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.

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.

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%.

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.