The flight to the countryside causes a rebound in the sale of single-family homes

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Ms Kinnaird said terraces are now increasingly seen as the “first rung on the housing ladder”.

She said: “The relatively low energy efficiency of many older townhomes could also be a factor when buyers are considering home running costs, as energy costs appear to remain high.”

She said families tend to choose single-family homes as a “forever home,” often after trading in smaller properties.

Tom Bill, head of residential research at real estate agents Knight Frank, said rising demand meant it was a good time for those already living in single-family homes to downsize and cash in.

mr bill said an increase in older homeowners retiring during the pandemic has already triggered an increase in staff reductions.

Many retirees live in houses that are bigger than they need, but stamp duty discourages them from moving to smaller houses.

Despite their growing popularity, single-family homes are less widely available than other types of properties, giving their sellers a potential advantage in the market.

There are 4.21 million single-family homes in England and Wales, representing 16% of housing, according to the latest official figures for 2021.

There are 6.93 million semi-detached houses and 6.10 million flats, representing 26% and 23% of all dwellings, respectively.

The average age of a moving company is 39 years, one year less than 12 months ago and two years less than in 2013.

Halifax said the decline in age could reflect more older homeowners choosing to add to their homes rather than move.

Kate Eales, regional agency director for Strutt & Parker, also said she was seeing an increase in vendor downsizing this year.