25yo Aussie reveals why she’s moving back in with family

A young Aussie has revealed the moment she realised renting was “out of budget” and her actions next are part of a growing trend.

With more than three million likes on TikTok and 70,000 followers on Instagram, you’d be forgiven for thinking Ella Victoria was enjoying a lucrative career.

But the influencer has revealed even she’s moving back in with family to save money.

If you needed another thing to remind you that housing has become unaffordable, a successful influencer moving in with her in-laws to catch a financial break is undoubtedly one of them.

According to Jarden economist Anthony Malouf, rents have risen 30 per cent since 2019, and research from the comparison website Finder has found that young people moving back in with their parents is a growing trend.

A 2023 survey found that 13 per cent of Australians, 2.6 million people, had moved back into their family home or had an adult child move back in with them in the last 12 months.

Ella's an influencer. Picture: Instagram/ella_victoriaa

She's moving in with her partner's family. Picture: Instagram/ella_victoriaa

The research also showed the financial difference between those who live at home and those who rent. It adds up to an alarming $137,802 over a five-year period.

“More Aussies are moving back home with their parents as they struggle to cope with rising expenses,” Finder’s money expert Sarah Megginson told news.com.au.

“Interest rates have been going up and the cost of living pressure is coming from all angles, making it difficult for many to cope financially.”

Ms Victoria, 25, is one of those young people.

She lives in Sydney with her fiance and was paying $650 a week for a two-bedroom apartment.

But when her lease ended, the couple faced a rent increase of $100 weekly, so they decided to move in with his parents.

It is for the usual reasons: They could pay more rent in a pinch but want to get ahead financially.

“My fiance and I are getting married next year, and we want to save as much as possible for the wedding and our future,” she told news.com.au.

The influencer shared how tough it is to find an affordable rental. Picture: Instagram/ella_victoriaa

She's got more than 70,000 followers on Instagram.

The couple had been living in their rental for three years and were keen for a “change” when their lease ended, but reality hit fast.

“When we went to look at the rental market everything was way out of our budget,” she told news.com.au.

Ms Victoria is in a luckier position than most.

They’ve already managed to buy an investment property, but even with that asset, they found they couldn’t afford to pay rent and build the house they want.

“We are building a duplex as an investment property. If we were to stay renting, we would be paying interest repayments for the build, rent and wedding instalments all at the same time, which was a big expense,” she explained.

The plan is to move in with her partner’s family for six or 12 months so they don’t spend so much on housing.

“Once our investment property is finished being built we will reassess our situation. Our goal is to use the equity from the investment property to help us buy somewhere else to live,” she said.

The young Aussie just wants to get ahead. Picture: Instagram/ella_victoriaa

The young Aussie recognises she’s in a “privileged position” to be able to move in with family, but while being an influencer sounds glamorous, her work is ultimately extremely precarious, and she can’t take big financial risks.

“Being an influencer is definitely a great position to be in; however, with the nature of the job, payments can be quite irregular. I find that being self-employed has made me more financially savvy in a way as I’m always thinking of ways to future-proof myself as work isn’t guaranteed,” she said.

Ms Victoria said that moving in with her partner’s parents is not stigmatised because it is normal for Gen Zers.

“I think people understand the cost of living pressures and are more encouraging of moving home these days,” she said.

Just because it is normal, though, doesn’t mean it is discussed. People tend to want to share their financial achievements online, not the realities of trying to get ahead.

“I do feel like it’s not as normalised and talked about though,” she said.