Moving in together can pose several challenges for couples who aren’t married yet – more so if done in the early stages of a relationship. Not only can it be hard to give up personal space, but it can potentially expose a lot of long-kept secrets. Plus, everything will potentially be shared – including finances. But where exactly does one draw the line?
While people who grew up in conservative families might not be open to the idea of moving in together before getting married, there are those who argue that it’s better to move in together as early as possible. For one, some people believe it’s better to get to know their partner more before deciding on getting married.
And if two people choose to live under one roof together, chances are long-kept secrets will be revealed – and that’s only great if it’s something beautiful. But what if it’s not? How does one person behave when left alone? Is the other person tidy at home or the opposite? Simply put, all that façade while still on the dating scene will be gone in an instant.
At the end of the day, it’s essential to think things over before deciding on moving in together, no matter how comfortable two people in a relationship are. They say if you love someone, you have to embrace that person’s flaws and all. Then again, some also say love is not enough – especially if finances are involved in the conversation. And yes, that includes housing.
Erika Strong Rodri, a woman who works as a realtor, sparked a debate on TikTok in February 2022 with her reaction to a person who told her that her boyfriend wanted her to add his name to the title of the house she bought in 2021.
“My boyfriend just moved in with me, I bought this home a year ago by myself. He wants me to add him to the title since he will be paying for stuff around the house,” the woman told Rodri, as seen in the video she posted.
But Rodri told the woman not to do it. “No. Tell him It’s just a piece of paper,” Rodri said.
Many people agreed with Rodri’s sentiments, with one telling the woman to ask her boyfriend to pay her half the current market value of the property should he wish for his name to be added to the title.
“Ask him to refinance half the current market value in his name and that cash come to you,” one person said.
Another person said that moments like those should be considered a red flag, saying she personally witnessed what her friend had to go through after getting a divorce from her husband.
“That’s a red flag! My friend is going through divorce, she got the house before marriage but now he says he is entitled to its ‘growth value,’” one person said.
One woman also commented, pointing out why it isn’t fun to share stuff with their partners and revealing that she even had to fight for the custody of their dog.
“Don’t do it sis! Doesn’t matter how much you love him. I’m currently dealing with custody of a dog not fun,” the person said.
Meanwhile, others suggested to her that she get a prenup if she chooses to marry him to protect herself in the future should worse come to worst.
“Hello no!!!!! And before you get married get a pre-nup to protect you,” one person remarked. Another person suggested that the woman not add her boyfriend to the title even if they did ever get married. Another person commented, “Hell my husband of 30 years isn’t on the title of the house I bought.”
On the other hand, some people didn’t see a problem with the woman’s boyfriend hopping on the house’s title. One person explained, “I gots no issue with this. But I can 100% say if this was flipped around the guy would be getting blasted by women.”
However, another TikTok user said, “Regardless of gender there is a certain group that have no issues destroying a person financially.”
Rodri has continued to give people home-buying advice that could potentially save them money and could help them ensure their future is as stable as possible. She has also talked more about the topic that helped her go viral in the first place. In November 2022, Rodri spoke about the potential risks of adding a partner to your house title. In the text overlay in one of her TikTok videos, she explained:
“Reminder: if you add your BF or GF to the title of your house any of their future debt (that ends up in collections) could be tied to YOUR house – even after you remove them from the title.”
In the post’s caption, Rodri explained a bit further, saying that it could be dangerous to include your partner if they become “faulty” with the debut they acquired or will acquire over time.
Do you agree with Erika Strong Rodri and the others who said that the girl shouldn’t put her boyfriend’s name on the title of her house? What are your thoughts about it? Let us know what you think, and pass this on to your family and friends who might find this story interesting!
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