Would you live in a Bungalow?

seven-day-weekend

http://new.spectator.co.uk/2015/10/bring-back-the-bungalow/

Having recently moved into a bungalow and not having regretted it for an instance, I have become a huge fan of this type of housing.

Ours is within walking distance of shops and on a frequent bus route.

Would you like a bungalow as you get older, and would more elderly people downsize if more were built, as the article suggests?

Your thoughts welcomed.

r2015

I would love a bungalow, I tried a few years ago to sell my semi and buy a bungalow.
I couldn't get enough for my semi to buy my bungalow.


Downsizing would have cost me £15,000.

marleyboy

I lived in a tower block for 10 Years, akin to a row of bungalows stacked on top of one another.

I much prefer a house, I like the idea of going upstairs to bed, I dont think my stance will change as I get older, but I guess if stairs proved too difficult for me I would consider one.

[Deleted User]

bungalows have a very large 'footprint' in comparison to a multi-story house... and it's land that is the expensive bit.

My area is chock full of converted bungalows..

seven-day-weekend

r2015 wrote: »

I would love a bungalow, I tried a few years ago to sell my semi and buy a bungalow.
I couldn't get enough for my semi to buy my bungalow.


Downsizing would have cost me £15,000.

We paid less for the bungalow than we got for the house, but had to dip into savings to renovate it. I think to get it liveable cost us an extra £10k.

marksoton

New build bungalows are a pipe dream from what i can see. Mainly because they don't make the relevant people ( e.g developers ) enough money.

They'd far rather sell you a portion of a building in a purpose built retirement block. Certainly in the SE anyway.

SailorSam

Many years ago when my Nan & Grandad retired they moved out to Rhyl and bought a bungalow. There are lots of them out there.
I think as i get older i'd like the idea if i could find something i liked.

chris_m

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Would you like a bungalow as you get older, and would more elderly people downsize if more were built, as the article suggests?

If one comes up in my price point and area and has suitable amenities for my requirements, definitely.

moneyistooshorttomention

The house I swopped to recently is a bungalow.

Mixed feelings =

- on the one hand it is certainly noticeably more convenient to live in. I can readily pop to and fro between kitchen and bathroom or lounge and bedroom etc. There is no "hoovering the stairs" awkwardness. Housework feels quicker/easier to do all round.

- on the other hand - I'm finding it a challenge to take the "old person and bit old-fashioned" feel out of it. I know its just mainly down to British people tend to regard bungalows as a bit of "old person territory" and that's just their personal feelings. I do find that aspect offputting - and have to remind myself that in some foreign countries (including ones I have lived in) they are just regarded as "housing" and not "old people housing" iyswim.

- the other thing being I'd like to have at least a bit of my house "upstairs" ideally. Sorta greater feeling of a bit of security when it comes to opening windows or if I spotted an intruder down below (ie they would be at a "throw bucket of water" down on top of their head - rather than "throw bucket of water straight at them" level) iyswim.

So - mixed feelings basically and I was equally prepared to buy either a house or a bungalow. Ideally I would like a chalet bungalow I think - ie the accommodation on ground floor (including a bedroom) but with 2 extra bedrooms upstairs. Maybe that's partly down to that's what I'm used to? (as my parents have had one for many years now and I think its quite a practical sort of house to have all round - but doesn't feel old-persony).

*************

Overall - I think its more important for a bungalow to look contemporary than it is for a house to do so. That means its less likely to look "old persony". Right now "old persony" seems to mean looking about 1970s/1980s in style - and hence I'm ripping that out from mine as fast as money allows.

So - I think mine is possibly going to cost me more to keep decorated/furnished than a house would - because of my own personal "Its more important to keep a bungalow contemporary than a house" outlook and therefore if things start looking a bit "dated" I will be likely to rip out and replace at a faster rate than I would with a house.

seven-day-weekend

I agree some bungalows look like homes for old people. Ours doesn't, I'm glad to say

seven-day-weekend

One of the reasons we like our bungalow is that it doesn't look old person-y. It did when we first bought it, with the disability ramp up to the door, but we have got rid of that and it's a nice 1930s bungalow with timber detailing.