130 homebuilding.co.uk
main image: simon maxwellStill think of bungalows asthereserveof homeowners
of a ‘certain age’, or as flimsy orold-fashioned?
Time to think again, says NatashaBrinsmeadRemodelling bungalows
T
heratherfustylabelthatoftencomes
attachedtobungalowsis actuallyan
outdatedview.Notonlygoodfor
demolitionandreplacement—thehumble
bungalowhasanawfullotgoingforit.
Aswellasfittinginwiththemore
modernapproachtorenovation,thatof
creatinga homeforlife,bungalowsalso
oftencomecompletewithgenerousplots
andbagsofdesignpotential.
Herewetakea lookat thevarious
stylesofbungalowsthatcanbefoundin
andaroundtheUKandtheirassociated
designchallenges—and show you how
to overcome them in order to create a
thoroughly modern home.Why renovate a bungalow?
Whichever way you look at it, many
bungalows are pretty greedy when it comes
to land — they have a greater footprint
for the same amount of overall square
metreage as a house. However, they present
some real opportunities for renovators out
there looking to create a dream home.
Firstly, they tend to be built on large
plots, giving buyers the potential to extend
out. Secondly, they have low roofs, for ease
of maintenance. And thirdly, they provide
accessible accommodation that is easy and
relatively low cost to maintain (no second
storey windows, to name but one example).
Finally, many bungalows are considered
rather unattractive by today’s architectural
standards, meaning planners are usually
very accommodating when it comes to
designs that aim to update them.
Single-storey properties also come with
downsides and many bungalows present
similar issues when it comes to modern-
day living expectations.