NEARLY a quarter of children living in British homes are forced to share a bedroom, rising again to 38 per cent for younger families, where parents are aged 18-34, and 35 per cent for those living in London, according to new figures from FindaProperty.com.

According to the findings, 29 per cent of parents think their current home is too small to accommodate the size of their family, while 40 per cent of younger families think they're being squeezed into properties that are too small for them.

"Very few families can afford to buy or rent a property that meets their exact size and location requirements, and as a result, they are often forced to compromise on one or the other," says analyst Samantha Baden.

Buying a house is now much cheaper than renting, according to new research by Halifax. The lender claims the monthly cost of buying the average three-bed home in the UK is now £600, 16 per cent cheaper than the £716 it would cost to rent the same type of property. Wales is the only area of the UK where renting is cheaper than buying, with owning a home costing £5 a month more than renting. Buying is most affordable relative to renting in London, with the average borrower paying £1,089, 10.2 per cent less per month than the typical private tenant.

Halifax said the reduction in home buying costs was driven by falling mortgage rates as well as a drop in house prices.

The cost of moving house has jumped by 70 per cent over the past decade and now stands at £9,000 amid rising fees for estate agents, surveyors, conveyancing and mortgage arrangements, says Lloyds TSB. "The task for those looking to move home has undoubtedly become more challenging," says Lloyds TSB housing economist Suren Thiru. "The significant rise in home moving costs is particularly concerning at a time when demand in the UK housing market is weak."