Are bungalows out of fashion?

NotSpaghetti

Yes, I think you are right Boz - location is very important.

To me, accessibility to a good hospital is very important. Sad, but true.

There's a bungalow near me which has also been on the market for a long time.
It is well priced but looks very dull.
It's also up a steep hill.
Yet new build houses twice the price get snapped up.

Bungalows here attract a significant premium, there are plenty of older buyers wanting to downsize and cash to spare, there are a few new build bungalows, because the have a larger footprint they are more expensive than a similar house.

They’re snapped up round here, at significantly higher prices than two or three storey houses of similar size. So few of them and so many older folk thinking ahead…..

There is plenty of room for a garden room or office though GSM.
I confess I just looked at the photos and layout but didn't read the blurb or the room sizes.

And if there is half an acre, maybe you could advertise it on one of the forums where people are looking for a property with land to become more self-sufficient. My oldest daughter has been on those type of websites quite a bit.

I too have played detective. My honest opinion:

The bungalow is not in an area that most would aspire to if moving to the country. It’s quite a cheap area.

The artexed ceilings throughout would not appeal to many but I don’t know if they could be changed to plain skimmed ceilings whilst someone is living there - a messy job. They would certainly put me off, even if the property was otherwise perfect.

Most of the bedrooms are very small. How much furniture would fit in them, if you had a family and were looking for 4/5 bedrooms?

I doubt the kitchen is sufficiently large for a family to eat in, so that’s one bedroom lost.

People, moving to the country or not, often need a room to use as an office/study, so that’s another bedroom lost.

The range cooker and dishwasher are excluded from the sale, meaning that people either have to negotiate to buy them or find appliances which fit.

The grab handles in the bathroom are off putting to many buyers (even us in our mid-late 70s). Getting rid of them will mean re-tiling.

The plot is far larger than most people looking for a bungalow would want to look after, at almost half an acre.

Sorry, but I can’t suggest any easy way of making the property more appealing to buyers.

Calendargirl

^I don’t want ‘bungalow legs’^

No one need have ‘bungalow legs’.

Just keep using them, and climb any steps or stairs you can.

A good friend teased me about bungalow legs when I was about to embrace single storey living. A few weeks later her husband fell downstairs and broke his neck. She had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support.

I also have a friend who now sleeps downstairs in what was her dining room because she has lost confidence in her ability to manage the stairs.

I’d rather have bungalow legs and feel safe any day.

Yes, I think you are right Boz - location is very important.

I don’t want ‘bungalow legs’

No one need have ‘bungalow legs’.

Just keep using them, and climb any steps or stairs you can.

My son is currently buying a bungalow and had to up his price as 6 buyers were interested. It has been made into a dormer so 5 beds.. three baths, large extended kitchen.
Location is very important. This is in a village with excellent Rail and Road connections, within one mile, to a major city.
Convenience is now the thing, I feel.

I think there are lots of similar bungalows for sale at the moment in that area - many with lovely large gardens like your mum's. Within 5 miles of the bungalow there's also 4 and 5 bed houses with fair sized plots and some of these have some period details too.

Most of the houses in this price bracket are ready to move in - but all of the bungalows need work.
If someone is "handy" that's OK but if you need to employ someone it will add 50 to 100k depending on what you do.

As others have said, most people don't want Artex now - so all the ceilings will need work- and depending on the exact period you may have asbestos in it, or not. My daughter was advised to skim over hers as she just wanted to cover it up.

My son and daughter-in-law (with no D.I.Y skills) were put off a really lovely house because of all the remodeling needed. They bought a property they could just "walk into" with a bit of paint. They didn't like it as much but it's practical.

If someone is "gutting" it they won't care about the dated features and will probably do as others have said and build into the loft.

If, after finding out what they think (the agents), if it just means small things (or you are, say, friendly with a plasterer) you could perhaps undertake some of the work so that it presents better.

My friend painted her house downstairs and had her sitting room and dining room recarpeted in a neutral colour had some new photos and suddenly got offers.

On the stretch of coast where I live there is virtually nothing under 1 million to 1.5 million but, on going for a walk yesterday, I noticed that there were at least 5 properties up for sale which would never have happened pre-covid. The bungalows tend to be coastal residences so are pretty modern but still no takers.

It’s 9 miles from Kings Lynn station.
I won’t put up any more details as it’s a private matter but it’s all there for people to see.

There are many bungalows, but they are bought by young couples who extend into the roof, and every other direction. Some small one-storey houses for the elderly were planned and passed, but the builder immediately applied for permission to add another storey, and after three petitions permission was granted and they are now occupied by single parent families with several children.

My daughter and son in law fought off stiff competition for their 1930 era bungalow.
It was in a terrible state but it has good sized rooms, high ceilings, is in an excellent location with a large garden.
All of these features would be a challenge to find elsewhere, potentially.

Generally bungalows appeal to older people and most older people do not want to undertake a lot of work. We renovated a bungalow to tip-top condition with a completely new interior and exterior. We put it on the market and people were fighting over it. People do love bungalows if they are up to modern standards. From experience I can say that, to completely renovate a property these days, the cost is around £50,000 or higher. Material prices have virtually doubled in the last few years as have skilled tradespeople's daily rates. So, for a quick sale, the price has to reflect the work that needs doing. I can see from the photo that the front garden is large. This can put people off. It might be worth putting part of it down to attractive gravel. If people see a property and the first thing they can see is work that needs doing they will be put off. Do ask an estate agent for an honest opinion as we have always found them to be extremely helpful.

Now I know why my friend M , goes for a daily walk - she doesn’t want to get ‘bungalow legs’ - I live in a house, so I don’t think I need to go for a walk - that’s my excuse 😂

I’m in Surrey and bungalows get snapped up quickly . Many are bought by families who then add an upper floor, turning it into a house .
One if the issues with bungalows , if they’re owned by an elderly person , is that it needs a complete refurb . Which puts off some buyers .

It’s a lovely bungalow and while I do like them especially if you have mobility probs as all on one level. But I’ve heard many times about people living in bungalows that find they then have what’s called bungalow legs and then can’t manage the stairs so I’m going to keep my house. I thought it was an old wives tale so neighbour asked her consultant and he said yes it’s a thing it can happen if you don’t use your legs much as in walking you will find it very difficult to climb stairs over time

*obviously I meant a bungalow.

I "read" this picture the same way as Joseann - a garage (mainly) with a house... in the distance or attached?

I too would select a different photo.

62Granny Not just S Wales. My partner and I have been looking for a bungalow in West Wirral. He's a cash buyer. We've looked at a few, but we'd have to spend loads on updating. Very few seem to have a second bathroom and we'd end up pulling out the walk-in showers which have been installed. There's artex all over the place and the kitchens are generally dated. We'd probably end up gutting the whole place and extending and we're not sure we have the energy for that. A detached house would give us far more for our money.

£1,049,000 26 Apr 2022
£330,000 28 Apr 2003

I watched this bungalow round the corner from me, turn into a four bedroom house, and the price went bonkers.

Bungalows tend to get snapped up around here (N Norfolk) as we get so many people retiring here.

I don’t want”bungalow legs” so will hold off moving to onefor s few years yet. 😉

Also in this area (S.Wales) they sell quickly and usually at a inflated price for the amount of work they usually need doing to them. I was lucky when I bought mine but friends have been looking recently and they have had a hard job finding one that didn't need a total refurb.
I think it is because updating them since the people moved in has maybe only done once then as you get older you may not want that upheaval of replacing kitchen / bathrooms or even carpets later .