> The rent for my 17th century cottage with garden in a Yorkshire village wouldn't get me a room in a shared house in an undesirable part of London.
Maybe I'm only confused because I've never lived in a village, but... You're paying significantly less than £700 pcm (including bills and council tax) for that?
I rent a two bed flat with two other people in a nice part of Zone 3, paying ~£500pcm for rent and council tax (together we're paying about ~£1300pcm total).
I could quite happily rent a two bedroom cottage in the lake district and pay all my bills out of that £500.
Maybe I'm only confused because I've never lived in a village, but... You're paying significantly less than £700 pcm (including bills and council tax) for that?