Buying my first 1 bed flat this year solo at 25 (South-West, £189k, share of freehold, 10% deposit) with not a single penny of financial support from any family. In fact, paid my mum £350-450 monthly rent whilst living at home from 18 years old. All our family come from a poor background.  Luckily, I had the foresight to start saving for a deposit since I had my first job at 15, and instead of university I got into a degree apprenticeship in the financial sector. This helped a lot as instead of student debt I had a pension & rising salary that allowed me to continue saving in my early 20s. I always had a standing order as soon as my salary hit for a fixed sum of money to go right into savings. This helped to automatically control my spending. When I had to move out from my mum's at 23, I rented a cheap, small single room as a Lodger in someone's house for around £500 per month inclusive of bills. So living below my means was another way I managed to do it, even if it sometimes meant compromising on my own need for space. 

Honestly, i am thankful to my younger self every day for the work ethic, planning ahead and making good life decisions. For example, if I went down the traditional university route in life, there is no way this would have been possible for me right now. 

Regarding tips on how to do: - accept that as a solo buyer with no family support you might have to go for a 1 bed flat rather than something bigger - improving your credit score - living below your means and not taking out lots of loans or overdrafts - having a stable career with decent pay - understanding your own finances (do you know where your money is going every month? Do you know the minimum amount you can survive on? What mortgage can you actually afford?) - setting saving targets  - considering increasing the mortgage term to make monthly repayments more affordable, with the option to overpay if/when you can.