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Original poster

To feel uncomfortable about comments on our bungalow...

155 replies

boogieboogie · 06/10/2022 15:11

So we moved into a detached bungalow
2 years ago. I love living here, our road is wide and we have a field behind us in a semi-rural area.
It's 3 bed with an en-suite off our bedroom and a large living room.
DH and I are both 35 and DD is 3 - what's upset me on a number of occasions is comments from people such as
"Why have you gone for a bungalow!?"
"Isnt that for retired old people?"
"That's a funny choice for a house"
And many more...

I had no idea until we bought the house people perceived bungalows in such a way, to me it's just a detached house - anyone else out there in the same boat?

OP posts:
RiderOfTheBlue · 06/10/2022 15:39

Lovesacake · 06/10/2022 15:37

Thing that puts me off bungalows is I like sleeping with my bedroom window open but on the ground floor I’d worry about intruders…what do all you bungalow dwellers do in a heatwave?

We sleep with the window open all year round. Live in the middle of nowhere, nobody's coming through our windows. It works concern me if I lived in/near a town though.

EleanorRavenclaw · 06/10/2022 15:40

We live in a bungalow as DH is in a wheelchair. We moved in 10 years ago as a family of four and did a lot of renovation work although it had already been extended for a family. It’s in a huge corner plot with a lovely mature garden not overlooked as the other houses around are bungalows. When we come to sell I’d like to think people don’t write it off as a fabulous family home because of the stigma of it being only for old or disabled people. I wasn’t keen to be fair but because of our situation made the most of what there is and it’s a great house now, I just think it’s different and quirky.

Tlolljs · 06/10/2022 15:44

I’d love a bungalow. I’d Hoover every day I reckon.

PeloFondo · 06/10/2022 15:45

People are weird, I get comments about living in an apartment

fortheloveofflowers · 06/10/2022 15:46

I have a bungalow, used to be Nan's and I bought if off the rest of the family when she died. I had always liked it. I love it, no need to move when I'm old and crumbly.

Although I have gone in the loft because I wanted a stripy stair carpet and an ensuite :). I'll just move back downstairs when I'm too old for the stairs. No worries about having to fit specialist equipment in etc. All one level and easy for me to get outside.

My friend hates bungalows as he doesn't like the fact it's all on one level. They've just bought a penthouse flat!!!!

Squ1ggle · 06/10/2022 15:49

I bloody love a bungalow. I grew up in one and the first house we tried to buy was a bungalow. Sadly it wasn't to be and will always be the house that got away. So practical and spacious.

Draughtycatflapreturns · 06/10/2022 15:53

Just say it’s a “mid-century ranch-style house”
and everyone will be green with envy.

whirlyhead · 06/10/2022 15:59

My knees would love to live in a bungalow... one of the best things about them is robotic vacuum cleaners can get around the entire house without needing to be lugged up and down stairs.

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 06/10/2022 16:12

They are typically for elderly people who have difficulty using the stairs.

Just because they're preferable for old folk who have trouble with stairs doesn't mean that they're exclusively for them. You might as well say that older houses with high ceilings are only for very tall people and thus unsuitable for short people; or that a house with a large living room is no good for a family with only one child!

Having said that, my Grandparents deliberately bought a bungalow when they were in their mid-40s, so that they would hopefully never need to move when they were old. They died aged 84 and 97 and, indeed, never lived anywhere else.

Doggydarling · 06/10/2022 16:12

Ignore the idiots. Here in Ireland bungalows are plentiful particularly in the countryside, I love the one we live in and am currently building another to move to, its back where I'm from and it'll be average size but future proofed with no steps at all, low maintenance and easy to clean but with a monster sized garden!! Oh and we'll have no problem either renting or selling the one we live in, bungalows are just called houses here and are perfectly acceptable. I've seen my MIL struggle in her two storey house as the years moved on and I don't want to have to move again.

Satsumaonaplate · 06/10/2022 16:12

We are raising our young family on a bungalow. And then when we are old and less mobile we don't need to move. All our neighbours are elderly, so it's a lovely peaceful road with no loud parties 😁 unlike the new build estates in our town

CombatBarbie · 06/10/2022 16:15

I had 3 bungalows shortlisted when we were house hunting! Don't know why but they just appear to be more spacious....or is it indeed because its designed for elderly/disabled living?

pickyourown · 06/10/2022 16:16

I have friends who bought one in their early 30s and call it their fungalow 😆

Also see lots of very modernised ones on Rightmove. They seem quite fashionable now.

user26189065 · 06/10/2022 16:19

My parents moved into theirs when they were in their late 20s, so I grew up in one, they are a lot easier to do maintenance on as they are not very high, stuff like cleaning windows is dead easy and the gutters.

SuperCamp · 06/10/2022 16:25

I dream of living in a bungalow. It would be L shaped round the garden and my bedroom (and the kitchen and living room) would have doors straight out to a lovely terrace, surrounded by cherry and plum trees…

SuperCamp · 06/10/2022 16:26

People chat shit. On almost any subject. Silly fuckers.

UnicornsDoExist · 06/10/2022 16:28

RiderOfTheBlue · 06/10/2022 15:15

We moved to a three bed bungalow last year. I've not had any comments from people in real life but have seen various comments on here that suggest we're selfish for buying a bungalow when we're neither old nor disabled.

How bizarre they are!

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 06/10/2022 16:28

I have friends who bought one in their early 30s and call it their fungalow

That's really tickled me!!

MrsSkylerWhite · 06/10/2022 16:31

We’re looking to downsize from a large family house and would love a 3 bed, detached bungalow. Basically a spacious flat but no annoying neighbours up/down/either side. And a garden. What’s not to love?

lucky you! Ignore them, silly people.

Ragwort · 06/10/2022 16:35

People are just rude and love to comment on things that don't affect them ... my elderly parents (late 80s at the time) made a conscious decision to move to a three storey terrace home ... lovely location, everyone assumed they should be sensible and move to a bungalow... they manage the stairs perfectly well and it keeps them active Grin.

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 06/10/2022 16:41

I live in a bungalow. We bought it for medical reasons for my son and myself and for future older years. My kitchen is enormous. We have four bedrooms and a huge living room.
Not had anyone comment on why we are living here but possibly because they know of the medical issues.
I am a two mins away from a shop , doctors and little Tesco. Can get a bus into town when needed. So I know I will be okay when older.

We knew we would end up in one eventually because of my health. So when we had to move we thought why not now. I’m not even in my 50’s yet. There are lots around here though so possibly not as expensive as other areas. But I didn’t think I was taking it away from anyone else. The people who lived here before me had small children.

It is mostly elderly people in my cul de sac. But there a few families too. Bonus of that is it is so quiet here all day and and evening.

We sleep with the window open all summer. Didn’t even think about someone getting in. But they would have to get through the back gate which is very loud when opened. And I’m a very light sleeper so would hear that anyway.

Don’t miss the stairs at all. But do have them at work so that’s okay to keep my legs going

All in all I don’t mind living on one level.But my 18 can be fairly loud when on the computer so if he was upstairs we wouldn’t hear him. But he won’t be here forever.

Blix · 06/10/2022 16:42

It's like a big flat but with a garden.
We had one for our first home and I love the flexibility of rooms. Only use one bedroom? Use the others as sitting / dining / study.
Now looking again for our retirement, manily want to move into a small town or large village as we are rural. The main problem is the size. If it's advertised as 3 bed you can be sure there is no dining room or study. Many don't have a utility. So I'm looking for 4 bed minimum. Will probably end up with a house!

Paranoidandroidmarvin · 06/10/2022 16:43

@SuperCamp my bungalow is L shaped and the garden is L shaped around it. Have massive back door into the garden. My wish would be to have big doors that lead into the garden from my bedroom. Be lovely on a summer morning.

Ponderingwindow · 06/10/2022 16:43

i loved our bungalow. The design is wonderful.

it wasn’t in the best area. There were bars on the windows with emergency kick panel releases on the inside. We could keep the windows wide open, but use them as egress if needed.

our current house is two stories, but the master bedroom is on the main floor. It’s basically a bungalow design with a bonus floor. The second story isn’t essential if it’s just the two of us so if we get to the stage where stairs are tricky, we won’t be pressured to move.

ultraviolet4753 · 06/10/2022 16:46

I moved into a bungalow when I got married at 17. Young people also have mobility difficulties, not just the elderly. We were the youngest on the street by far.

For years people at the door kept asking if my mum or dad were in. Said no. They left. Best way to get rid of cold callers.