Across the UK and here in Bicester, the property market remains surprisingly active despite the issues at home and abroad. House prices are steady, buyers are still being selective, and the market itself is evolving.

There is a growing shift taking place in the UK property market, and it is not one that can be ignored. While much of the national conversation focuses on house prices and interest rates, a quieter yet more revealing metric is beginning to stand out, how long properties are taking to sell.

For decades, the flat was the natural starting point for many first-time home buyers. The first rung of the ladder. The affordable option. The stepping stone to something bigger. For landlords, it was a dependable investment. For first-time buyers, it was often the only way in.

For much of the last two decades, bungalows have quietly slipped out of fashion. Overshadowed by those glossy new build developments, three storey townhouses and open plan ‘modern living’, they became seen by many as somewhere only your granny lives rather than an aspirational home move.