[isostatic]

Back in 2003 I managed to find a tiny bedsit, with a shower in one corner, sink + countertop oven in another, and bed in the third. It was a shared toilet, and cost half my take home wage.

I couldn't afford a proper 1 bed studio for £800 (with a separate bathroom), nor could I afford to commute on tube (I found one 35 minute walk from work), but it did the job.

I couldn't abide living in a house share, however somewhere that's effectively a hall of residence, with a kettle and microwave in my room, would be far more preferably than a house share.

18 months after my salary had increased enough that I could afford a 1 bed flat in Twyford and the commuting cost (cheap car, free parking due to shift work, 7 days a fortnight), which was great

My mortgage in 2018 on a 4 bed house in Cheshire is less than I paid for the rent on that flat in Twyford in 2004.