Would you buy a bungalow as a family home?

[Roaringlogfire]

I have another thread going also about whether to have a loft conversion.

We bought a bungalow as a family home as we really wanted to be in this area. I never saw myself living in a bungalow.
10 years on and we are out growing it.

A loft conversion might be beyond us so we are also considering a one room extension as a compromise. This would make it a 4 bed or 3 bed / 2 reception.

Would this make it undesirable? IE too big for retirees but still a bungalow therefore putting off families.
As a family would you consider a 4 bed bungalow?

DH grew up in a bungalow but hated the lack of privacy as a teenager.

I would love to live in a decent sized one level home. Bungalow, apartment, whatever. It would have to be a four bedroomed one though, with at least a dining room as well as a living room.

@Roaringlogfire

Thank you for the replies. We really want to stay in it as it's a lovely area but we're also trying to factor in retirement, affordability and the saleability of it when we or our children eventually sell it.

They are always in high demand. In 30years i have not missed stairs or the upstairs during a heatwave and mobility is a dream. Keep it!

Yes along as it had a large-ish footprint and was reasonably spacious. Bungalows here get snapped up straight away, regardless of size. They don’t tend to come up for sale very often so always go quickly!

I wouldn’t want one. I grew up in a bungalow, and hated sleeping downstairs. I had sliding doors in my bedroom, and we weren’t allowed to leave any windows open due to the threat of burglars, so it was always stuffy.

I would. It would be my dream home (apart from a house with a lift) as I already have bad knees and know one day I will struggle with stairs. I also want to be able to live multi generationally.

The windows in my bungalow are sashes and be locked partially open at the top or bottom, to allow air in but not people. Most open onto a secure yard so burglars are not an issue anyway.

Yes, absolutely. They can make great family houses with relatively big gardens and often (at least round here) relatively affordable. Much much better for a young family than a town house. Prior to this house we lived in a town house which was a nightmare. When we bought this house, it wasn't exactly a bungalow as it had two small-ish bedrooms upstairs (no bathroom or even loo). But we lived in it like a bungalow really as we used the upstairs rooms as study and guest room and we and the two kids hand the two larger rooms downstairs. We've since added bedroom and bathroom upstairs, but I think a bungalow can make a great family house and know plenty of people who are happy in them.

The prejudice against bungalows is ridiculous. I grew up in a beautiful ranch-style bungalow designed my DM and built by DF. If I could afford a place like that, I'd have it.

I'd have loved one as a disabled single parent. Brilliant floorplans, larger, easy to care for children, usually a lovely garden space and level access from the footpath. Perfect for enabling a disabled parent and family to have a normal life where accessibility is inbuilt.

Unfortunately, they'd all been extended and loft converted or knocked down with blocks of flats put up in their place where I lived, so they were either unaffordable or non existent, meaning I spent 17 years in unsuitable accommodation and had to refuse surgery that might have cured some of the problems with mobility because I didn't have a wheelchair accessible home - unless I wanted/was able to pay the vastly inflated price for the 2-3 bungalows left in the area (because property developers were after them for more blocks of flats), there weren't any other suitable properties.

I think it's a pity that truly disabled friendly accommodation is also highly attractive to others to the extent that disabled people really don't get a look in. Not your problem, obviously. But I do wonder sometimes what it would be like if disabled people actually got to have access to the nice things intended for them without pointy elbowed able bodied people getting their piece of the action.

I'm desperate to buy a bungalow for my elderly parents but they are selling the moment they come on the market around here and at vastly inflated prices

Invariably they are then "extended", loft converted etc and two very elderly people who cannot manage stairs are stuck in a house that is now completely unsuitable.

I love single story living and have owned a number of bungalows over the years.

I wouldn't mind one that had a ground floor extension if it was well done, but one with a loft conversion would be a definite no from me. Worst of both worlds, no longer a bungalow so wouldn't interest me. Around here, where bungalows are at a premium, they are rarely converted as snapped up by retirees on waiting lists at estate agents. A conversion would probably reduce the premium here.

We bought our bungalow over 30 years ago, pre DC, raised 2 DC here and love it.
It's spacious, solid, and has a huge garden.
Buying it was one of the best things we ever did.

I think it's ridiculous to write off people's legitimate thoughts on the downsides of living in a bungalow as "prejudice". As with 100% of everything in this world, some people will like them while others won't. How silly to be so defensive.

I can see how a bungalow could be good if you have small children, but absolutely not for me with teenagers.
I like that mine are upstairs, and have their privacy, plus when they are gaming they are very noisy.

My parents live in a huge bungalow which suits the two of them, but my Mum says she misses going upstairs sometimes. When they have people to stay she feels there's no escape from them.

@ImmutableSexQueen

The prejudice against bungalows is ridiculous. I grew up in a beautiful ranch-style bungalow designed my DM and built by DF. If I could afford a place like that, I'd have it.

Prejudice? Poor marginalised bungalows . People have in the main responded positively to them, those that haven't include those who have lived in them so have experienced the inconvenineces. Why on earth are you taking this so personally? Some people like new builds, some like period properties, some like cheese, some don't, some think the colour red is amazing and other garish.

@CeeceeBloomingdale
What on earth are you talking about?

@ImmutableSexQueen I may well ask you the same. You are the one talking about single storey prejudice! Unless you don’t understand what the word prejudice means. A580Hojas also noted the same.

Yes, we bought a four bedroom detached bungalow when we first married to live in forever.
We went for that option because we didn't want the hassle of moving as the family grew or when we get old.
Kids are grown up and off our hands and we're getting old.
It still works for us.

I'd love a bungalow.

@Sparklingbrook It depends on the size and layout of the bungalow.
I never had any problems with my kids when they were teens nor with visitors.
If anything it was probably quieter as there was no overhead noise or people going up and down stairs. Plus the bedrooms are at the opposite side to the main living areas.