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.

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.

There is a growing shift taking place in the Bicester 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.

Across the UK and here in Cippenham, 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.