“We definitely prioritised the house first. Weddings these days cost easily 30 grand as the bare minimum,” Truong said.
It’s easy to see why more couples are doing this. The average price of a home in Australia is now $959,300 – rising from $563,100 in 2014 — according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Interest rates are not expected to lessen unless inflation eases.
Truong believes his generation has shifted their views on marriage.
The suburbs with the largest variances in house prices over five years to April. Source: SBS
“They don’t take it as seriously … they don’t feel like they have to bind themselves to some sort of written agreement to be with someone … it’s more of a mental belief,” he said.
Dan Woodman, a professor of sociology at the University of Melbourne, said a major reason for a change in the order couples take major steps is simply having more of a choice — and being pushed to make a decision.
Woodman said part of that choice is having the luxury of testing the waters: couples seeing how they deal with living under the same roof before marriage.
The average Australian spends $40 of every $100 earned on their mortgage, according to Domain. Source: SBS
“There’s that idea of, you should try living together not just for six months … make sure it’s really working.”
He said it’s more complicated and expensive to separate joint ownership of a home than dissolving a marriage.
Try before you buy
She said buying a home has become a bigger commitment than marriage: possibly a “lifetime” joint financial burden and a major factor in relationship breakdowns.
The average price of a home in Australia is $959,300, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Source: SBS
“It’s essentially saying, ‘I’m committed to this relationship forever,'” Peel notes.
“People want the big party — but realistically … how important is that for people?”
Indefinitely engaged
Sarah (not her real name) is 37 and isn’t married, but shares a child, a dog and, you guessed it: a house, with her partner.
Sarah was surprised when her partner recently proposed to her. “I didn’t expect him to propose to me at all, the way interest rates have been going,” she said.
It takes about five years for a couple to save for a house in Australia. Source: SBS
“I guess marriage was traditionally about expectations: family, or religious, or you’ve fallen pregnant … None of those have really compelled us to get married to this point. And I don’t think we’re alone, a lot of people are in the same situation as us.”
“The most important part of getting married is really about having an opportunity to celebrate your love with family and friends,” she said.