One in Four Millennials Still Live at Home With Their Parents – Half Have Never Changed a Lightbulb

APRIL 2019 – LONDON, UK – It is by no means a secret that getting on the property ladder today is more challenging than it was forty, twenty, even ten years ago, and according to some millennials, it may never even happen!

VoucherCodes.co.uk, the leading savings site, surveyed over 2,000 people across the country and discovered that just a quarter (25%) of millennials currently own or have shared ownership of a property. The average millennial believes that the deposit on a property would cost them £28,035 and only a third (35%) believe that it would take them less than 5 years to save for it. Indeed, with the average millennial expecting to then pay £542.90 per month on a mortgage, as many as 1 in 4 (24%) fear they will never be able to afford to own a property.

A third (30%) of Brits believe that it is harder for millennials to buy property now than it was 10 years ago and 1 in 10 (12%) think it is something that only the older generation can afford. The research has discovered that millennials are twice as likely to need a loan than those aged over 45 years old (28% vs. 15%) and are three times as likely to need financial support from relatives (25% vs. 7%).

Incredibly, while a half (48%) of millennials choose to rent, there are many who are still living with their parents (23%) in an effort to save money. However, it is still far from free, with the average millennial paying their parents £280.90 per month compared to the £513.80 they’re paying their landlord for a rented property.

Home responsibilities

Granted, saving for a deposit is made easier by staying at home for longer, but does it result in millennials becoming less equipped to manage their own home? The research discovered that just 2 out of 5 (42%) millennials are responsible for their home maintenance, with a fifth (22%) admitting they still rely solely on their parents help.

With circumstances leading a fifth (22%) of millennials to lean heavily on their parents and landlords for life skills around the home, the research has revealed just how reliant they have become. Extraordinarily, a half of millennials admit that they have never changed a lightbulb (50%), ironed their clothes (48%) or cleaned the toilet (47%). A tenth (8%) admit they have actually paid someone to unblock the toilet, while 1 in 20 (5%) confess they’ve paid someone to change a lightbulb.

The research found that 2 out of 5 (40%) millennials hate washing the dishes so much that they would happily pay someone, with the average willing to part with £9.20 to avoid doing it themselves. It turns out that ironing is even more of a chore than cleaning the dishes, with half (48%) of millennials willing to pay for someone else to do it at a cost of £9.80! A third of millennials admitted they’ve never used a hammer (30%) or screwdriver (29%), and the majority (52%) would pay someone £14.20 to build their flatpack furniture for them.

Convenience services

Convenience services mean that we now have a wealth of products at our fingertips; however, the research has found that millennials welcome the opportunity to stay at home in their comfort zone. A third (34%) of millennials say they wouldn’t be able to live without takeaway delivery or next day delivery services (29%), with a quarter (26%) saying they need food delivery apps in their lives.

A fifth (18%) of millennials believe that convenience services have caused them to spend more money and become lazier (17%). Despite this, almost half (45%) wish their local corner shop offered delivery and a third (34%) would love a ripe avocado delivery service. Incredibly, two out of five (38%) wish there was a toilet paper delivery service and would be willing to pay almost £10 (£9.35) for the privilege.

With the internet playing a huge role in our home lives, over two-thirds (69%) of millennials say they would be willing to pay for same day internet repair. It has also been discovered that one-third (32%) of millennials would pay someone an average of £9.29 to be their Netflix consultant, allowing them to choose what shows they watch.

Environment

There is an increasing pressure and expectation to protect the environment, and there is a tendency to assume that millennials are more open to taking measures to do so. However, the research has revealed that just a third (34%) of millennials think it’s very important to protect the environment, compared to half (53%) of those over 45 years old.

A third (31%) of those over 45 years old feel they do everything they can within their means to protect the environment, compared to just 1 in 6 (17%) millennials, and this is reflected in their behaviour. While three-quarters (75%) of those over 45 years old actively recycle and use reusable shopping bags (74%), less than half (46%) of millennials take the same care. Indeed, it is actually the older generation who are happy to walk short journeys (64% vs. 38%) and take public transport (41% vs. 31%). Millennials are far less likely to refrain from using single use plastics (28% vs. 43%), but they are as likely to carry a water bottle (35% vs. 34%).

Despite the average Brit saying that they are willing to pay up to 12% more for environmentally friendly products, a third (32%) of millennials say they would only consider environmentally friendly options if they were cheaper.

Anita Naik, Lifestyle Editor at VoucherCodes.co.uk, said: “The research has proven that millennials experience life very differently to generations gone by. It’s clear a financial squeeze is gripping the nation and limiting opportunities, particularly when it comes to owning a property, causing many to fear that they’re being priced out and will never be able to afford their own home.

“With a higher number of millennials renting and living with their parents, they admit to delaying learning the life skills necessary to make it on their own. And, with solutions often available at our fingertips, they confess to becoming far more susceptible to paying for convenience services.”