Bungalows in need of modernising

I think from what we are told about material costs and lack of good tradespeople, no not now. Sadly Bungalows where I live often get planning permission to turn them into houses or failing that have been modernised to the extreme so are wonderful but become double the price at least.

We did it in 2014. Everything needed doing. Kitchen, bathrooms, windows, floor in conservatory raised to the level of the sitting room and, a boiler in the sitting room to be moved. Central heating to be put in the conservatory.
We did it all, had help from a friend with the windows.
It was no big deal for us: we’ve done worse 🤣
We were both 70 when we bought.

A good start would be to try and find out why these two bungalows have been languishing on the market for a while.

Despite some negative comments about them on here, there are a lot of people who ideally would like to downsize and would much prefer a bungalow rather than a flat with no garden and potential for noise from neighbours.
Bungalows fit the bill perfectly, so it’s surprising that these two you mention haven’t been snapped up.

Of course surveys may have thrown up potential problems, but I would investigate further if one is in the right area for you.

I see they are ‘self build’ bungalows. In the 60s and 70s a lot of Colt timber framed bungalows were built which have now come to the end of their structural lives. They were popular because they were quick and cheap to erect. It’s quite possible that this is why these two haven’t been sold, because basically such a bungalow is only worth the value of the land for rebuilding. You’d be unlikely to get a mortgage, or equity release, on one.

I am surprised the bungalows took so long to sell. Where I live any bungalows are snapped up by young couples who expand, usually into the roof and into the garden, new kitchen and 'workshop'. Elderly people looking for one-level living are priced out of the market.
They will doubtless be subject to a bat investigation when a team of 'bat' people will sit on the premises to prevent any building work continuing in case the bats decide to take up residence.

Just waiting for someone to mention ‘bungalow legs’, a dastardly condition that hits you as soon as you move from a house to said bungalow.

Greyisnotmycolour

I've also been looking at bungalows recently as I'd like to move nearer to family. I agree that the majority of them and bleak and depressing, they all seem to have an air of care home about them. I love my current home and am fortunate to have a shower room and a potential bedroom on the ground floor but unfortunately it's in the wrong part of the country. If you have the stamina and finances to see through the renovation then go for it but it's not for the faint hearted.

The reason so many need doing up and look bleak is because they have been home for decades to people who bought them when the bungalows and also their owners were younger and more modern.

Many were occupied until recently by people who were also built in the thirties - but they are now in their eighties, as are the houses. Over the years both houses and owners were redecorated to suit changing trends, and money spent on maintenance and repairs, and families grew up in and around them, leaving their marks indelibly on some parts.

However, after looking after a home for the last sixty years, it is not surprising that elderly owners have no longer had the bank balance, the oomph or even the wish to follow the latest trends Who knows which will come to an end first - the fashion for shades of grey everywhere or their own rapidly shrinking time left to enjoy being up-to-date?

A bungalow is a great place to live in - I have no idea why they are treated with derision, maybe the deriders are young and spry themselves, and spring up and down the stairs two at a time, and either are fit enough to do all repairs and maintenance themselves to upper floors or have deep pockets and are able to pay without wincing for someone else to do it.

A bungalow is a great place to live in - I have no idea why they are treated with derision
Me neither. I'd like to move to one but there are few in this locality and they're either crammed in or on a main road.

In New Zealand the term 'bungalow' is offensive apparently. Who knew, I didn't until I admired our host's home and she retorted "it's not a bungalow, it's a house!"
There are a lot of well-planned, spacious single storey homes in New Zealand and Australia, but perhaps lack of space prevents them being built here now where land is at a premium.

Callistemon21

^A bungalow is a great place to live in - I have no idea why they are treated with derision^
Me neither. I'd like to move to one but there are few in this locality and they're either crammed in or on a main road.

In New Zealand the term 'bungalow' is offensive apparently. Who knew, I didn't until I admired our host's home and she retorted "it's not a bungalow, it's a house!"
There are a lot of well-planned, spacious single storey homes in New Zealand and Australia, but perhaps lack of space prevents them being built here now where land is at a premium.

The advantage of snapping up a bungalow that was built in the 1930s like mine is that they all had a generous footprint. My garden is twice the size of my granddaughter’s, who lives in a three bedroom house that was built in the sixties and newer properties are on even smaller plots.

The previous owners of my humble abode built a large shower room and utility extension and opened up the galley kitchen so there is a good ‘flow’ through to the conservatory.

Yes, the rooms could be described as boxy but I am in my mid seventies so I can’t see the point of creating a more open plan look as some of my neighbours have done- not to mention the expense.

A friend of mine bought a house nearer to the centre of town because she didn’t want to live in ‘God’s waiting room.’ After nine years she now regrets her decision as her road which was once full of smart town houses, has so many cars parked with wheels on the pavement on both sides that she now dreads going out because when she gets home she often has to park in the next street (if she’s lucky) Her neighbours are noisy and so is the passing traffic.

Give me GWR any day with quiet neighbours, off road parking and a good sized garden!

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202404/medium-170204-76314-32906798-img-00-0000-max-476x317.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202404/medium-263770-76314-32906798-img-01-0000-max-476x317.jpeg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202404/medium-519297-9512-32854578-img-00-0000.jpeg

Germanshepherdsmum

I see they are ‘self build’ bungalows. In the 60s and 70s a lot of Colt timber framed bungalows were built which have now come to the end of their structural lives. They were popular because they were quick and cheap to erect. It’s quite possible that this is why these two haven’t been sold, because basically such a bungalow is only worth the value of the land for rebuilding. You’d be unlikely to get a mortgage, or equity release, on one.

No, they are not colt timber framed bungalows. They are double fronted stone build bungalows, self- build in the 1960s with 3 bedrooms, a separate dining room and a conservatory. I have attached their images.

They have been on the market for a few months, one with price reduced by £25k recently. A boxy two bedroom bungalow nearby a bit done up without a separate dining room or a conservatory was asking £25k lesser than these bungalows.

Sales of properties around here have slowed down since the increases of interest rates by the BOE last year.

We are in the process of selling our overseas property. I love to move to a bungalow in the future but I am not sure I have in me to handle a full sale renovation.

If they have three bedrooms all the rooms must be very small. I’m not surprised they haven’t sold.

They look really nice.

I bet you’d change your mind if the floor plans were posted!

Oreo

They look really nice.

I agree. Not everyone wants big rooms either.

We have 3 bedrooms, granted, they are all doubles.

We sleep in the main one, the other two were used by the GC when they were small and had sleepovers with us. No longer needed for that now, so one I use as a dressing room, and the other I have a comfy chair and tv in there, and watch separate stuff to DH, or sit reading.

My own little sitting room.

Why?
I live in a Victorian terraced house and am used to smaller rooms, no problemo.
I neither have the money for nor want a big house to keep clean for the two of us and a bungalow sounds just fine to me.

We’re all different. I just don’t like small rooms. The photos of the interiors of so many bungalows on Rightmove show the rooms to be very cluttered because they are so small.

To a large extent, the clutterd look is because of the furniture chosen by the owners. Current taste is for smaller pieces without any twiddley bits.

Have you seen the size of the bedrooms in newbuilds? 10 x 10ft is listed as a "spacious double bedroom"

merlotgran

Callistemon21

A bungalow is a great place to live in - I have no idea why they are treated with derision
Me neither. I'd like to move to one but there are few in this locality and they're either crammed in or on a main road.

In New Zealand the term 'bungalow' is offensive apparently. Who knew, I didn't until I admired our host's home and she retorted "it's not a bungalow, it's a house!"
There are a lot of well-planned, spacious single storey homes in New Zealand and Australia, but perhaps lack of space prevents them being built here now where land is at a premium.

The advantage of snapping up a bungalow that was built in the 1930s like mine is that they all had a generous footprint. My garden is twice the size of my granddaughter’s, who lives in a three bedroom house that was built in the sixties and newer properties are on even smaller plots.

The previous owners of my humble abode built a large shower room and utility extension and opened up the galley kitchen so there is a good ‘flow’ through to the conservatory.

Yes, the rooms could be described as boxy but I am in my mid seventies so I can’t see the point of creating a more open plan look as some of my neighbours have done- not to mention the expense.

A friend of mine bought a house nearer to the centre of town because she didn’t want to live in ‘God’s waiting room.’ After nine years she now regrets her decision as her road which was once full of smart town houses, has so many cars parked with wheels on the pavement on both sides that she now dreads going out because when she gets home she often has to park in the next street (if she’s lucky) Her neighbours are noisy and so is the passing traffic.

Give me GWR any day with quiet neighbours, off road parking and a good sized garden!

I've seen lots of lovely bungalows in good locations around the country, just not here!

Elegran I think the main reason the majority on Rightmove looks depressing is that they are empty. Devoid of all personal touches that add the homely feel, all that is left are marked carpets, faded wallpaper etc. I know full well of the need to look past the decor but such properties do not make my heart sing with excitement. Some may be delighted at the opportunity to transform it but I just see it as an almighty money out and non-stop work. Ideally I would like a large bungalow on a small plot, the last thing I need is a huge garden but it seems impossible to find in my preferred area. The main problem with bungalows is there aren't enough of them to meet demand.

As GSM pointed out look at the floor plans. I’ve just looked at what is available in our nearest town. In one bungalow you have to go through the hall into the kitchen then turn right into the sitting/dining room.
So add the price of a door from the hall into the sitting room, knock down the wall between the kitchen & dining room and then build a wall to divide that ‘new’ room from the living area.
Now it’s perfect (for me) but at what price?

HousePlantQueen is right. You can do wonders to a lot of bungalows but you need imagination, energy and more money than you think. We have done this sort of thing twice and, in the past couple of years, material costs have doubled I'd say. I agree with the person who said that some Homes Under The Hammer renovators do not tell the truth. You absolutely cannot refurbish anything for some of the amounts they mention and they don't seem to take into account solicitors' fees and stamp duty. Tradesmen have put up their prices as they are in such demand. 1960s-80s bungalows are probably the best as they often have large footprints. In our last one we had a lovely big garden and plenty of parking. The more modern bungalows built on estates tend to have much smaller footprints and you can't do so much with them. However, as someone stated, when you look online it seems most of them are empty as someone has probably moved into care or passed away. This is when you can get a real bargain. Make a very low offer and often it will be accepted as the relatives can't be bothered hanging around and also often live away from the area. Before we started renovating our last bungalow we asked the advice of the local estate agent about layout - he was extremely helpful. One bit of advice is if you do go for it and decide to renovate, try to create a wide hallway as this gives the impression that the whole place is bigger than it really is. I must say B&Q were excellent in designing the kitchen and most helpful when we altered a few things. Never a quibble about returning anything and getting a refund. It is daunting but the end result can be well worthwhile.

I just don't understand why some people have this sneering attitude to bungalows, ours is spacious, on a large established plot with mature trees and hedges, and in a mixed road of houses dating from Edwardian semis through to 1960's detached, the road was sold off aeons ago as plots so all of the houses are different. Certainly not 'God's waiting room'.

I was brought up in a bungalow and lived in one for several years when my son was small. Very convenient indeed. I think some people have a mental image of a bungalow as a place where old people live. It’s the little roads consisting solely of identical small bungalows that I call God’s waiting room - with apologies to those here who are very happy living in such properties. What I want is a single storey place with character and large rooms, but not many of them, with a good sized garden, backing onto fields (as we do now) and without close neighbours. It will come along one day - most likely in these parts a barn conversion.

Germanshepherdsmum

I was brought up in a bungalow and lived in one for several years when my son was small. Very convenient indeed. I think some people have a mental image of a bungalow as a place where old people live. It’s the little roads consisting solely of identical small bungalows that I call God’s waiting room - with apologies to those here who are very happy living in such properties. What I want is a single storey place with character and large rooms, but not many of them, with a good sized garden, backing onto fields (as we do now) and without close neighbours. It will come along one day - most likely in these parts a barn conversion.

My home would tick all your boxes GSM! We back onto fields at the back, at the front look onto the trees of the garden of a 1920's house........