A fifth of US renters spend more than half of their salary on housing. And with many others pushed towards long-term renting by student loans, an unstable job market or negative financial factors, Gen X and Y are finally stepping on to the property market. How are they going about their house hunt?

Gen Yers attempting to fly the nest are finding themselves spending more than half of their income on rent. Rising house prices and the recession have forced the 'boomerang generation' to either stay with their parents or cut their budgets for shopping and social experiences.

A million young Americans relocate every year. Whether they’re part of the 1.2 million that headed South for lower costs and hotter climates between 2010 and 2013, or they want to become one of New York’s eight million inhabitants, they’re not sitting still. And smaller US cities want their pick of the litter.

In 2013, property prices in the UK increased by over 11%. Living spaces may be getting more expensive (and smaller) but new schemes aim to make houses better connected and personally serviced too. How are people and brands reacting to the changing nature of our homes?