just keep contributing to the bills keep the savings and maybe think about it if you ever get married

ErNciLator · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:31

£45k could get an above average intel build - direct her to the full systems/bundles forum.

Begbie · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:31

Raymond Lin said:
If you love enough, marry her.

If you are treating this on a strictly business sense, this is a bad idea.

This

Shoza · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:32

Unmarried couple with no children so she has no claim on the property unless she makes lump sum payments or regularly start’s contributing large sums to the monthly mortgage.

Keep that way until marriage or children. You don’t need a cohabitation agreement for your current arrangement.

Stumble Bum · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:32

Do not let her get her hands on the house. Only bad things can happen.

BUDFORCE · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:33

Make a video of her, then keep several copies of it, for safe keeping.

It's the only way to be sure.

alchal · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:34

darael said:
I'd keep things simple and just keep the mortgage in your name. If she loves you, she'll understand.

This.

Me and my partner both did this, at the moment she pays the mortgage all in her name and I pay bills, holidays etc etc.

Works.

Tom_ed1987 · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:34

Quite a short relationship to get financially tied up like this OP. I'd try to convince her to keep the savings/invest elsewhere.

CapitalOne · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:34

darael said:
I'd keep things simple and just keep the mortgage in your name. If she loves you, she'll understand.

This one, being serious.

Not being serious, just give her 90k now to save time and see what happens.

OpenToSuggestions · 30 Aug 2023 at 20:39

The mortgage and the house will remain in my name. She'd be paying into the mortgage account.
It will be written into the agreement that if it doesn't work out then I buy her out the house and she leaves.
We are not interested in getting married. I find that it quite an old fashioned view, even if it does change things legally.
I'm mid 30s and she is mid 20s. Neither of us want children and feel very strongly about it.
We've lived together 18m and been together nearly 3 years.