Moving back home or renting?

Hi all,

My partner at the time (26) and I (26) bought a unit 50/50 but we recently separated. Prior to moving in together, we were living at home. Under the first buyer scheme, one of us needs to be living in this house for 12 months before we do anything with it. We have 10 months to go.

We currently want to try and live together but it is quite awkward and my ex has implied I should move back home but continue paying my half of the mortgage and she lives there by herself.

I find this a bit unfair as my parents are quite toxic and in the little time I have been out of home, I feel like I have been thriving. Mentally and physically. I have been loving the independence I have gained.

Her excuses is that I have more room at home while she doesn’t but she has a better relationship with her mum. When I have said that I don’t want to lose the independence, she said that it’s not really independence because we live together but I know that’s just excuse an excuse.

I have been thinking about moving out and living alone but rent a unit. In Sydney, they go for about $600 a week which is quite expensive for me to pay on top of a mortgage but if I were to do this, I would charge my ex market value rent which in my block, it is $580-650.

I am a bit torn. I am willing to just stick it out for 10 months and sell but if things get worse and it’s unbearable, then I don’t know if I move out and live alone or I move back home and continue to save.

I would love to be able to buy my own house alone but it’s just not possible in this day and age. I have financial goals with pay rises and work and such but I’m a bit torn.

Obviously nothing has happened and I’m still living in our unit but I just life to have backup plans

If anyone has any advice, that’ll be great.