Bricks and mortar could soon replace bands of gold as a symbol of marriage. Research by Alliance & Leicester Mortgages shows that one in four (28%) single first time buyers are putting off buying their first home until they’ve met Mr or Mrs Right.

The lender’s quarterly movingimproving index shows that over a third (39%) of those who would prefer to buy with their future mate view sharing a mortgage as a symbol of love and commitment.

However, those couples who are already renting together don’t seem to share the same rosy view. More than one in ten (14%) wouldn’t buy their first house together with their current partner – a quarter of them (26%) say it isn’t the right time in their relationship to take that step.

A further one in five renting couples (17%) would prefer to buy on their own in order to keep any potential profits from the future sale of their house.

Stephen Leonard Director of Mortgages at Alliance & Leicester said: "It seems that bricks and mortar are on the way to becoming the new marriage vows, with single people even wanting to delay buying their first property until they have found ‘the one’."

"However, those who are already living together seem to disagree and would prefer to keep their first property to themselves!"

A quarter (24%) of single potential first time buyers would prefer to buy their first property with a friend – not just for the advantages that two incomes bring when it comes to getting a mortgage. For them it’s all about having a ready made social life.

The number of single households is projected to rise in the future, according to government statistics – there are already over 6.4 million single households in England alone.

The movingimproving research reinforces this trend, as four in ten (38%) single potential home owners would still like to buy their own home - with half of them (51%) choosing to do so to keep their independence. Almost three in ten (28%) want to live on their own simply because they don’t know or trust anyone enough to buy a property with them.

Stephen Leonard said: "Singletons needn’t think that they have to wait for another person to be able to get on the property ladder. More and more lenders are moving towards assessing how much people can afford by looking at their individual financial circumstances as opposed to more old-fashioned income multiples."

"This will mean a truer reflection of how much people can spend on a mortgage each month."

• Seven percent of single first time buyers are turning towards their nearest and dearest family members to get a footing on the ladder.
• Sixteen per cent of first time buyers who would like to buy a property with their parents only want them to help out with the costs – but they don’t want them living there.
• Men are nearly three times more likely to buy their first property with friends compared to women (16% vs 6%).