House vs bunglow

Dan-Dan

I had in mind some near us money , with the concrete courtyard inside the house , so to speak , with the living room having a rather pointless highsided external wall to boot , horrible

Gwhiz

I'm self building a single story property right now - all very contemporary.

There's bungalows and then there are bungalows.

For me, the appeal of single story living is the feeling of space you get by having long sight lines and increased footprint (normally).

I hate narrow buildings, normally on 3 floors, which a lot of new builds tend to be to fit onto small plots.

ed110220

Gwhiz wrote: »

I'm self building a single story property right now - all very contemporary.

There's bungalows and then there are bungalows.

For me, the appeal of single story living is the feeling of space you get by having long sight lines and increased footprint (normally).

I hate narrow buildings, normally on 3 floors, which a lot of new builds tend to be to fit onto small plots.

I agree. Going to two and more storeys is I think mainly to save money on land costs. It's to save money, not to make the home better. Which is probably why where there is plenty of room, houses are usually single storey as they are typically simpler to build too.

jonewer

ed110220 wrote: »

I agree. Going to two and more storeys is I think mainly to save money on land costs. It's to save money, not to make the home better. Which is probably why where there is plenty of room, houses are usually single storey as they are typically simpler to build too.

Well exactly. This is why people from South Africa and similar places are used to living in bungalows. Land is/was cheap so why bother with all the hassle of a second story and stairs?

To those who think sleeping upstairs is somehow safer - what, from daleks?

moneyistooshorttomention

jonewer wrote: »

Well exactly. This is why people from South Africa and similar places are used to living in bungalows. Land is/was cheap so why bother with all the hassle of a second story and stairs?

To those who think sleeping upstairs is somehow safer - what, from daleks?

The one safety point I can think of basically there is that it would have been nice the other day when an outdoor security light of mine went on to be able to look out through an upstairs window and, if need be, throw a bucket of water or something over the head of any intruder spotted.

That's not possible in a bungalow.

Thankfully, I'm not expecting this to be the sort of place/area likely to attract intruders....leastways apart from the feline 4-legged variety (which is what keeps setting off my security light:cool:). Though I have the corollary of 2 tall hefty local males who have both made it quite plain any intruders have to get past them first before they get a chance to make a nuisance of themselves to me:rotfl:. Aw!:D:T

Waterlily24

We bought a bungalow hoping to extend and keep it as a bungalow. We weren't allowed to do as big as we wanted but ended up with a new lounge, bathroom and utility room on the ground floor and were allowed (eventually lol) to make it into a chalet bungalow. We now have our living accommodation downstairs (lounge, bathroom, bedroom with ensuite, dining room, study, kitchen and utility room) and three large bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. We still would rather have had a bungalow but it wasn't to be. But I still don't know how chalets can be called bungalows lol.

Gwhiz

jonewer wrote: »

Well exactly. This is why people from South Africa and similar places are used to living in bungalows. Land is/was cheap so why bother with all the hassle of a second story and stairs?

To those who think sleeping upstairs is somehow safer - what, from daleks?

You do know that they cal fly now, don't you?

goodfriend_

movilogo wrote: »

What are pros and cons for buying a bungalow/chalet over a house?

To my mind bungalows are not restrictive as far as modifications are concerned. Space can easily be added by building an extension. There is anytime an option of converting a bungalow into a two-story property. Maintaining a bungalow is affordable. Because of its moderate and open space, they have fairly modest heating and cooling requirements. Bungalow homes are especially relevant for people who may find climbing stairs cumbersome. No stairs so its safer for kids and its just easier to get around. Easier to clean as well (no hauling the vacuum upstairs etc). One negative of bungalows is that they typically have a higher cost per square foot than a two-story home. Because all of the rooms are on one floor, it takes up more land than a two-story home. Look at Localmartuk.com to compare the prices as you can also buy a two-story house for the same price (if I’m not mistaken), depends on your decision.

ostrichnomore_2

I've lived in pretty much everything going (bar a caravan) and they all have their pros and cons.

Houses - stairs are 'wasted space' but keep you fit. It's nice to have bedroom areas separate when you have visitors etc (particularly little kids running around everywhere and nosing into places).

Bungalows - I love really contemporary single floor homes but most are rather 'old people' looking. You'd have a bigger garden if it weren't a bungalow (could be a pro or a con depending on your point of view). There is a security issue - I don't like sleeping on ground floor. I keep my bedroom windows open all the time all year round and that's a lot more secure if someone needs to faff about with a ladder to get in, than if it's on ground floor.