The transition from the parental home to independent living is one of the most significant changes to occur in the housing circumstances of any individual. For some, the first living arrangements away from the family are a staging point toward further change, while others move directly from the parental household to housing that will be prominent over much of their lives. There is evidence that the housing decisions and circumstances of younger households are changing: as more young adults stay in the parental home for longer, access to home purchase is delayed, and relationship formation is postponed – especially when compared with the generation of their parents or grandparents. This chapter canvases contemporary trends in first housing transitions and places these movements within the context of a generation that is increasingly mobile with respect to social values, labour market attachment and the locations in which they live.

Moving out, moving on

Leaving the parental home is one of the reference points in young people's lives to mark the transition to adulthood. A growing literature has examined a number of factors associated with leaving home including the timing of the event, its determinants, its variation across time and space, and the demands such transitions place on the housing system. Over the last two to three decades this research has highlighted major shifts in when this transition takes place and the sequence of housing opportunities pursued by young people. A key outcome has been the recognition that the steps toward independent living are no longer predictable and linear. Moreover, instead of being viewed as a one-off event, moving out of home has become a process of gradual transition. Since at least the 1980s commentators have noted an increasing proportion of young people returning to the family home for an extended period, particularly within a year or two of leaving. This shuttling from and to the parental home effectively prolongs the transition to adulthood. This delay in moving out and moving on, a ‘hiatus in the life-course’ as described by Cote and Bynner (2008) has resulted in the 18–25 age period being described by the much debated term ‘emerging adulthood’.