Home to roost as the cash dries up

Soaring property prices are forcing record numbers of young people in Edinburgh to stay at home with their parents. With one in five 20-somethings now unable – or unwilling – to fly the nest, Chief Writer SANDRA DICK finds it is putting a strain on family life.

SHE'S 28, with a masters degree and a foot on the career ladder. She's tasted independence too: Caroline Young lived in Glasgow and Australia, studying hard at university and gaining vital work experience on the way.

And now she's home: just 18 months short of her 30th birthday, she's travelled full circle and is back in her old childhood bedroom, living once more with mum and dad.

Strangled by student debts, stuck on a below average salary and confounded by Edinburgh's sky high property prices, she is among an increasing number of young professionals finding that growing up doesn't necessarily mean flying the nest.

And for their parents there is the prospect of continuing to provide for their children, perhaps even ultimately dipping into their retirement savings to help fund their way in the world.

"I didn't think I'd still be living at home at this age," admits Caroline, who lives with her parents John and Jill in Trinity. "

I suppose I'm just hoping that by 30 I'll have left home, but buying a flat right now is almost impossible."

She's certainly not alone.

The homeless charity Shelter Scotland has produced new figures showing one in five adults in their twenties still live with their parents – and nearly one in ten of all Scots households has a grown-up child at home.

The problem is being blamed on the soaring cost of property – with the average one-bedroom flat in Edinburgh now costing more than £144,000 – coupled with the end of the 100 per cent mortgage.

Dubbed the "Sorry generation" – after Ronnie Corbett's middle-aged character Timothy in the Eighties' sit-com Sorry! who never summoned the courage to leave home – the stay-at-home trend is believed to be at a peak in Edinburgh.

The result, argues Shelter's Scottish director, Archie Stoddart, is young people trapped at home with parents under pressure to help fund their first house.

"The impact on family life can be significant," he argues. "Our children are our future and we must see a wider choice available to them for where they can live."

"First-time buyers are even more priced out the market than before, particularly with the recent death of the 100 per cent mortgages.

"With the average house prices in Edinburgh over £200,000, owning a home in the city is a distant dream for young people.

"Renting can be insecure and very expensive, especially in a city like Edinburgh where the average rent for a one-bedroom flat is over £500."

Claire Bridges found that out to her cost. She moved to Edinburgh from her parents' home in Dalgety Bay over a year ago but has now moved back again, unable to afford the rent and the bills.

"It was too much," explains Claire, 22, an assistant within the childrenswear department at John Lewis. "I was left with only around £100 a month after I'd paid the £300 rent and then the bills.

"My parents had just redecorated my bedroom to use as a spare room, I had to tell them I needed to move back.

"They've been great – I pay them £3 a night in 'rent' but you lose that independence and freedom you get in your own place. But I can't even look at buying a place, all I can do is wait a bit then look at renting again."

If parents despair of ever getting their home back, it's clearly not much fun for their offspring.

A recent report from Standard Life Bank shows 88 per cent of Scottish professionals are forced to make extreme lifestyle changes if they have any hope of buying a property – even down to taking on extra work to boost their income. More than half said they have had to ditch holidays, socialising and clothes spending to raise the cash for their first home.

Of course, on the other hand, where else can you stay in comfort for a few pounds a week, dine on mum's home cooking every evening and enjoy a convenient laundry service?

Hazel Wilson, 23, an office administrator earning around £21,000, lives in Inverleith with her parents Ruth and Stewart, but despite saving for years towards her first home, still hasn't enough to get on to the property ladder. "I've always wanted my own house, somewhere that's mine to decorate the way I want to.

"It's quite a slap in the face when it doesn't work out," she says.

"I started saving when I was around 15, but the £12,000 I have isn't nearly enough for a deposit on a decent place.

"And the biggest mortgage I can get is £81,000 – the average price of a reasonable flat is way above that."

Hazel refuses to rent: "I don't want to pay for someone else's mortgage," she shrugs. "But it's very demoralising."

She pays £325 a month towards the household expenses – and manages to save around £250.

"Moving out isn't about getting away from my parents," she adds. "It's about having my own space. Relationships suffer too – there's no privacy if you want to spend time with a boyfriend."

Caroline, who works for a media agency, agrees that living at home with parents John and Jill does create a degree of stress.

"My parents are great – they don't even ask for housekeeping money. I end up going to friends' houses because I don't feel I can have friends or boyfriends back at theirs."

Having enjoyed the independence of student life, she is now struggling to save on a less than £19,000-a-year salary. "I've student debts too of around £8000 to pay back," she adds. "It's impossible."

PLEASE RELEASE ME – SINGER CAN'T AFFORD TO LEAVE PARENTS' HOUSE
CLARE CAIRNS, 23, a singer-songwriter, admits there are severe drawbacks to living at home, especially when it comes to her love-life.

She lives in a five-bedroom home in Fairmilehead with her parents Paul and Philomena. Her older brother Steven, 27, also a musician, still lives at home too.

Her only hope of escaping the family home at the moment is moving in with her boyfriend, Ryan Scott.

"We've been going out for years but my parents are strict and won't let him stay over in my room," she said. "That has caused a lot of arguments. Ryan's parents have just helped him buy a place, so my hope is I'll be able to move in there soon."

Clare recognises the importance of her parents' support when she does not have a steady income, and is grateful for it. "I pay around £20 a week but it's not ideal," says Clare. "When a half decent flat costs upwards of £125,000, it's virtually impossible.

"The nature of my work, singing and songwriting, means I probably wouldn't get a mortgage anyway."