My wife and I both owned our own houses in our individual names before we began living together and subsequently married. I have owned mine since the 1980s, and she has owned her own since the 1990s. We both still own the same two properties; neither is in joint names, and we do not intend to sell either house in the foreseeable future. The properties are each in different parts of England, one rural and the other suburban. Neither of them has ever been rented out to tenants. Their current combined value is approximately £600,000.  

Arthur Weller replies:  

Since 1990, when independent taxation came in, each spouse is looked at independently of the other, so the assets that one spouse has will not impact on the other spouse. However, as far as principal private residence relief from capital gains tax is concerned, since you are now married (and, I presume, living together), you will have to decide which house is your main residence. See HMRC’s Capital Gains manual at CG64525.