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.

Burghfield Common's private rental market has changed considerably over the last five years. In 2021, the average monthly rent in Burghfield Common was £1,189. So far in 2026, that figure stands at £1,503. That is a rise of 26.4%. 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.

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.