Bungalows...thoughts?

Participant

Participant

Participant

Caporegime
Joined
13 May 2003
Posts
34,462
Location
Warwickshire
There is a nice bungalow for sale near us.

I want to live there because:

- It's a nice large plot
- There's a greater feeling of spaciousness than you'd get downstairs in any other house we could afford
- Burglars are less likely to bank a lolgalow at night, for fear of confrontation with the resident(s)
- Previously inhabited by older people, therefore absolutely immaculate (once the smell of urine subsides)
- Less of a fire hazard as there are ground floor escape routes lrc
- Easier to clean the windows, heh
- Less chance of being struck by low-flying aircraft

My wife does not want to live there because:

- Old people live in bungalows
- People can see her dressing (even though our current first floor bedroom is overlooked by the house opposite, and absolutely no-one could see the bungalow's garden let alone bedroom from the rear)
- Worried about sleeping with the windows open in the summer, as a burglariser can simply jump in and robz0rz all our gear (it's in a pretty nice area)

I can't see why bungalows have such a stigma. Just because old people favour them, does that mean it's a bad idea for everyone else? I mean if old people got robbed every time they set foot in a bungalow, they wouldn't live there, right? Besides which old people like loads of other stuff that I like too.

BUT WHO IS RIGHT OCUK?!?!?!
 
Just get the better half to agree that your both getting on a bit and the time has come for a bungalow :-)

Joking aside I don't see the problem, me and the other half are going to build a single storey log cabin together and we're young
 
I'd never buy a bungalow personally. Not for the reasons you mention though. I just don't like the idea of having everything on one floor and so close to each other. Almost like there's no privacy in your own home.

My mate bought a bungalow and has gutted it and upgraded it but is now struggling to sell it on. Problem is that everyone who comes to view it is older and doesn't like the styling that he's done to it (modern.
 
You are right, your wife needs to learn to get dressed with the curtains closed. Bungalows are a great investment too, you can't get planning permission for them any more, councils don't consider it an efficient use of land.
 
I'm not so sure on the crime aspect - being all ground floor gives them more potential access points you may be trading a less likelyhood of being burgled at night with a higher chance overall.
 
bungalows are difficult to sell as 90% of the population have your wifes opinion, chalet bungalows are more popular, I think I'd only consider one if the location / size / garden / price were favourable and outweighed the fact it was a bungalow
 
Bungalows are cool. Me and the wife bought and renovated a bungalow for our first house. Also owned by old people - was interesting peeling back the layers of decor, going back in time all the way to the 60s :).

My wife grew up in Singapore and Malaysia where almost everything is either an apartment or single story house, so for her stairs are weird and a bungalow was first choice!

On the practical side, the renovation (plumbing and wiring etc) was all easier with the single storey. I could **** about on the roof safely. The loft was huge giving a great future expansion option - a loft conversion.

The fact old people like them means you can often pick one up cheap cos it is in major need of modernising as it hasn't been touched for decades, but once you sort it out a nice bungalow can fetch a premium for the same reason. Also, assuming the whole area has bungalows, then you have a near gauranteed quiet area with nice (old) neighbours with whom it's easy to win brownie points (helping them, etc). Our immediate neighbours are all pretty awesome old dudes.

Regarding people seeing your Mrs dressing, well you've rightly already pointed out that applies to all houses. Get blackout curtains - simples.

Being robbed, well if a burgler wants to get in your house at night, he will, tbh. Get windows that can be cracked open but still held closed? Only open the top bit? Install ceiling fans (another winning idea nicked from Asia). Also, burglers will assume you're old and poor and not target you in the first place.

:)

Edit: Just seen some of the other posts saying they are hard to sell. Well that certainly isn't the case round here. They are all snapped up pretty fast. Being old properties they are in the longer established and desirable parts of town and have decent sized plots, but I guess that might not always be the case.
 
Last edited:
other thoughts

twice as much roof if ever needed replacing
twice as much soffit fascia and gutters
twice as much dpc if property is damp
if the ground floor isn't insulated then it'll cost a fortune to heat
if your wife worries about security and the windows need changing then normally you'd have laminated glass on the ground floor which is expensive as a bungalow all will need twice as much laminating
no ones built bungalows en mass for years so they will be inefficient and expensive to heat
 
maccapacca said:
other thoughts

twice as much roof if ever needed replacing
twice as much soffit fascia and gutters
twice as much dpc if property is damp
if the ground floor isn't insulated then it'll cost a fortune to heat
if your wife worries about security and the windows need changing then normally you'd have laminated glass on the ground floor which is expensive as a bungalow all will need twice as much laminating
no ones built bungalows en mass for years so they will be inefficient and expensive to heat
Click to expand...

to be pretty honest thats a load of old tosh. It doesn't matter if you're one floor or two if the property has defaults it'll be reflected in the home report so the person buying it will have an idea of costs / improvements to be made to rectify issues.
 
maccapacca said:
bungalows are difficult to sell as 90% of the population have your wifes opinion, chalet bungalows are more popular, I think I'd only consider one if the location / size / garden / price were favourable and outweighed the fact it was a bungalow
Click to expand...

Do they really have that opinion? I can't say I've ever thought like that, nor has anyone I know. Loads of young families live in bungalows near the family house.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom