As an agent in the Tadley property market, I believe it is important to offer local homeowners a balanced and realistic view of both the Tadley and national property markets.

Young people have been locked out of homeownership. Deposits are impossible to save. Mortgage rules are too strict. And ‘Generation Rent’ is now permanent. According to the narrative by the newspapers, younger generation homeownership has collapsed.

Bicester's private rental market has changed considerably over the last five years. In 2021, the average monthly rent in Bicester was £1,126. So far in 2026, that figure stands at £1,518. That is a rise of 34.8%. To put that into context, the average UK rent increased from £1,390 in 2021 to £1,744 in 2026, a rise of 25.5%.

When Britain voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, many experts predicted serious problems for the UK housing market. Forecasts warned of falling house prices, reduced buyer confidence and a prolonged slowdown in property transactions. Yet a decade later, the story has been very different.