Wednesday 15 April 2009

Living with mum

I suspected that the number was high, and now we know; almost a third of all men aged between 20-34 live with their parents. However, I was more interested in the gender imbalance. Far fewer women in the same age group live at home.

Why is that?

24 comments:

Josh said...

I'll give you three reasons straight off the bat; cooking, cleaning and laundry.

John McClane said...

And ironing.

John Pickworth said...

Women are MORE likely to flat share...

A scan of the sites offering flat/house sharing shows a majority are dominated by females (and seeking similar). The chaps find it harder to live together (or are less willing to) and hence tend to stay with the folks for longer.

Electro-Kevin said...

*Property ramping in reverse*

I'm more interested in whole families that have moved back in with parents.

The potential for this market is ... enormous !

Mark Wadsworth said...

To tie this in with your earlier post:

Strict planning laws = undersupply of houses.

More older single people living longer and living alone with financial disincentives to trade down (tax free gains + housing wealth does not reduce means tested benefits) = even less supply of houses

Far too few houses up for sale = artificially created house price bubble

Young people can't afford to buy, or even rent, so they stay at home longer to save up a pitiful deposit* to 'get on the housing ladder'.

* On which they are earning no interest, because the LibLabCon-sensus has to subsidise mortgage borrowers.

Anonymous said...

Easy to answer..

The Tax Credit System - Single mums supported by the tax payer..

Man in a Shed said...

I think Anon 20:22 could be right. What the number of single mums ?

Man in a Shed said...

I think Anon 20:22 could be right. What the number of single mums ?

Man in a Shed said...

I think Anon 20:22 could be right. What the number of single mums ?

Anonymous said...

I think young men feel the impact of debt (lack of wealth) more than young women. Thus, if they move out, and in the process accumulate debt, their lives cannot progress. If women accumulate debt, it does not have the same social impact i.e. they can still get married being £10k in the red.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Anon 20.22.

I agree that tax credits etc encouraging single mums is a terrible thing, but they don't live with their parents - they live in council flats, which is why other people don't get a council flat and have to live with their parents.

Obviously, if you were making this very point, then I apologise in advance etc.

mike said...

I wouldn't marry a woman who is 10k in debt. I would rather remain single and spend the money on better things (like money towards my first house). Until job security improves I won’t buy.

Though I don't live at home, I lodge. My parents house is just used as storage. There are a growing number of single home-owners whose savings are giving no returns at the moment. They are just realising that having a slightly inconvenient lodger isn't such a bad idea. There are some good deals around if you are single, houseless and know where to look (or who to ask). Right now I lodge with a single older woman and it’s ‘just like living at home’. My washing is done for me and the house is cleaned. Even better I don’t have mum or dad looking over me! I don’t pay council tax, energy bills or maintenance of the house. So a good deal all-round.

Anonymous said...

And theres a lot of boys lodged with Her Majesty every night too. This is very interesting in a geeky sort of way.

I moved out from mummy's at 28, but I did buy my own :)

Sebastian Weetabix said...

"I wouldn't marry a woman who was 10K in debt"... hmm. I used to think that until I met one with engaging breasts, blue eyes, blonde hair & a winning smile. (And no I don't regret it.)

Mike, I mean no offence, but are you still at home with mum?

OSR said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
OSR said...

"I wouldn't marry a woman who is 10k in debt."

Has dating really come to this? It appears that I'll have to revamp my pickup lines, yet, again.

"Hey, baby, want to come back to my place? I've got an enormous FICO score..."

Laban said...

Don't forget that the lure of Quake and Doom, alone in the bedroom, will be greater for young men. Especially those who will become psychopathic killers in their thirties.

Anonymous said...

Mark made TWO (count 'em) comments without mentioning Land Value Tax.

Is this a record?

Rick said...

Sugar daddies with bald heads, big houses, big cars, big debt and 20 something girlfriends with big boobs.

Eckersalld said...

Personally, I'm still at home due to cheap rent and have a fair chunk of equity in the house.

Plus other people tend to annoy me, so house sharing would be murder. Literally.

Anonymous said...

Most of these so-called men are binge-drinking, thuggish twits or half-men fairies: typical British stock. I will be blunt: the majority need to join the forces and do some service and grow up and become real men. There is a chasm between the diapered effete fruits who populate Britain and the real men out there in the forces doing man's work. Bring in National Service if we have to!

Nick Drew said...

anon @ 20:22 / Mark

yup, the 1977 Housing (Homeless Persons) Act is at the root of many of our problems

(I write as a former Chair of Housing in a very large borough)

Anonymous said...

Mike said....

"Right now I lodge with a single older woman and it’s ‘just like living at home’. My washing is done for me and the house is cleaned. Even better I don’t have mum or dad looking over me! I don’t pay council tax, energy bills or maintenance of the house. So a good deal all-round."

But are you getting your leg over? ;-)

Electro-Kevin said...

I DID marry a woman with 10k debt - I paid it off for her.