Saw the offering from Trend at the weekend at Makers Central, a small footprint/ packaway tool ideal for infrequent use perhaps. 8x4 capable for about £6k up. Might be worth a look.
Trend Yeti CNC SmartBench - CNC Machines - Products Trend Tool Technology
That makes 3 of us:ROFLMAO:
I had an item missing from my order from benchdogs, one email later and the item was in the post the next day, excellent service.
Some people advocate a big sheet of insulation foam as a sacrificial underboard, then working on the floor could work for you perhaps
I'd recommend buying some cheap ply first just to practice, a piece of 4ftx2ft will only cost you £15 or so.