How common is that in the UK?? It'd be exceedingly rare in Australia.

Having 4 independent adults in a 4 bed house is quite common in the UK due to the cost of housing.

Having 3 or 4 adults in a 4 bed house is even more common once you include 20-something kids who live with their parents due to the cost of housing.

The cost of housing is nothing to do with the number of car parking spaces provided. If you assume the typical 2 adult 2 children household (the ones most likely to be in those 3/4 bed new build houses), where 55% have at least 2 cars -- at that includes London where car ownership is lower, having a single driveway is a major problem.

> Having 4 independent adults in a 4 bed house is quite common

As it would be in Australia. But not 4 families!

Sorry for the confusion. I was using “family” to emphasize that these were unrelated people in the same house. The idea being that the car-sharing dynamic is different between multiple families (or unrelated individuals) than within one family.

My spouse and I share a car. My neighbor and I probably could but not without a lot more hassle.

HMOs are increasingly common in the UK -- not just in London or for students, but in towns for working professionals. You can (and do) easily have a 4 bed house with 4 adults with 4 separate jobs. I have a 40+ friend with a phd who lives in such a house near Bristol (3 adults in a 3 bed house).

Hell back in 2003 I lived in a 4 bed house in London which had 7 adults in it (I didn't stay there for long). That type of housing is 3 times more expensive now in relation to earnings. If you were to put that in somewhere like Mansfield you're talking at least 4 cars even if half the people commute via bus.