US couple credit ‘unusual living situation’ to marriage success

Bianca and Peter are happily married, but the pair have an unusual living arrangement – and they say it’s the “secret” to happiness.

A woman has revealed the secret to her successful marriage: living in separate apartments.

Bianca Turetsky and Dr Peter Bach tied the knot in September 2021, and have been together for nearly six years in total.

But while many would have moved into a shared home long before saying “I do”, the pair surprised friends and family by maintaining their own homes.

Turetsky, 43, said initially they’d decided not to move in together because Bach and his teenage son were both allergic to cats.

Giving up her beloved rescue kitty, Cleo, was not an option, with Turetsky explaining: “I had no plans to have a life without her.”

Instead, she continued the regular 38-minute commute to her husband’s place

Bianca Turetsky and Dr Peter Bach credit their marriage success to the ‘unusual living situation’. Picture: Instagram/biancaturetsky

Then, even after the 58-year-old’s son moved away for University, the couple maintained their living arrangements, saying the situation works perfectly for them.

“Once we realised that it was our call and we didn’t have to follow what everyone else was doing, our relationship deepened, and we both could relax and just feel so lucky that we found someone we liked watching Netflix with,” Turetsky, a best-selling author, penned for Today.

“Most people we tell about our unusual living situation move pretty quickly from surprise to curiosity to, in some cases, a little envy.”

However, the couple – who live in New York – both admit there are times when they “wonder if we’re doing the right thing”.

Turetsky said these rare moments of doubt come when navigating things such as grocery shopping which are co-ordinated through lengthy text exchanges.

However, mostly she said it keeps their relationship fresh, stating it makes “a mundane weekday evening still feel like a date”.

They live apart despite being married for nearly two years. Picture: Instagram/biancaturetsky

Turetsky said her husband is now looking for a residence slightly closer to his wife’s Brooklyn abode to help cut down the travel time, but that they still have no plans to live together.

“I think this living arrangement is the secret to our happiness,” she said.

“It’s become a cliche that the secret to a happy marriage is separate bathrooms.

“This is not what I expected marriage to look like. It’s so much better.”

Despite having full confidence in their set-up, social media users were divided, with many arguing the cost of maintaining two homes would be too much to handle.

Bach is allergic to cats, but Turetsky has no plans of rehoming her beloved rescue cat Cleo. Picture: Instagram/biancaturetsky

“Couldn’t afford two houses; but splitting one house in two can work for some. My 40-year marriage would have tanked decades ago if we did not live as much as we do separately,” one person commented.

“My wife and I got along swell when I lived at the lake with the dogs and she lived in town. No arguments. Highly recommend it,” another guy agreed.

“That sounds like bliss! No fights about cleaning, or who does what and leaves a mess. She also realised his grown son still needs his dad and caused no resentment. I’m rooting for them,” someone else chipped in.

However, some argued living separately was pointless, and could encourage cheating.

“I don’t understand the reason for getting married then. Why not just stay single? At any rate, it is going to be easy to cheat,” one woman stated.

“If you live in two homes, don’t call it a marriage because that’s not what it is,” another agreed.