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Original poster

What do you love about a bungalow?

57 replies

oilbased · 30/07/2023 22:17

Hello all. I've lived in two storey houses all my life. I am soon to move into a lovely little bungalow and it feels beyond strange and I'm wondering if I have made a mistake or I will get used to it.

Please let me know what you love about bungalows/living in a bungalow! Perhaps it'll make me feel a bit less panicked!

OP posts:
midsomermurderess · 30/07/2023 23:44

It's derived from 'bengala', 'of Bengal'.

echt · 30/07/2023 23:52

I'm in Australia where bungalows are called houses. My house is a renovated house, with a second storey extension, but I'd love a single storey house. There are lots about, but they command high a price.

I don't have mobility issues but the idea of having everything on one level appeals. Having said that, the original design means there are two double bedrooms and a bathroom on the ground floor so I shouldn't grumble.

The safety issue is interesting. When I first move to Australia, I was a bit wibbly about ground floor bedrooms but eventually reasoned it was a non-issue as most houses were like this. After all, one of the tropes of horror films is the way the hapless soon-to-be-horribly-killed character runs upstairs, the least safe place in the house. Grin

SirVixofVixHall · 30/07/2023 23:55

A friend has a fabulous sixties bungalow. So comfortable, so spacious. I love it. I also lust after a bungalow near me, probably 1930s, like a dolls house.
Bungalows are great. And safer if there is a fire !

VeganFromSveden · 31/07/2023 02:02

I don’t know if statistically I’m safer in a bungalow, but I feel safer.
wgen I lived in a house, I either heard, or imagined stairs creaking in the night hours.
As a ten single mum, that terrified me.
I purposely set out to move to a bungalow, coz as a singleton, I didn’t want to have to call out services to clean windows etc.
I do find it easier to clean, and as a pp said, decorating is so much easier with no stairwell to contend with.
I also benefit from a larger loft space.
It did take a while to get used to not going up to bed, but I can’t remember it taking that long.
Also, when other people are in the house at the same time as me, if I am in bed do whatever reason, they can watch tv and I don’t hear it, whereas in the house, the sound seemed to be louder coming up from below.
I hope you get to love your new home, and not miss anything about stairs!

Forgottenmypasswordagain · 31/07/2023 02:08

No stairs!

sashh · 31/07/2023 03:04

The only thing I dislike about mine is that the kitchen is off the living room, that means it has to be the living room but with some bungalows you can swap the rooms around.

I have spent moist of my adult life living on one floor in either bungalows or flats so I find am annoyed by stairs.

KathrynWheel · 31/07/2023 03:10

Gardens gets more sun because they are not shaded as much by a bungalow compared to a house.
Easy living. Love having all rooms on one level

BlastedIce · 31/07/2023 03:23

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SoRad · 31/07/2023 03:56

margleflarg · 30/07/2023 23:22

I’m in the same position as OP - does everyone feel safe at night time? I live alone and feel like I’d feel less safe at night in the bungalow than being tucked away upstairs.

Safer if there’s a fire. Not thought about it from a theft pov

SoRad · 31/07/2023 03:57

Theoldwrinkley · 30/07/2023 23:32

I was back home about 3 weeks earlier than 'normal' after a spell in hospital because I lived in a bungalow, so no issue with stairs. I have limited mobility (now) and we would have had to move if we had a house. I love our bungalow....just wish it was called a nicer word! I think it's from an Indian language?

They’re called bungalows because the builders ran out of bricks so bunged a low roof on it

FloofCloud · 31/07/2023 05:29

Loved in a few bungalows and love them! I always fine houses noisier, sound doesn't travel the same in a bungalow. Most houses in Australia are single storey too, heat is less of an issue.
Currently we have a converted bungalow, kids rooms/en suites and loft 'den' upstairs, our bedroom, spare bedroom and living spaces / bathrooms downstairs, and I love it. I love having access to the garden from my bedroom, fling the doors open the mornings and enjoy the morning sounds, air from bed 🥰

Roselilly36 · 31/07/2023 05:44

We downsized to a bungalow a couple of years ago, best thing we have ever done, makes life so much easier (I have MS) if I am having a rubbish day I can lay on the bed and I don’t feel cut off from my family, like I did in our previous house.

Our bungalow is a good size (still have DS’ living at home) I honestly can’t think of any drawbacks. Where we live there are many bungalows and they are always in demand, lots of young families seem to want bungalows. Until my disability made living in our house just too much, we wouldn’t have considered a bungalow, I don’t expect, but honestly it is great.

Good luck with your move, I am sure you will love living in a bungalow.

Doppe · 31/07/2023 05:49

“I’m in the same position as OP - does everyone feel safe at night time? I live alone and feel like I’d feel less safe at night in the bungalow than being tucked away upstairs”

I feel safer! We were burgled as we slept upstairs in my childhood home whereas I’d hear instantly if anyone tried to get in to my bungalow!

Bananas1350 · 31/07/2023 06:31

Best thing I ever did.

  1. no stairs. No stairs to climb or hoover.
  2. I can sit in bed in the evening and when I hear my husband go to the kitchen I can call for snacks ( don’t underestimate this )
  3. I can see my garden from my bedroom. I love that.
  4. i have future proofed myself for the coming older years ( not in the best of health. And I never have to move again.
  5. mine is in a community of older people ( I’m 48 ) and it is so quite around here.
  6. I can plug in my hoover and do all the rooms. And I have a four bed bungalow.
  7. I can have it however I want. No room has to be a bedroom.
  8. I have a huge driveway as it goes along the front of the bungalow. I can get four cars on easily.
  9. I can clean all windows , guttering roofs etc without having to pay anyone.
  10. bungalows are just better. If I had to move again I would never go back to a house.

downside is I can hear my son shouting on his computer as mine is very well laid out. But he will be 20 this year and will be moving out in a few years. Adding a room in the attic isn’t always best in bungalows as there isn’t any insulation between the heat and the cold and the room up top. So I made sure the one I bought still had a loft.

whirlyhead · 31/07/2023 06:41

Your robot vacuum cleaner can get around the whole house easily.

No stairs to destroy your knees.

barbie3 · 31/07/2023 07:53

They tend to come on bigger plots which means you usually get a better feeling of space and privacy.
Great with small children as they can move around freely with no worries about stairs, great if older or have mobility/injury issues.
Usually have more flexibility with room layout and often with relatively spacious rooms.
From a safety perspective they have to be better in terms of reducing serious falls and in the event of a fire?

Bananas1350 · 31/07/2023 07:59

also meant to add in terms of feeling safer at night. I did think about that with my window open at night time. It hasn’t bothered me yet but they would have to come round the back of the house ( my bedroom is round the back by the garden ). I have a really loud back gate that they couldn’t jump over and I’m a light sleeper so I Would hear that. But as I say it hasn’t bothered me yet.

sashh · 31/07/2023 08:08

Doppe · 31/07/2023 05:49

“I’m in the same position as OP - does everyone feel safe at night time? I live alone and feel like I’d feel less safe at night in the bungalow than being tucked away upstairs”

I feel safer! We were burgled as we slept upstairs in my childhood home whereas I’d hear instantly if anyone tried to get in to my bungalow!

Yep, a burglar can't tell from outside which is the bedroom and which is a living room, much easier to tell in a conventional house.

atthecopa · 31/07/2023 09:05

I'm not sure I'd feel safer in a bungalow.

Can you sleep with all your bedroom windows open at night?

NashvilleQueen · 31/07/2023 09:10

I do think they have an odd rep here when in the US, Australia, NZ and even a lot of Ireland it's perfectly usual to have a single storey home (obviously all places with lots more space outside of their major cities). So I think where space doesn't limit design many people like to live on the ground!

PenisFlyTrap · 31/07/2023 09:10

It took me a while to adjust to living in a bungalow but I do like the no stairs thing. Also easy to keep an eye on the kids from any room of the house which is an advantage while they're still small.

Mine's too big to hoover from one plug though, that does sound nice

TheDuchessOfMN · 31/07/2023 10:00

I’d quite like a view or even a door to the garden from my bedroom

I presume it’s cheaper to heat because you’re only heating one level?

No need to worry about stairs when you’re elderly or if you’ve had surgery

GG1975 · 31/07/2023 10:15

We've been living in our bungalow for a few years now and I love it!
We have a huge plot, so lots of room for parking and nice big garden for dogs.
The rooms are light and airy and I love that we have a door direct to our garden.
We open our windows every day to air the house and if it's hot will open our bedroom window at night too.
Weirdly, not worried about burglary but do like that if there was ever a fire we could get out easily.

fussychica · 31/07/2023 10:36

Everything. Almost always done one storey living since we got married 40 odd years ago both in UK and when living abroad. Versatile, easy to clean, future proofed. Sunny garden whichever way it faces.

RoseAndRose · 31/07/2023 10:40

All the convenience of a flat, but without adjoining neighbours