‘Who wants to have a baby in their parents’ spare room?’We waited 13 years to own a home

After finally moving into a home with her husband at 32, Jennie Rose Molloy tells Jenny McEntegart about the years of sacrifice required for young people in the housing crisis

Living at home, while maybe not ideal, can allow couples to save, travel, and hold on to the possibility of building a home of their own. Picture: iStock

At 32, Jennie Rose Molloy is finally living in a home she and her husband Dave built themselves — a milestone that, for many, marks the beginning of adult life.

For her, it came after 13 years of saving, planning, and living at home, navigating the awkward reality of a long-term relationship unfolding not in their own space, but between their parents’ houses.

Unlike some of her peers, Molloy and her husband never moved out in their 20s. Rent in Dublin, she says, always felt like “throwing too much money at a landlord for very poor standard accommodation”.

Living at home, while not ideal, was a strategic decision, one that allowed them to save, travel, and hold on to the possibility of building a home of their own.

“We lived within close proximity to each other and could make it work,” she says. “Although sleepovers in your partner’s parents’ house become very frustrating.” 

That compromise — financial progress at the expense of independence — is one increasingly familiar to young adults across Ireland. As house prices continued to climb throughout their 20s, the Molloys watched the goalposts move further away.

While staying at home allowed them to save, it came with its own cost. There were the social pressures, the offhand comments from friends and acquaintances: “Are you two still living at home?” And then there was the quieter, more personal strain.

“It’s not good for an adult to live at home, but unfortunately it’s a necessity in Ireland due to the cost of living and housing crisis,” Molloy says.

Parents mean well, but once you are under their roof, they will treat you like their child, unintentionally.

Her experience reflects a broader national trend. Recent figures from the CSO show residential property prices rose by about 7% in the year to early 2026, with prices in Dublin continuing to climb amid limited supply.

For Molloy, the trade-off was clear. Endure the limitations of living at home or spend years renting with little to show for it. In Dublin, where the average price of a home is now approaching €600,000, that calculation is becoming increasingly stark.

Housing experts say the core issue remains a lack of supply. A recent market monitor from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland found seven in 10 estate agents report low housing stock, with demand continuing to outstrip availability.

The impact, Molloy believes, goes beyond housing. It shapes how and when people start their lives.

“Who wants to have a baby in their parents’ spare room?” she asks. “Or start a family while depending on a landlord and the uncertainty of their next eviction notice?” For Molloy, the years at home were, in her words, a “long slog”. Yet they were also, in hindsight, what made their eventual outcome possible.

The couple were fortunate to have access to land in Dublin, something she acknowledges set them apart, but even with that advantage, the process required patience, discipline, and time. “Thirteen years is a long time,” she says.

For her parents, Mary and Ben, the decision to have their adult daughter remain at home was never in question. “It is the norm these days, we were always happy for her to live at home while saving towards her house,” they say.

They point out more people under 30 are doing the same or similar. A shift that reflects the wider reality facing young adults.

While having an adult child at home did not place financial strain on the household, it did underline how much has changed between generations.

“It is disgraceful how difficult it is for young adults now in comparison to 30 or 40 years ago,” say Molloy’s parents.

Now, standing in the home they spent more than a decade working towards, the financial benefits to the Molloys are clear. No additional loans, savings left over to finish the house to a high standard, and the security that comes with ownership. But the emotional cost has not been forgotten.

Molloy’s advice to others is to be pragmatic rather than idealistic. “It depends on family circumstances whether it can be done,” she says.

It’s a difficult a time to be young in Ireland. Personally, I would rather make the sacrifice than pay a landlord and have the process of owning a home slowed down.

Her parents agree, but with a note of frustration. “It shouldn’t take so long for hard-working young people in this country to own a home,” they say. It is a stark reality, and one an increasing number of families are being forced to navigate together.

While Molloy’s story ends with a set of keys and a front door of her own, the question it raises lingers: How many more years are young adults expected to wait before they can begin their lives independently?