House sharing amongst young adults is often regarded as being of significan
ce only as a short term, transitional arrangement, and is associated with e
conomic constraint. This association is, however, undergoing change, as it
is a household form increasingly adopted by young people in professional an
d managerial occupations. This paper focuses on the experiences of these ra
ther more advantaged sharers, and explores their own accounts of why they l
ive in shared housing. The language of choice features heavily in their nar
ratives, embracing a consideration of the material and non-material benefit
s of sharing, and of their own projected domestic trajectories. It is concl
uded that, whilst financial concerns are not unimportant in their decision-
making, most regard their living arrangements as appropriate to the needs a
nd demands of their current lifestyles, and do not experience their living
arrangements as products of constraint.