Most people own their home as a joint tenant with their partner meaning on passing away, the surviving partner automatically gets the entire home and as most people are life insured for the value of the mortgage or more, the entire value becomes theirs. 

By incorporating a Life Interest Trust, you can gift the right for live in your half of the property to your partner for their lifetime with the flexibility they can sell it and move on. However, upon their death, your half gets distributed where you want it to. 

This is particularly prudent if you have children from a previous relationship or if you and your current partner have children but they could remarry and gain step children, in which case the asset will be diluted away from your blood relatives.