-Bungalow proving to be a niche property

Hunter15

We're selling a 2 bed bungalow in Belfast with 2 receptions (with great views) and I naively thought bungalows would sell quickly but it's not getting the interest we had hoped and older people viewing it (who we though would be the target market) all say the same thing - there are steps (5-6) outside the kitchen door and the sunroom door taking you down to the decking (and then another 5-6 steps to get down to the lower garden level so not giving them the one level living they are after. It's not going to attract families as it's only 2 beds. I'm loathed to do any adaptation work as ramps etc cost a lot and may not even sell it in the end. Any suggestions? I've paid to promote it on property sites etc.

mebu60

Is it in FTB pricing where a young couple might be interested in having views? If so I'd suggest engaging an EA who uses social media to promote it with a short video clip focussed on the key attractions to that demographic.

Albermarle

Bungalows do not just sell to older people, although certain locations/roads/a lot of elderly neighbours might be offputting for a younger couple.

Is there potential for extending outwards ( or upwards) ? If so a family may be interested, if it is in a nice location.

Dustyevsky

Bungalows do sell to a range of people, but they typically carry a premium price due to convenience factors and a larger plot.

If a major convenience advantage is perceived to be low or absent, the price relative to similar properties available may need adjustment.

Murphybear

Too many younger couples might be off putting for older people.

We used to live in a tiny village with a lot of bungalows and mainly older people. One younger couple used to play loud music outside and when we complained at 1.00 am we found a lot of other residents complaining at the same time 😿. They told us “we’re not going to turn it down so you’ll have to put up with it”. We contacted the council and collected the evidence when the music makers decided to move. 😺

FreeBear

Got bungalows along my road, most are 2 bed. A fair proportion are occupied by "younger" couples. The attraction for *this area is the local schools, public transport, and generally, a "nice" area. However, there are two properties (3 bed detached houses) that have been on the market for around six months now. Usually, they get snapped up pretty quick, so I surmise that the market is quite slow at present.

tacpot12

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82110588#Comment_82110588

Bungalows rarely have the foundations that are suitable to accept the extra weight of a new storey, but knocking it down and starting again with an Passivehaus design can make sense. See Turning Rosemount Upside Down - YouTube

Slinky

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82112257#Comment_82112257

With current building costs it would be a cheaper option to find a more suitable property rather than knock down and start again. I dread to think what a bloke in the neighbouring road paid out when he paid £950K for a large house, paid to have it knocked down and rubble removed, and rebuilt another. It's not as if it's a particularly desirable spot, although it apparently was to him.

Mind you we have some people in our street who have been renting for the past 4 years, whilst they own 2 bungalows around the corner, one of which is being knocked down and rebuilt as a chalet bungalow. At one point they must have been paying 3 lots of council tax as both the bungalows stood empty for well over a year, one of them for 3 years……

Albermarle

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82112257#Comment_82112257

I was thinking more of a conversion to a Chalet bungalow- not sure if that would cause any foundations issues?

Bigphil1474

You can usually convert the upstairs of a bungalow reasonably easy with maybe a couple of bedrooms upstairs (depending on size and layout), but it won't be cheap.

We're not particularly old but we looked at a lot of bungalows when we were moving a couple of years ago and the problem for us tended to be small room sizes and relative cost of the property. We could get more floor space for the same price with a house, so any bungalow had to be spot on. We didn't find one and ended up buying a 4 bed semi for the price of a 3 bed bungalow. In our area the market is really slow, so that could be a factor. It may well just be price of course. Personally, I wouldn't do any adaptations just yet, but maybe reflect the possible need for those in the asking price.