AIBU to refuse a bungalow when downsizing for our forever home?

Yes, but surely a house that can accommodate a downstairs bathroom and bedroom and which is well connected for shops, healthcare and human connection.

Personally at your ages I would prefer a house, the bonus of an upstairs! You don't need to think about your later years yet, choose for now.

Definitely.

My parents moved from a village which is poor for public transport and shops. To a town where buses are more frequent and got plenty of shops ten minutes walk away.

They did this as soon as DF retired.

Plus their stairwell is straight and easy to install a stairlift if things get bad.

My DF’s cousin and her DP retired and moved to NE Highlands and this year he got diagnosed with leukaemia. The nearest hospital that does cancer treatment is 75 miles away. Yet where they used to live in the Midlands, there was probably around 30-35 hospitals that do cancer treatment in the 75 mile radius.

Pretty much any home can be adapted to your needs as you see nowadays. Ive even checked for our old cottage with a very barrow and awkward staircase and we'd be able to have a stairlift if we needed to. We could even put a lift in if we were so inclined. Most things can be ordered or arranged online and taxis are available if you can't drive. I think you should just live where you feel happy and not worry about the rest, maybe just make sure you have some savings for adaptations as and when needed, but that will still probably be cheaper than moving.

” move into somewhere appropriate for my dotage”

I think at your age I too would be reluctant to be thinking about a home for my old age. We downsized 10 years ago when I was sixty. As it’s spread I’ve three floors the house is now becoming a struggle but even now I hate the thought of having to move into appropriate for my dotage.

We do leave them open actually, on the enclosed garden side but it's a fair point. Many wouldn't be able to, I guess

I can tell you walking doesn't exercise the muscles that my physio exercise does, or cycling.. each exercise was explained to me what muscles it activated. I tell you some of them were challenging especially with the resistance bands.

It isn't rubbish. My mum is really fit, but she struggles with the stairs in our house until she's been here for a couple of days and gets used to them. On the flat she can walk miles.

Bungalows aren't for grannies - we always lived in one when I was a child. We had a dormer in one of them (well a Velux window with an upstairs bedroom).

But I agree that if you live in a country village with no pavements, you'll have to drive everywhere and you won't even get the exercise of the stairs. My mum has a bungalow in a village where it's difficult to go for a walk and the village store closed down about 3 years ago too. She is incredibly disciplined and drives somewhere for a walk every day but it's not the same as being able to go straight from your door like I can in a small town. And one day she won't be able to drive.

I think a house with a small garden in a market town is the best idea as a pp said. And I'd never live anywhere without a railway station.

My neighbour same age as you thought like that until her husband had a stroke . He now has speech and balance walking issues. He was the one who wouldn't move. He's back in hospital they're going to do a brain scan he had a bad fall on Monday. They've been sleeping in the dining room. It's such a mess.

We keep our downstairs windows open. We've motion activated lights and a camera plus two big dogs.

This seems very sensible to me.

Wow only page 2 & OP is out!

I think a bungalow is planning ahead for old age if this is the last move you ever want to do… however I think a house is more practical given your ages, and plenty of time to renovate to ensure there is a bedroom & wetroom on the ground floor should you ever need it, also nice if you have guests stay as ou can keep the upper floor private.

To be honest though, your children can’t be all that long gone.. maybe one might still need to return at some point.. I’d hold off downsizing for a few years - especially if you can’t agree on the type of house.

I'm 73 and I don't really like bungalows so I'm not about to go into one until my hubby or I need to and hopefully thats a way off yet! Don't get me wrong there's some lovely ones about but I have a thing about sleeping on the ground floor and personally, I like the complete separateness of upstairs for the bedrooms and bathroom and downstairs the living areas! Plus, its good exercise going up and down 😅🤣😂
You've lots of time yet so I hope you can persuade him to wait. X

You can’t leave your windows wide open at night though can you if you are downstairs. I’ve got every window open to catch the breeze. I’m too hot in the dead of winter.

My daughter and son in law both early 30's have already bought a bungalow. The reason for them is they wanted a home they could stay until retirement, stability, pay off mortgage and near by amenities and not have to move again. They privately rented for 8 years having to keep moving due to rent increases. They are very happy in their home.

Just pulled up the floor plan for a bungalow that was put on the market in our cul de sac recently. The rooms are spacious which is important if you have furniture requirements, or just like the space. Outside attractive, garden mature trees, shrubs, and flower beds.

Room for a conservatory or extension. Or go into the roof put in another bedroom and ensuite.

Bungalows do have more land.

That might be something you have read, but it’s rubbish!! If people don’t take regular exercise, then that’s the issue. Not because of the type of property they inhabit. What about apartments with lifts? Do people develop ‘apartment legs’? I’m in mid to late 70’s, been living in a bungalow for 14 years, still walk 5 miles for pleasure most days. Take the stairs in shops rather than a lift or escalator. Nothing wrong with my legs!!

You make it your own though if you’re buying.

We are moving next week into a bungalow, have lived here in a 3 bedroom house for over 40 years, I'm 65 husband 74 and still working, I wondered if we had left it too late, been a bit stressful but can't wait to move, my son and his partner live in one and they love it, we just thought as we are getting older the bungalow will be easier to manage and maintain , the garden is very much the same size as mine now.

I’d be more concerned about moving rural into old age.

I live in a bungalow…. Well it’s a dormer now so 2 beds upstairs and 2 downstairs, we’ve fully made it our own so definitely not elderly, it’s been my favourite property of all the places I’ve lived (and
there’s been a lot)

I didn’t ever consider a bungalow (at age 35) but when we were looking to move I committed to viewing everything in our budget (we knew the exact area we wanted so not a crazy amount of properties) and I fell in love with the feel of it as soon as I walked in, green flowery carpet and woodchip wallpaper and all. So you just never know. You should at least view them in person I think.

Best thing I ever did was move to a bungalow. Don't move to rural area or else you will end up panicking if you lose the right to drive or have to deal with illness etc moving will be the last thing you will want to do

I was of the same thought as you but it was the best decision my wife and I could have made. We've been here 6 years now, spent a few bob to stamp our mark on it and would never go back to two floors, but if we wanted to we could always build up. We have an older couple on one side and a late 30's couple with a youngster on the other. It just seems spacier and as you are in your 50's it really is future proofing