What to look for when upsizing with adult children

Have grown-up children scuppered your retirement plans? Find yourself with the prospect of upsizing in middle age when you thought you’d be buying a property for your retirement years? You’re not alone.

In 2025, data released by the Institute for Fiscal Studies found around 43% of 25-year-olds in the UK lived with their parents. This followed on from a 2023 study by the Institute for Social and Economic Research, which discovered 15% of young adults aged 21-35 who had left the family home, moved back in with their parents at some point during the years 2009-2020.

More recently, The Guardian published a feature entitled ‘the rise of the full nesters: what life is like with adult children who just can’t leave home’. Journalist Gabby Hinsliff interviewed several parents – Mums and Dads whose reality was grown-up children under their roof.

From a gloomy employment market and relationship break ups to the financial strain of saving a deposit and poor mental health, there are several reasons why adults return to the family home – or never leave in the first place. If any of these resonate and you envisage your adult children living at home for the foreseeable future, you may need to make a property move with a very different set of requirements. 

In the past, a move may have been motivated by school catchment areas, the proximity to a play park and room for a trampoline in the garden but grown-up children present grown-up problems. Space and privacy take precedence - this isn’t a time for bunks beds and queues to use the shower. 

Upsizing can give everyone the space they need to co-exist, especially if children want to move their partners in. Parents should prioritise enough bedrooms for everyone and at least two bathrooms – en suite if possible. The nirvana would be a separate annexe where adult children have their own space and a private entrance but we realise this is only possible in a handful of moves. Turning a loft space into a self-contained bedroom suite is an alternative, if funds, planning and the roof structure allow.

Some families with older children at home find a bedroom on the ground floor a useful arrangement, especially if they keep unsociable hours or work shifts. Consider homes that are sold with a dining room or a large study that could be commandeered as a bedroom, especially if there’s a ground floor cloakroom.

It’s harder to give adult children their own lounge but it’s more possible if you look at properties for sale with multiple reception rooms instead of one big, open plan living space. Garden rooms are another option, as you can create a secondary place to entertain away from the main house.

Considerations far exceed just what’s inside a home. You may be retired and be able to live anywhere but adult children will most likely be working and need to commute. As such, expect to compromise when it comes to distance to public transport or a motorway network. On the latter, keep in mind how many cars the household has – homes without off street parking or areas that require parking permits may present problems in multi-car households.

Upsizing to create a harmonious home of adults can be a fulfilling exercise. Perhaps not a permanent arrangement, living together is a great way for parents to support their children, financially, emotionally and practically. Ground rules are a must, however.

Moving to a new home is a great time to agree on how family dynamics work when you’re all adults. House guests, chores, cooking and contributions towards bills need discussing – being open and honest will save arguments and resentment further down the line.

If you’re feeling the squeeze in your current family home and would like more space, please contact us. We can provide a free valuation of your property and supply you with a list of the latest homes for sale.