I can give one piece of general advice to anybody starting in this game: Unless you are absolutely cash strapped, don't cripple your mission capability by getting a UK-only qualification. You will live to regret it. In the long run, this game is above all a paper chase. Getting the plane you want is "just a question of money" but getting the privileges you want, at the time of your life when you decide you need them, can be impossible to squeeze into one's life, so if you can get them go for it! Being able to just jump into something and fly to France is priceless, if not for any other reason than there is no way to do it other than private flight.
I also think that a given person will spend a similar amount of money reaching a specific level of flying confidence no matter how they go about it. At average UK PPL training prices this is around £6000-9000. Some can do it for less but these are rare cases, and some take much longer.