The £5bn cost for couples who keep two homes

ALMOST a quarter of couples in long-term relationships are living in separate properties, with many blaming the cost of buying a home together, a survey suggests.

An estimated 1.1 million couples who are engaged or in a "committed" relationship are collectively spending an unnecessary 5 billion a year on accommodation while spending at least three nights a week together, the poll for Santander Mortgages found.

The research found 23 per cent of couples in a serious relationship did not live together, spending an average of 4,819 a year more on rent and mortgage payments than if they shared.

Among couples living separately, 10 per cent rented separate accommodation, 5 per cent owned separate homes and 8 per cent were in a relationship where one partner owned their own place and the other lived in rented accommodation. Of those questioned, 16 per cent said they would like to buy together but were put off by the costs.