We've paid more in rent for the past five years than the flat we live in originally cost back in 1999, and anywhere we move to would be about £500 a month more expensive - feel lucky we have a landlady who doesn't get her head turned by 'market rent' and has allowed us to save and hopefully buy our own place for the first time this year. Trying to be realistic about how much 'renovation' we have the money to actually sort out when looking at things, and comforting ourselves with the fact that the kitchen we have now must be shitter than anything someone's expecting us to sink our life savings into.
I guess it helps that we don't care about local schools, parking, or where we live being 'a good investment'. And the people on the advice fora I've been reading who think that everyone struggling should just move to a different area (which will have the side effect of hiking up prices for those there who can't afford it) or give up everything in life up to and including starting a family because 'the ladder' are annoying me as well. Going to put in an avocado bathroom suite just to spite them.