Bungalow or house

I do know it is very much a personal thing but I chose to live in a house rather than a bungalow. I chose a new house with the modern regs ie downstairs cloakroom, wide safe stairs etc. My house has a kitchen/diner plus a separate living room and a utility room. I could use the downstairs like a flat if there was no other option but I do love going upstairs to bed, the energy changes up there and leaving the window open is safe. I am healthy and mobile at almost 72

I have a nice enclosed back garden with a great big patio and some roses at the front and a garage with electrics. My house is detached and mostly surrounded by old established pottager gardens and has a lovely wall and fence all around. I used to live in a development of townhouses and flats and some of the flat owners were very disturbed by noises from neighbours above. They were built in 2006 and were not cheap flats. It only takes one owner to lay laminate or wooden floors (against leasehold rules usually) and noise transmission is multiplied. However many people are lucky and have considerate neighbours

There are not enough bungalows for the elderly now, many have been snapped up to be extended by young people because they are often on larger plots

We've downsized from a large three-bed semi into a one-bed bungalow just this week and so far loving having everything on one level as the stairs were becoming an issue for us now we are both in our mid sixties. Its in an area we both like with shops, doctors, chemist and on a good bus route all withing easy walking distance and has a large garden to enjoy in the summer months, and it was for this reason that we decided to not consider moving into a flat, also I do like to peg out washing in my own garden and not share recycled bins. etc. Another thing, is that it's just so much warmer than our large house and hopefully cheaper to heat.

I know it's early days yet, and we've still got a lot of sorting out to do, but we just knew it was the best thing for us in the long run.

I was thinking about those heatwaves we have when temperatures are very high, and we are likely to have more, when you want bedroom windows to be open as wide as possible and as many windows open as possible.

I found staying with my parents that the extent of window opening was fine most of the time, but in really hot weather the bedrooms were stifling hot and window opening was too lmited.

We moved to a Cosy 3 bed Bungalow 10 yrs ago never regretted it so easy and convenient compared to a house

We lived in a bungalow when our DC were young and loved it. It was so easy having house and garden on the level.
Now we are old (70s) we live on 3 floors! It seems crazy but it does keep us fit.
Our young doctor called recently I know, we are lucky to live in Scotland and she had to sit down . She was puffed climbing the stairs!

We enjoy staying in flats and single story cottages on holiday.

My parents moved from a large house into a bungalow and absolutely loved it. Due to high demand, they have a premium in price, though.

Their neighbours spent a fortune remodelling and turned their bungalow into a house, almost doubling it's size. The increase in it's value was - zero!

I think I prefer a house, myself. I'd never have a stair lift. Now, you can get neat home lifts that just go in a corner.

We chose a bungalow rather than a flat as a garden is important to us. It certainly makes those ‘I’ve forgotten....’ easier now we’re on one level. We do make sure we use stairs when we are out and often there’s no choice when visiting family and friends. As we walk more here it does feel as if overall we are more robust. I also was concerned about opening windows at night. Our solution has been to fit wooden Venetian blinds which our installer adapted simply so they can be fixed down at the bottom. It wouldn’t keep a determined person out but would make a heck of a noise and wake us if anyone tried. With a good level of insulation we don’t find it overly hot in summer or cold in winter. It works for us but is a very personal choice. I’d say keep an open mind trendynannie, view as many potential new homes of all types as you can, you may be surprised which appeal.

Lived in a bungalow now for fourteen years moved here when I was 45 left bigger house but this still seems big as it’s three bedrooms and lots of space. If I downsized now it would be another bungalow or flat.

It depends how much space you need. Me and my DH would go bananas in a 2 bed bungalow. I like my own space!

We moved from a detached house to a bungalow just over a year ago, it’s the best thing we ever did, it’s a 50’s bungalow so it’s on a large plot. Thankfully the previous owner had the bungalow modernised so it’s easy to heat and so easy to keep clean. No more stairs to hoover

I'm with Bbevan. Best of both worlds.

Spottysocks, you said 'the stairs were becoming an issue for us now we are both in our mid sixties' as if that's usual, surely not? It sounds very young to be having trouble with stairs.

I think it depends on location, bungalows here are relatively few and far between or really small. Most have had an upstairs added and are now very expensive. I'm disabled and live in a house, I struggle with the stairs but can still manage. If necessary I'd have a stair lift rather than move to a bungalow as even an expensive stairlift would be cheaper than moving. A stairlift for my stairs that double back on themselves is £6k. If moving for other reasons such as downsizing or change of location I'd go for the property that I liked the most, whether that be a house or a bungalow.

You can have problems with stairs at any age but there's always a solution.

Scribbles, if by ‘narrow openings’ you mean the small top opening windows in a larger window, you might be interested to know that burglars gained access to our house a few years ago using one of that kind of window. It was locked at the time too but they still managed to get through it.

A bungalow everytime
Ive lived in houses bungalows and apartments
Earlier this year I bought a 3 bed detached bungalow on a nice plot in a nice mature area and I am so happy here I live here alone.
One floor living means all rooms are actually used whereas if I had purchased a house 2 bedrooms would be just sitting there a d rarely used at all
I have a large 3rd bedroom which is used as a spacious dining room
Its the way to go for adaptable living. No stairs and a remodelled bathroom with walk in double shower means as I age I can bathe without worry
Yes bungalows are expensive but as this is my forever home I feel I am worth the expense

Hetty58 - I broke my ankle earlier this year, and I think it brought it home to me just how difficult the stairs were becoming, unfortunately I also suffer with bad knees so for us a bungalow is ideal. Our three-bed house was just too big and it was absolutely freezing in the winter months. Our bungalow is so warm and cosy.

Heavens, Tartlet. That's worrying. I hope you didn't suffer too much loss or damage.
We do close and lock the windows when we go out and, I hope, if anyone tried to enter via a bedroom window at night, they'd inevitably make sufficient noise to wake the occupant.

Bungalows are much easier to maintain as you age. Also, you may be able to stay in a bungalow longer if you become ill or infirm. Living in a house could mean moving into a care home earlier.

Sorry to sound pessimistic but things can take a downturn in life.

We bought a bungalow when we moved in together 12 years ago. Earlier this year we moved into. 3-storey townhouse! I don’t find the stairs too much of a problem, though DH (70) struggles a bit. The benefits of living where we do now far outweigh any downsides (and we did check that we could fit a stairlift if necessary)

I would love to live in a bungalow - our stairs can be tiring, but I like to sleep with the bedroom window wide open whatever the weather. I hope we can live out our days in the old homestead - there is a room downstairs that could be a bedroom with a door to the garden, and vitally, a downstairs bathroom. If only we could see into the future.

We did exactly that 2 years ago , moving from a very big 4 bedroom Ed detached house in the city to a much smaller 3 bedroomed bungalow on the edge of a rural village .

Best decision ever ! We were fit enough to make the move and now have the opportunity to future proof our new home . New walk in shower room , easily maintained exterior . Reasonable garden for pottering . No pesky stairs or long ladders needed !

I can heartily recommend it .

My in-laws are in their 90s and still live in a house. They have a stairlift and a downstairs loo but they do like to go upstairs to bed.

Oh, I see spottysocks! I agree about the too cold and too big house aspect. It costs a lot to keep the downstairs warm here even with all the rooms shut upstairs. I tend to sleep in a room downstairs, so hardly use upstairs, except to store things.

My lodger is here part time and various family come to stay but I can't really justify needing so many spare rooms. The first house I had was a little, two bed cottage (now rented out) that was so cosy in the winter.

Yes and chose the bungalow.

I had the choice - the one-level I now live in or a house where the main bedroom (huge and including a shower room) was downstairs with a lovely French window looking out onto the bush.

All the other facilities were upstairs: 2nd bedroom and kitchen, bathroom and living room with another French window out to a patio and garden. The house is built on a slope.

I forsaw that in my later years I may have a problem with the stairs and decided to choose the bungalow.

In the 10 years I've been here, of the 8 double-storey houses in our street, 4 people have had to move as a result of sudden disability.

One had a heart attack, another a stroke (recovered well but the stairs were a problem), the third fell and broke her hip and the fourth had so much trouble after a knee replacement, she went, very reluctantly to live with her fractious daughter.

These things come on lmost overnight in some cases and do you really want all the hassle and upheaval of moving yet again when you have health issues to contend with?

Bungalow Late 17th century from Hindi baṅglā ‘belonging to Bengal’, from a type of cottage built for early European settlers in Bengal.