Twentysomethings believe buying a house together is a bigger commitment than getting married

New research also shows gap between the sexes when it comes to mortgage payments

Around 28 per cent of 25-34 year olds in the UK believe that buying a house with someone is a bigger commitment than getting married, according to figures released today by Halifax.

The report also showed a difference between the ages when it comes to homebuying with partners – around one in four 25-34 year olds were married when they bought their home with their partner, compared to nearly three quarters of 35-44 year olds.

There also appears to be a gap between the sexes when it comes to mortgage payments - more than 1 in 10 women pay more than half their average income on their mortgage, compared to only 1 in 20 men.

Other findings from the report showed that of those who have a mortgage:

* Nearly 1 in 10 have no idea how much they still owe on their mortgage, not even to the nearest £10,000. Over 1 in 4 claim to know exactly how much they on their mortgage.

* 1 in 6 sole home owners aged 25-34 pay more than half of their monthly income on their mortgage

* 80 per cent think they’d find it harder to get a mortgage if they were buying their first home now. This goes up to 92 per cent for those earning between £14,001 and £21,000, but drops to 75 per cent for those earning over £55,001.

* Of the 25-34 year olds who bought a house with a partner, 64 per cent were with a partner but not married