How to Raise the Topic of Euthanasia With Your Parents So You Can Inherit The Home

Brought to you by the Department of Housing.

We’ve all been there: your parents are getting older, the economy’s getting crueller, and the thought of ever owning property seems like a joke told at your expense. Navigating family dynamics can be tricky, especially when the real estate market is involved. But before you resign yourself to another decade of sharing a two-bed flat in Enniscorthy while commuting to Swords, it might be time to have the conversation, not about love or legacy, but about self-care, or as some countries call it, euthanasia.

Experts agree that timing is everything. Don’t bring it up midway through Sunday roast; nothing says “ungrateful child” like euthanasia between bites of Yorkshire pudding. Instead, ease into it. Try mentioning how modern healthcare has made “a dignified exit” a personal choice, then nod gravely as though discussing an artist’s creative process.

Keep it tone-appropriate - you’re concerned, not calculating. Use words like “agency,” “self-determination,” and “quality of life.” Avoid “mortgage,” “market value,” or “rental options.” The goal is to make this sound like an act of love, not long-term real estate planning

.If your parents seem hesitant, validate their feelings. Say things like, “It’s your decision, of course,” while subtly slipping brochures for Swiss clinics under their teacups. Emotional manipulation is most effective when paired with gentle lighting and an undertone of filial devotion.

Once the idea has settled like fog in the room, mention how comforting it would be to “keep the family home in the family.” Ideally, in your name. They’ll appreciate your sense of continuity, and you’ll finally have that home office your therapist’s been suggesting.

Remember, the end of life is a delicate subject. But with enough charm, strategic guilt, and a clear understanding of Ireland’s inheritance tax laws, it can be a truly life-changing conversation. Mostly yours.

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Brought to you by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.