There are plenty of ways you can live a rich and varied life with little financial commitment. Many jobs internationally offer housing as part of the deal or at a very reduced rate; many intentional communities will accept people to live on their land in exchange for some skill or service provided (could be low-skilled, so no need to be a professional carpenter or lumberjack, for example); and there are also so many other ways you can make money for your retirement - investing in stocks and shares over decades is likely to earn you a heck of a lot of money if you just leave the money, better still, if you add and compound your savings each month into a market of your choice.

The bottom line is - if you are intent on owning a house in the UK, you will have to settle for small, cramped, damp living conditions and at best you may be able to rent it out here and there if you want to go off and travel, but houses come with expenses that drain your 'gains' over 30-50 years. Sure, you have a place to live in that is 'rent free' by your retirement, but again, you'll be liable for costs when things need replacing or updating - arguably it is still cheaper than renting, but not always by much.

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Those who work smart, save and build their finances throughout their working life and rent nice places in nice places, will probably have the better quality of life (certainly less stress) than those who have all their money tied up in a small house in a less than desirable area just so that they can 'own it'. Well, the Germans don't own any of their properties and they seem to be enjoying a better quality of life than us Brits.