For many people, moving into your own place is considered a rite of passage and the mark of a successful transition into adulthood. When I left home for university, I considered it a final goodbye to my childhood and the start of a new era of independence. However upon graduation, despite having a full-time job, I was met with the harsh realities of a competitive rental market and prohibitive rental prices. As a result, I made the decision to move back home.
As of November 2021, the average house price in the UK had risen by a staggering 59% compared to 2011. With the cost of first properties and rental prices increasing, more young people like myself are opting to live with their parents into their late 20s and early 30s. According to the Office for National Statistics between 1999 and 2019, there has been a 46% increase in the number of young people aged 20-34 living with their parents. This trend results in a delicate arrangement where multiple generations attempt to co-exist harmoniously despite intergenerational differences in lifestyle, mindset and priorities.