And grim student digs are not a great place to live! I can attest to that. You are fortunate indeed to get the PhD of choice and location of choice. I miss being at "home" doing my PhD work. Yes, there are benefits from being in the UK and at the university and not distance learning, but there were also massive plusses being in my community, with family and friends and so forth. Having ties to home is nothing to sneer at, its important.