Six red flags to consider before taking the plunge and living with your partner

Buying a home is without a doubt one of the most exciting moments in anyone’s life, especially when you get to embark on the new chapter with your partner. However, we’ve all heard of the saying “you don’t really know someone until you live with them”, and for many people that can certainly ring true.

From bin duty disagreements to toilet seat mishaps, we all have a partner pet peeve we can relate to – or perhaps you’re the perpetrator of the crimes! And with almost 3,600 brits searching for ’red flags in a relationship’ it seems some of us are becoming aware of our partners (or our own) bad habits.

So, to celebrate the highs and inevitable lows of living with a loved one, national and award-winning housebuilder St. Modwen Homes has pulled together some of the most common red flags you may experience when living with your beau, as well as some tips to help cope with such savagery.

Feeling ‘dish-appointed’.

They might bring you flowers and sweet treats after you’ve had a rough day at work, but if your partner loves to leave the dishes to ‘soak’ for hours or even days, it can prove difficult to remember those special romantic gestures.

However, you shouldn’t have to make peace with the mountain of dishes staring at you every day. If you have the budget for it, investing in a dishwasher will soon put a stop to the serial ‘soakers’.

If all else fails, next time your resident washing up avoider takes a shower, just put all the dirty dishes in with them – a sure fire way to teach them a lesson and save some money on your water bill (don’t tell them it was our idea, of course)!

Bin-there not done-that.

An argument that couples living together have been having since the dawn of time has got to be “whose turn is it to take the bins out”? No one loves to be on rubbish duty, especially when it’s dark, cold, and wet – we’ve all done the soggy sock evening bin run at one time or another. So, it’s no surprise that couples across the country constantly deny it’s their turn when the task needs doing.

If you’re at your wits end with the incessant bin debates, maybe it’s time to think about adopting your own weekly chore rota, a simple but effective way to ensure no one is skipping out when it’s their turn.

Is this seat taken?

We’ve all been there… you’ve just woken up, you’re in need of a midnight toilet trip, you get there, sit down and it happens… you almost fall into the toilet because the seat was left up, AGAIN! It truly is one of the most bothersome red flags there is, especially when it’s something you’ve been reminding your significant other to do over and over and over…and over again.

Perhaps if they had to take you out to dinner every time the toilet seat was left up, (plus a movie if you fall in) they might soon put a stop to this irritating habit.

Sharing isn’t always caring.

It can be lovely to share things with our partners like chocolate, pizza or even a jumper or two. But when it comes to your favourite bubble bath or that super expensive moisturiser, there are some things we just want for ourselves. It’s a horrible feeling when you go to use your shower gel only to discover it’s empty – especially when you know exactly who the culprit is.

Maybe helping themselves to your things is a compliment to your excellent taste, but it might be time to accept you’ll have to start buying two of everything – or at least find yourself a better hiding spot.

Don’t milk it.

One of the sweetest things your partner can do is offer to let you put your feet up while they cook you a delicious dinner. But when you walk into the kitchen and catch them glugging the milk (or anything else for that matter) straight from the carton, you’ll likely find yourself instantly irritated. No one likes a carton swigger – apart from those guilty of this red flag themselves of course.

So how do you deal with a secret sipper? One way is to buy them their very own carton that they can drink from at their own leisure without issue. Thus, leaving your fridge stash saliva free – hooray!

Move it or lose it.

What’s worse, tripping over a soggy towel left on the floor, or stepping in the inevitable wet patch left behind once it’s been removed? Finding a partner’s wet towel on the floor is certainly something we could all do without, so it’s time they start picking up after themselves. Or better still, don’t put it on the floor in the first place!

If your partner truly can’t see the inconvenience their towel strewn across the floor causes, maybe try putting it somewhere they will notice – like on their side of the bed. We can almost guarantee it won’t be long before you have a towel free floor, that’s for sure.

But while there may be some red flags that can irk you about living with your partner, ultimately sharing a home with the one you love is a joyous experience (most of the time). From films and cuddles on the sofa to breakfast in bed, the perks to sharing a home with your special someone are endless. Which is why, even though they might drive us crazy at times, we can often look past those pesky red flags and see them as mere mild inconveniences or even adorable ‘quirks’ (at least that’s what we’re telling ourselves).

St. Modwen Homes delivers award-winning, quality new homes and sustainable communities across the UK. If you’re looking to get onto the property ladder, opting to use a first-time buyer scheme may help you move into your new home sooner than you think. And if you’re a home-mover, don’t worry – there’s plenty of schemes for you too.

To find out more, visit the website here.