How do you live in bungalow?

puddy

So, more house hunting today has led us to consider putting in an offer on a bungalow.

A bungalow has never been something that I have ever considered, I always thought I would graduate from my 2 bed 1960s purpose built flat,, to a pretty, victorian cottage or something like that.

However, with problems finding something that we like, with character that we can afford in the right location, with our criteria of parking, quiet road, garden and 3 beds

So today amongst other properties we saw a bungalow that has all the critera, needs a bit of doing up but I dont mind that and if they take a low enough offer we should be able to afford it.

Anyway my problem is that Im worried that I will end up feeling like Im simply living in a 3 bed, 1960s purpose built ground floor flat, rather than a house. Its detached and the hallway is large, but I dont know how to get my head round what it might be like to live in a bungalow or what sort of decor or furnishings it would take. I like a country, cottage, victoriany style, which would not be suited to this sort of property.
I dont like modern looking furniture or design,,, what would look good in a home like this but still have some character?

Yes, i know, I havent even bought it yet, but I do like to plan ahead and try to visualise how things are going to be, even if they turn out not to happen!!

bear with me!! Thanks

Swipe

I grew up in a bungalow and am just in the process of buying one. They are great. Easily maintained and good build quality, usually have decent gardens and tend to have elderly neighbours (less noise). I don't go in for interior design stuff so I'll just be moving my current belongings with me, if they don't look right well there's not a lot my budget can do about it.

an1179

I moved from a 5 bedroom 2 story house 3 yeas ago to a 4 bed bungalow. I found it difficult to decide when to stop vacuuming as in the house I vacuumed

down evey 1 o 2 days and up once a week.

I also worried about someone climbing in open windows at night!!

Decor is just like a house

I've got used to it now. It does seem wierd though not going upstairs to bed

lynzpower

my parents have a bungalow and although its a lot smaller than the larger houses they owned when me & sis were at home, dad says theyd rather have the extra money than dead space ( ie the spare bedrooms)

Previous owner had converted the loft into a bedroom so theres somewhere for us to stay.

Personally I really like bungalows, and would definately buy one over a normal 2 floor house.

Pros:
no stairs to hoover
all drainage closer to groud level so easier to deal with problem drainage.
tidier house, you dont need to leave a pile of items at stair ends

cons: noise level- depends whos living there, its ok for parents as older couple who do everything together but it might be a bit noisy say if Oh had his mates round in the lounge & i wanted to sleep early. Really depends on the layout

My parents have something like this
http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-18579977.html?locationIdentifier=REGION^12219&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=2&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&oldSecondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&pageNumber=4&backToListURL=/property-for-sale/find.html?locationIdentifier=REGION%5E12219&sortByPriceDescending=false&minBedrooms=2&secondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&oldSecondaryDisplayPropertyType=detachedshouses&index=30

mgardner

Swipe wrote: »

I grew up in a bungalow and am just in the process of buying one. They are great. Easily maintained and good build quality, usually have decent gardens and tend to have elderly neighbours (less noise). I don't go in for interior design stuff so I'll just be moving my current belongings with me, if they don't look right well there's not a lot my budget can do about it.

Absolutely agree. I live in a very small one bed bungalow with gardens back and front, plenty of room for my veg plot. Its cheap to heat and maintain.
I found it quite easy and cheap to get a cottage effect, making a feature of one wall with pine firesurround and mirror, keeping other walls plain cream,
I found a couple of small wickerwork tables at the carboot for plants. fortunately my settee and chair fitted, although had to get rid of other chair.
am very pleased with the result and all up it onl cost about fifty pounds to do

ampersand

That's impressive mgardner - I'm in one, too, but my head isn't.

Am thinking, on nil budget of course, of replacing sofa with sofabad when right one turns up and am still pleased with an enormous £1.50 auction buy some years ago, of a 200x90cm mirror. This helps, on diagonal corner wall over ghastly gasfire, which I obscure and don't use.

You are right, too, about being snug and warm - I revel in the knowledge that it is so - even if I've been away for weeks and not left heating on.

Excellent for rising bread dough, too.

op - I have so many paintings and pieces of pottery(studio and other)that formerly used huge walls, that it's true many are still up in loft, 5 years on.

Your way of living will open right up, with light and a sense of outdoors/indoors - if that's your thing.

It's mine.

Good luck - and keep us informed.

inneed

I have lived in a bungalow for 15 years now, and I love it! Plug the hoover in the hallway, and go all the way round the place, slip from bedroom to kitchen if you need anything in the night, no lugging any cleaning things or ironing upstairs, smaller bills, not to mention how much easier it is to move in. It doesn't feel like a flat, as we can walk straight out in to our garden, just like a house. The only downside I find is when one of us has to go to work earlier than the other, it's difficult not to disturb the sleeping partner.
As for decor, it depends more on the age and style of the property rather than the fact it's a bungalow, but once you are inside, it can be whatever you make it.
Anyway, good luck Jenner, whatever you decide.

pawpurrs

I have allways lived in Period properties and have forsaken parking for it, if your moving down to the kent countryside then parking isnt the same issue as it is in major towns and london, you cant live in your car, so I have allways prefered to not have ORP and have a lovely cosy house with lots of charm. Which bungalows lack in bundles. However, any house even bungalows can be made nice, however it would look plain odd in period style, so I would go ultra modern.
Theres allways a compromise!

clutton_2

i recently moved from a two storey 3 bedroomed roomed/ 3 reception early victorian house into a single storey 2 bed cottage and i love it - easy to maintain, nice and light and airy, and good views, and easy to hear my music all over the house, less hoovering, less dusting,

izzwizz_2

Have lived in quite a few bungalows and wouldn't go back to a house now - just can't stand stairs!!! I agee that the major downside is waking up a sleeping partner, but that depends on the layout and how the internal walls are constructed. I'm not sure how it would wotk out with young children either (I'd be worried about them escaping LOL!)
I also love being able to hoover the whole place from one plug in the centre (very easy to keep clean - half an hour does it).
The major advantage is in maintenance on the outside - it's very easy to keep the guttering clear, repair the roof, fix an aerial, paint the outside & all the window frames, etc. etc. Consequently, bungalows will often have been better maintained than the equivalent houses.
Also, I agree with the poster who said neighbours tend to be elderly which has a lot of advantages (ours have been fantastic neighbours who take in the milk for us, keep an eye on the place if we're away and so on). Of course it cuts both ways, and we have made a few trips to the hospital for our neighbours in the past.

mumoftwins

I lived in a bungalow for 10 years and had to do it up. We chose a country style kitchen and Laura Ashley decor and by the time it was finished it was so warm and cosy in there.

We added a conservatory to the lounge and removed the patio doors so the lounge became a large sort of L shape overlooking the semicircular pond we put in following the line of the conservatory. This room we decorated in some lovely colours to make it country style, and had a feature fireplace with mirror over and a lovely coal basket effect gas fire.

The bedrooms were decorated in light sunny, warm colours and we put in built in wardrobes in each room.

The bathroom was never finished before we divorced but I have seen it since (it took 5 years to complete :eek:) and it looks lovely.

The benefits to me were that housework seemed to take less time as there was no lugging of things up and downstairs.

In all I loved living in a bungalow so I hope you will be very happy!

Meant to say that I at first I did feel like I was camping! But it soon wore off.