Across the UK and here in Stevenage, 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.

Stevenage's private rental market has changed considerably over the last five years. In 2021, the average monthly rent in Stevenage was £1,029. So far in 2026, that figure stands at £1,377. That is a rise of 33.8%. 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%.

There is a growing shift taking place in the Stevenage 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 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.