The bungalow has often been considered the perfect retirement property to save creaking knees from stairs.
But after research suggested they are being snapped up by much younger buyers, calls are growing for housebuilders to address the ‘chronic shortage’ of single-storey homes as they become more popular.
One in seven homeowners aged 55-plus who took part in a survey said they wanted to move, but cited the lack of suitable homes as a disincentive, as well as the stress and upheaval of moving and not wanting to leave their community behind.Â
The research, published by the HomeOwners Alliance, suggested that 38 per cent of homeowners aged 55-plus would prefer a bungalow for their next move.
But it pointed to figures from warranty provider the National House Building Council revealing that bungalows made up just 1 per cent of new home registrations last year compared with 11 per cent in 1990.Â
Paula Higgins, chief executive of HomeOwners Alliance, said: ‘Our research shows that too many older homeowners feel stuck in homes that no longer work for them.’Â
A spokesman for McCarthy Stone, which develops and runs retirement homes, said there was a ‘critical shortage’ of bungalows, adding: ‘It’s clear the housing market must do more for this demographic.Â
After research suggested bungalows are being snapped up by much younger buyers, calls are growing for housebuilders to address the ‘chronic shortage’ of single-storey homes (file image)
‘Prioritising the construction of bungalows isn’t just about meeting demand, it’s about enabling older people to live independently, stay connected to communities, and freeing up larger family homes for younger generations.’
The HomeOwners Alliance survey also indicated that people aged 55-plus were more likely than homeowners of other ages to say the stress of moving and not wanting to move away from friends and neighbours were a barrier to selling up.
With many older homeowners having built up equity in their property, house prices and moving costs were less of a barrier to moving home than they are for younger generations, the survey indicated.
Opinium carried out the survey among 2,000 people across the UK in April, on behalf of the HomeOwners Alliance.
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The bungalow is back! Builders are urged to build more as demand soars among younger buyers