Property

Riverboats
Demand for moorings outstrips supply, but find one and £40,000 will buy you a narrowboat to live on – an improvement on £2million for a Thames-side apartment in Butler’s Wharf.
(www.britishwaterways.co.uk).

Eel Pie Island
Live the island life… in London. Accessed by footbridge (or boat), this Twickenham island has 120 residents who live in picket-fenced homes.

YMCA hostels
There are around a dozen YMCAs in London; most offer long-stay accommodation. Expect to pay £170 per week for your first four weeks at the City YMCA; rates drop thereafter.
(www.ymca.net).

Ikea homes
The Swedish store plans to roll readymade flats through locations across the south-east. They cost £100,000, but you do get an Ikea kitchen for free.
(www.boklok.com)

Garages
Just as stables were converted into mews houses, garages are now becoming residences: you can pick up a freestanding number from £20,000.