Dive Brief:

• Nearly 40% of millennials in a new Redfin survey said they have—or they would—delay their weddings or honeymoons so they could afford to buy their first homes.

• The survey of adults ages 18 to 34 revealed that unmarried couples are buying homes first and marrying later.

• For some, the decision “to put their money toward the purchase of a home instead of a big party” is practical, Redfin real estate agent Lindsay Milkovich said in a press release.

Dive Insight:

Buying property with an unmarried partner “may indicate a bigger [financial] commitment than marriage,” Redfin Chief Economist Nela Richardson said. Without the promise of ’til death do us part, 40% of cohabitating, different-sex partners break up within five years, according to the advocacy group Unmarried Equality. First marriages that end in divorce last for an average of eight years, according to the Census Bureau.

Richardson advises young homebuyers: “If a couple is looking to make some money in the future from their joint home purchase, they should be sure that the relationship is ready to weather that kind of commitment.”