In fairness, 2/5 would be an absolute extreme - A quick and completely unscientific check of 2 bed flats in Brighton suggest mortgage would be far more expensive than the rental. Even if we assume that a mortgage is slightly cheaper, there are obviously loads of costs that aren't considered...
Yeah - I have houses in Swansea and back down in Worthing - Had a few moves at the end of the last year, it was absolutely mental, houses gone before they even made it online. Neither we nor our our agents have a particular understanding of what's going on.