With energy bills, interest rates and house prices soaring, it has never been so tough for aspiring first-time buyers to get a foot on the property ladder.
With the average age of a first-time buyer in the UK now 34, many young people nowadays have no choice but to rent until they have managed to save up enough for a deposit.
But for some like Sophie, renting is more than just a stopgap as she says it gives her the freedom and flexibility she needs without having to worry about a mortgage.
The 27-year-old rents a one-bed apartment at Salford's canal-side neighbourhood New Makers Yard, which she pays £1,011 a month for.
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