News that UK house prices have rocketed up by an average 15% in 1999 may be sending homeowners giddy, but for those on the lower rungs of the property ladder or yet to begin their ascent, the view is equally dizzying.

With the average house in the UK costing just a shade under �100,000, the number of people priced out of the market is growing.

The National Housing Federation estimates experienced teachers, social workers and staff nurses do not earn salaries sufficient to buy one-bedroom flats in Liverpool, Leeds, Manchester or Birmingham.

In London, where house prices have climbed by 23% in the last year and the average flat will leave you no change from �200,000, the situation is even more dire.

For those left out in the cold as the property market hots up there remain some viable alternatives to the idyll of normal homeownership.

Do it yourself

While Changing Rooms et al have turned legions of TV viewers into avid DIYers, those wishing to find a cheap route into the property game should take the concept one step further.

Cutting out the middleman and building your own home can save between 20% and 30% on the cost of an existing house.

Although much of this is thanks to VAT exemption for selfbuilders, the rest comes from taking on the tasks most of us leave to the professionals.

Jonathan Lee from Selfbuild and Design Magazine says individuals can do as much or as little as they like. While some do everything from dig the foundations to tile the roof, others choose to oversee contractors.

As well as making sure the house fits their needs exactly, selfbuilders can also ensure their homes are energy-efficient and eco-friendly.

Philippa Knight from Homebuilding and Renovating Online warns all these savings do come at a price. Finding a suitable plot of land remains difficult and the construction process can be equally draining.

"It can take up every waking moment. If you're not working on your home, you're thinking about it," she says.

Rent asunder

Finding decent rented accommodation can be as hard as buying an affordable home. Housing associations help fill this gap.

With government funding, these organisations aim to provide housing in those areas where the need is greatest - often where stocks of council or private accommodation is lacking.

Kath Knowles, from North British, which lets 45,000 such properties nationwide, says housing association rents are often "considerably cheaper".

French leave

For those desperate to buy a home it may be worth looking further afield than the local estate agent.

A one-bedroom property in central Paris can be had for around �60,000, thanks to a strong pound and the relatively low French interest rates. Larger rural houses can be bought for even less.

The French tend not to share the British mania for homeownership says the Abbey National's Hannah Chance.

"They tend to rent more than they buy, so renting isn't particularly cheap but buying is."

British landlords can therefore expect a magnifique return on their investment.

Riding the property wave

Even in London's expensive heart cheap accommodation can be found, if you aren't prone to seasickness.

A houseboat on the Thames can still be picked up for around �40,000, with mooring and other charges coming to around �4,000 each year.

Iona Singleton lives on a boat just 10 minutes walk from London's fashionable Kings Road - where average flats sell for �300,000.

"With a houseboat you can live in central London relatively cheaply, with great views, in an unusual environment. Boat owners also tend to be quite neighbourly."

Houseboats require a high level of maintenance. "Things are always breaking down or falling apart and they have to be mended by specialists."

Thanks to insurance requirements it is also difficult having household items delivered to your boat, with few delivery men willing to walk the gangplank.

Drop out, log on

As estate agents will testify ad nuseum, house buying is about location, location, location. However, the internet may have rendered this unholy trinity obsolete.

The net revolution promises to release reluctant city dwellers from having to stump up for expensive rents and mortgages.

In a wired world, buying a house in the country needn't require urban malcontents to take up farming to put food on the table.

A whole range of professionals may soon be able to effectively work from their own home or band together with fellow teleworkers in so-called dot.communes - enjoying all the benefits of city careers at a fraction of the cost.