Moved to a Bungalow early!

[WinterVibes]

We are a couple late 40's early 50s. We've taken the plunge and moved to a lovely bungalow in a quaint village with beautiful views. We are still close to a lovely vibrant market town and have 2 lovely country pubs within a 2 minute walk.
Bungalows seem so sought after and hard to come by (and mostly overpriced due to this fact, especially in good area's). We decided to take the plunge now, rather than wait until we are a lot older. I've witnessed so many older family members struggling to afford one but now have health/mobility issues etc. and would be much better off on one level. My elderly Mum is terrible on her feet and I really wish her and my Dad had moved to a bungalow years ago, but she feels too old to uproot now which I understand, plus the area's she would prefer are out of her reach price wise now.

This will be our forever home and we've done quite a lot of renovating to put our own stamp on it, its all open plan living and kitchen with a lovely log burner so even heating will be cost effective as only one main room - I feel like we are ahead of the game now rather than having to face the transition when we are old and it's much harder for us. It's great for us now, but equally I could happily see us here when we are old and frail - if we are lucky enough to reach old age 🙏

Do you think we are bonkers?
Over-Planning?
Has anyone else done this to be ahead of things and future proof?
Bungalow chat a-hoy 👵🧓😂

Well I think that just undid your stealth brag about over planning and future proofing 🤣

Easier to fit a stairlift inside your house, than a travelator on a public road 🤷🏻‍♀️

Mumsnet: but you NEED stairs for your legs to practice or you’ll lose your mobility

OP: there’s a hill, plenty of leg exercise

also Mumsnet: but your mobility!!!!!

🥴

No difference to living in a flat, except it has a garden...oh, and it doesn't share a communal entrance with neighbours, or has steps up to whatever storey the flat is on, or potentially have neighbour noise above and below 🙄
The only similarity between a flat and a bungalow is that they're single level living.

I come from a country where the housing is predominantly what is called a bungalow in the UK - the people of my country (and a neighbouring country which is the same) have no issues with the muscle strength of their legs and bottom! I’ve never heard such an odd claim that living in a ‘bungalow’ will cause you to lose muscle strength.

I much prefer bungalow housing in comparison to being packed in on top of each other in terraced, semi-detached or multi-story flats. I can’t wait to move from our semi to a bungalow one day - more space, land, don’t have to listen to the neighbours through the walls, and when you get old and have mobility issues it’s easier to adapt your home if necessary. Seeing FIL use the chair lift in the poky, narrow stairs doesn’t convince me that his life is easier than it would be all on one level.

@Hibiscrubbed and @NotesApp regarding future-proofing, how do you feel about people paying into pensions whilst young? Because the sentiment behind it is the same surely?

My parents just moved into a detached 1990s build bungalow, there are many in the village here and love it.

They are very sought after though, I booked to see 3 a few days in advance on their behalf but two were sold before I could even view.

We bought the 3rd one for them!

I applaud you!

My elderly parents hoarded their house to high heaven and then the task of moving them and clearing the junk fell to me. I had a nervous breakdown as a result…still recovering.

We moved to a bungalow because we wanted to buy together and didn't want to have to move again (both 50s), it needs work, nothing urgent, but enough to put off older buyers so we got it for a price we could afford mortgage free.

We both have health issues so good to be somewhere we can live long term while we're still working and young enough to do the work over the next few years.

Really glad you're happy OP and thank you for sharing your delight in your home.
But I do hate this MN mindset that old age automatically equals decreptitude. Some of us who are a great deal older than you haven't compromised with life to the slightest degree. I came of age in the glorious late 1960's and haven't really slowed down since.
And the trouble with a bungalow with a view is that if you're in the view you're looking back at the bungalow.

Oh, and we have bedroom windows open all night, they have the option of opening at the top and tilting inwards so perfectly safe.

We are 59 and 62 here. We are planning a Bungalow move within the next 5 years. I don’t want one of us sleeping on a bed in the lounge with a commode further down the line.

My DH is having this issue with his mum and SD (who has been in DHs life since he was a pre-teen) at the moment.
Mum is mid-60s and pretty much okay. SD is nearly 80, had a double hip replacement about 18 months ago, which he never quite bounced back from as expected. He's also just got a cancer diagnosis, so isn't having a great time.
They are currently in a 2 up 2 down red brick detached from the early 90s (I'm sure you can picture the sort), and the stairs are increasingly a struggle for DSD.
Unfortunately though, there seemingly aren't that many bungalows in their area, and they are after something pristine with instant liveability, that they can change to their tastes as health and energy dictates. Unfortunately, that just doesn't exist.

DHs actual dad died very suddenly when DH was a teenager, so step-dad has been a father to him since then and they are really close.

DH has found the battle over housing to be really frustrating, and wishes they'd done it 10 years ago.

In your case sadly it's maybe already too late for a big move for them until widowhood strikes. I've seen that so many times where we live, retirement area.

One friend we've known decades retired back here after a city lifetime. They bought a huge house with a big garden for just the two of them. He was struck down with cancer which he is recovering from slowly.

Suddenly a blessing becomes a burden. It's the offspring who have to sort it out.

Are you near enough to amenities for when you can't drive anymore? Shops gp surgery etc?

When we were looking to move, we saw a stunning bungalow. Was genuinely gutted when we lost out, as it went £15k above asking price. Layout was really nice and well proportioned and would suit our lifestyle (me late 30’s and partner mid 40’s at the time). I definitely see a bungalow in my future.

Honestly - well done on planning and sounds like a smart move

but I’d also say you are still really young so it feels a bit depressing in my opinion. You hopefully have a lot of fun ahead of you before you become immobile

Surely the main reason they’ve shot up in price is due to the huge numbers of boomers buying them? The generations below them are smaller which will impact future prices.

It depends on the flat. I live in a flat and I have a front and back garden (not communal), don't share a communal entrance and have no steps as it's ground floor. The only thing I would change other than wishing it was bigger is that I've got a neighbour upstairs.

Crikey. I'm 50 and I'd feel that I'd moved into my coffin if I moved into a bungalow at my age.

My house has lots of stairs and it is beautiful. It's within easy walking distance of absolutely everything I would ever want or need to do (museums, theatres, galleries, concerts, orchestras, M&S, John Lewis, doctor's surgery, station, buses etc). I have got a car, but could live perfectly well without.

I'd shrivel up and die now in a bungalow in a village, however nice the views.

After years of lovely period houses, we now live in a 60s bungalow. It’s the warmest house we’ve ever had, cheapest to heat, and maintenance is so much easier (eg gutters etc) . We have a secluded garden, big plot and live in a gorgeous market town. Bungalows are the best!

We are similar ages and have bought a bungalow which has an attic conversion so has two downstairs bedrooms and a bathroom. My plan is to plasterboard the upper landing so that the heat doesn't escape once the kids are up and away. We then won't have to use the upstairs at all apart from when we've got visitors.

My aunt’s isn’t detached (is semi detached though). They bought it as a holiday let in their 50s but then lived and worked in London so apart from holidays it was empty most of the year. From age 14 to 16 I holidayed there most summers with DB (2 years younger, DPs and our 2 friends. We had a camper van and it was a 2 bed bunglalow but could’ve easily have been a 3 bed (the third bed was used as dining room/study). I still don’t know why my relatives didn’t build an extra room onto the back as there’s easily enough room there. It’s in a seaside village so we barely spent any time inside.

Bungalows are very sought after, as people just don’t build them much anymore.

Many bungalows are/were detached with large gardens surrounding them.
But then started buying them up and converting them into houses and building on the gardens.
So they’re much harder to come by.

We had one near mine which was a lovely detached bungalow with a large garden.
It has now been converted into 4 terraced bungalows.

If you saw a bungalow you like and had the money then I’d definitely buy it.
It is good to plan for the future and it means no more moving.

But I wouldn’t be worried if someone is older and can’t get a bungalow, as you can get stair lifts and things now.

A lovely idea but I had doubts before we moved in. Several of the neighbours were real shit stirring busybodies, & one old perve used to look through our windows. I constantly worried about burglars, & never really felt safe. Despite the reputation of the high rise block, I’d lived in the sky happily for quite a few years. I’m back there again now, the class of people is far superior to those living at busybody bungalows. I still have nightmares about that place, but it looked lovely & it was so peaceful most of the time.

In our 30s/40s with young DC, we bought a bungalow. LOVE IT! So easy with the little one to keep an eye, get on with things etc. So easy to keep on top of the housework. Don't miss the stairs. Don't feel like we're old before our time (although admittedly, we have never been party animals or the "entertaining" type). We will be renovating to make it somewhere we won't have to leave if we don't want to. We may change our mind on the area etc but we have plans into retirement.

We didn't plan a bungalow but the area etc suited us perfectly so we went for it. Would recommend.