When I was living and working in the UK I got that same impression. Trying to buy a property anywhere in central London is nigh on impossible. The only people living there are the very wealthy and the very poor in social housing projects.

My colleagues used to commute in by train from two hours away each day, but I'm guessing they're leaning heavily into remote work now.

There's nice areas in the UK which are dying because everyone wants to live in some metropolitan area. It's a real pity, but I can't see the trend reversing anytime soon.