A mother has said she and her husband have no choice but to sell their family home and downsize if their sons are to get on the property ladder. 

According to new figures released in the CSO’s Longitudinal Growing Up in Ireland study, 41% of people aged between 18 and 34 year are living at home. 

On Lunchtime Live, listener Lisa explained why she and her husband had taken radical action to allow her two oldest sons to move out. 

 “It’s very stressful,” she said. 

“They don’t really want to be living at home with me, I’m sure.” 

Lisa added that she and her husband would “like to move onto the next phase of our lives”. 

“So much so, that we have actually put our family home on the market to downsize and to give them deposits,” she continued. 

“What can you do? They’re caught in this trap of not being able to afford to buy anything. 

“They all work, they’re all brilliant.” 

A nunch of keys in a door lock.

Lisa and her husband have three sons, 31, 28 and 21. 

The plan is only the youngest will continue living with them once they downsize. 

“I joke to them, ‘We’re selling the house, bring the dogs and the youngest fella in that order,’” she said. 

“We try and keep it as light as you can but it’s modern living - it’s difficult.” 

Lisa added that it was “different when I grew up”. 

“When myself and my husband got married, we bought a tiny cottage and we spent every penny doing it up,” she recalled. 

“But we were able to buy it, now it’s this untenable thing - it’s so difficult to get on the property. 

“So, we’re hoping by doing this, we’re giving them the step [up] they need and that they can progress their life.”

Main image: A woman holding keys. Picture by: Alamy Stock Photo.