The whole buying vrs owning.

I'm quite lucky in that i've family spread out to the north, the most southwest, and been living in reading for 3 years.

If i do end up working in london next year, odds are i'll be renting, as soon as i have a deposit of 15k, I'm planning to be able to go half on a house with a buy to rent mortgage.... Definately not in london thou.

A bit of time, and knowing an estate agent will let you know where the biggest rises are liekly to be, and where the most stable are. Right now for instance you couldn't go wrong buying a house with 3 bedrooms, turning it into 4/5 if your within 10min walking of the uni. Such house would cost about £150-180k, and require about £10k to make everyone want to live there. You would then have no difficulty getting it all paid off within 15 years (people will pay £300 pm for squaller) on the tennents rent allone with tennets paying for all nessicerry improvements. One way onto the ladder, and really not a bad investment.

The reason that works, is knowing the area/people to manage it for you.

if ever i have children, when they go off to uni, i sure as hell want to be able to do that for their student house.