The rise of buy-to-let schemes have only made matters worse. Investors are buying real estate to rent at a high profit whilst a couple of decades ago individuals would buy a second and third home as a future investment for their children (or whatever other reason) and would put it in the rental market, which was competitive, in order to help pay the mortgage. Low interest rates meant by the time their kids were of age the house could have almost paid itself.

Many of us chose to rent because rent was cheap, we were young, not wealthy, and most importantly didn't know if we would love in this or that city for much longer (perhaps we came to study and moved on to look for our first jobs).

By the time rent became unaffordable, or at least much more expensive than a (lengthy) mortgage, we had also been prices out of home ownership because we don't make enough even with our partner's wages combined. We just couldn't get a mortgage at the prices houses are going. It feels like been between a rock and a hard place.