Bungalow or house

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'm with Bbevan. Best of both worlds.

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

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

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.

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.

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 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.

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

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'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 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

TrendyNannie6 I lived in large 3 bed semi in the West Midlands. I moved into my 2 bed bungalow in Crosby Liverpool in August. I'm 61 and have been a widow for nearly 16 years. I love my bungalow . I now have a small garden front and back which I can look after myself always had to have a gardener before due to large garden.. I moved here to be closer to my children. My neighbours are lovely and have joined a few activity classes .

If you read the thread started by Craftyone about the stress of selling and moving you will see what has happened to some of us moving and what the problems are associated with it.

Start decluttering as soon as you decide to put your house on the market because it came as a shock how much stuff I had and needed to be very strict about getting rid of things. Brought things here that I don't need or have room for and now having to get rid of them.

Do you know where you want to move to?

we got around the window issue by having a small side window, about 30" by 10" with an opening hinge; we can leave it open all day and all night as we wish, with no security worries. We do also have a very large window which opens on to the back garden, and has a top opening section should we need it. The other bedrooms have windows which can be opened at the top for ventilation without worry.

We moved from a large, rambling terraced house to a detached and very compact bungalow when my OH's knees were finding it hard to cope with stairs and it's all been positive.

Yes, I do find I don't get as much exercise now I'm not running up and down stairs and along the rambling hallways but I do endeavour to compensate elsewhere and to eat a bit less.

As regards open windows at night - our house has those narrow openers at the top which even a toddler would be too big to climb through so we don't worry about it.

My parents went on a pre-retirement course before DF finished work and they were advised that if they bought a bungalow they should go into a local town several times a week and find a shop with an upstairs and walk up and down it several times.

Like BBbevan I like to sleep upstairs. When my parents had a bungalow you couldn't open the window fully because there were special stays on it to stop it opening enough to let in an intruder. The allternative is to have those concertina security grills. A friend has those and it makes her house look as if it is a drug dealers den.

I would love to live in another bungalow. Our previous bungalow was lovely, but we moved into this house after DH had a transfer with his work. We do have a downstairs bedroom and two upstairs.
I really liked one floor living.

We love our UK flat, but we could not live in it. No dogs allowed, nor cats, and storage is always limited in a UK flat (no cellar or attic as on Continent) - but if we had to for a short while, we would rent a storage unit.

Yes, I like to go upstairs to sleep- so house. But we are organising a large bedroom and easy access shower-room downstairs, for friends and relatives with mobility issues - and for ourselves, if ever ...

That's just what I was going to mention Grandma Moira.

We started off married life in a bungalow, and are now in a biggish semi. I think I would like to go back to a bungalow, but they are scarce here and also expensive.

I like going upstairs to bed ,so we have a house. However we have a large downstairs bedroom. This is very handy when an aged aunt comes to stay. She loves it as it is warm and has its own en-suite. We might need it as we get older. So best of both worlds really.

It also depends where you live. Bungalows are both rare and expensive here.

We are thinking about moving to a bungalow but the one thing which puts me off is the thought of sleeping downstairs. I like the bedroom window open slightly even in winter and in summer often have them wide open if it’s hot. I can’t see how I could safely do this in a bungalow and am wondering how bungalow lovers cope with this.

bluebirdwsm exactly right! Easy to maintain, gutters can be sorted, windows and sills cleaned without risking life and limb

I've been living in bungalows for 20 years now and no bungalow legs here as luckily I am fit, do lots of activities and walk daily.

I love living in a bungalow, they're easy to maintain, usually with decent gardens. Mine have had no houses with upstairs windows overlooking my garden...so private.

Also no stairwells to decorate...which are awkward, dangerous and a pain to paint or wallpaper.

I also can keep the fascias, soffits and guttering clean and in good order...and clean all the windows not having to leave upstairs ones.

This post proves we all have different opinions, flats, bungalows, houses, and why not, it would be awful if we all wanted the same thing.