Moving in with my GF - Bills Help

YorkshireTeaDrinker

Hi all,
Scenario is;

• I own my own house which I've sold.
• GF has just become self employed.

So, my GF's family have 'bought' her a house (in her name, under the condition we eventually get a joint mortgage to repay the family, with no time urgency). I'm selling my house & there will be around £50k equity. Because my GF is recently self employed, she can't get a mortgage for 2? years & as the new house is in her name, I obviously can't get a mortgage on it.

This is the first time I've lived with anybody else, so in terms of bills, with the house being in her name only, does she have to take out the Electricity, Gas, Council Tax, Insurance etc, leaving the other non-legal stuff e.g. Broadband, TV etc which can go in my name?

The plan is for us to split everything 50/50, with me setting up a Direct Debit to her for my 50%. Sorry if this is basic stuff, just new to this situation having lived on my own my whole adult life.

MovingForwards

Nothing stopping you having utilities, internet etc in joint names, ownership doesn't alter that.

davidmcn

Buildings insurance (which should already be in place!) needs to be in the name of whoever owns the house, contents insurance needs to be in the names of whoever owns the contents (presumably both of you), everything else is up to you. Though given in theory she can kick you out whenever she wants, it might make sense for everything to be in her name as householder and you make your contribution. It won't be a direct debit between your accounts.

janoid19

Just because the house is in your GF's name doesn't mean you can't be named on bills.

You'll be named on the Council tax as you'll be living there and you can be named on the gas and electric along side your GF as far as I'm aware.

moneysavinghero

Which house is the one that you purchased together with no heating system?

YorkshireTeaDrinker

moneysavinghero said:

Which house is the one that you purchased together with no heating system?

Same house, we couldn’t buy together in the end, because she’s self employed, we couldn’t get a joint mortgage, hence her family stepping in.

YorkshireTeaDrinker

davidmcn said:

Buildings insurance (which should already be in place!) needs to be in the name of whoever owns the house, contents insurance needs to be in the names of whoever owns the contents (presumably both of you), everything else is up to you. Though given in theory she can kick you out whenever she wants, it might make sense for everything to be in her name as householder and you make your contribution. It won't be a direct debit between your accounts.

Sorry, why wouldn’t it be a DD between our accounts? Are you saying it’s a bad idea for me to do that to cover my half of the bills?

george4064

YorkshireTeaDrinker said:

davidmcn said:

Buildings insurance (which should already be in place!) needs to be in the name of whoever owns the house, contents insurance needs to be in the names of whoever owns the contents (presumably both of you), everything else is up to you. Though given in theory she can kick you out whenever she wants, it might make sense for everything to be in her name as householder and you make your contribution. It won't be a direct debit between your accounts.

Sorry, why wouldn’t it be a DD between our accounts? Are you saying it’s a bad idea for me to do that to cover my half of the bills?

I think davidmcn was just pointing out that the correct term for what you are intending to do (setup automatic monthly bank transfers), is called a standing order rather than a DD.

greatcrested

DDs are for variable amounts and are set up by businesses (eg the gas company) to withdraw whatever amount they need from a customer's account.

Standing Orders are set up by individuals, for a set amount, to send money to another individual (or a business).

davidmcn

george4064 said:

YorkshireTeaDrinker said:

davidmcn said:

Buildings insurance (which should already be in place!) needs to be in the name of whoever owns the house, contents insurance needs to be in the names of whoever owns the contents (presumably both of you), everything else is up to you. Though given in theory she can kick you out whenever she wants, it might make sense for everything to be in her name as householder and you make your contribution. It won't be a direct debit between your accounts.

Sorry, why wouldn’t it be a DD between our accounts? Are you saying it’s a bad idea for me to do that to cover my half of the bills?

I think davidmcn was just pointing out that the correct term for what you are intending to do (setup automatic monthly bank transfers), is called a standing order rather than a DD.

Yes, a direct debit is when you give somebody else the right to extract money from your account. Personal bank customers can't (generally) do that.

And it probably wouldn't even be a standing order (which implies a regular amount), just ad hoc transfers depending on what the bills are for the month or whatever.

Shelldean

Bills can be in either name or joint names!

I suggest setting up a joint bank account with gf, set up all payments to go from this account. 
Work out how much everything will be per month. 
You place half this amount in the joint account, your gf places the other half.