Establishing ground rules and mutual terms is key to ensuring a successful transition, said Tracy Metro, host of "I Live With My Mom," a program on YouTube home and design channel, SPACEStv.

"The real question is how to be a grown-up in your childhood home, and that's by behaving like a grown-up," said Metro, former host of TLC's "Designing Spaces."

It's tempting for both sides to revert to the original family dynamic of mom making dinner, doing laundry and treating the adult child, like, well, a child, she said. A better approach is to behave as if you're living on your own but just happen to be under the same roof as your parents. That means doing your laundry, cleaning, buying your own food or cooking for the house occasionally, she said. Every family deals with finances differently, but it doesn't hurt to start the conversation about contributing to the household.

Upgrading your childhood room, if you're still in it, can help pave the way to mental clarity necessary for becoming an adult, she said. It starts with getting rid of childhood mementos such as stuffed animals, toys and trophies.

"One nostalgic item showcases a bit of nostalgia; 20 of them is showcasing an obsession," she said. "We keep things because they've always been around, but as you get older it's important to question why we have things. There's nothing wrong with keeping them for memory's sake but (put) them in a box."

Ramsdell knew her childhood room wouldn't cut it when she moved home last month. Timing worked out so that her parents moved into her late grandfather's room, and she moved into theirs and completely redecorated it.

Otherwise, she pitches in with chores when asked to and cooks occasionally. She offered to mow the lawn but says her parents politely declined because it would be difficult to get back on the lawn boy's list when she left. Overall, she attributes the success of the arrangement to the fact that she has always had a good relationship with her parents.

Plus, there's an endgame in sight when she gets married next June.