In a sea of changes brought about by modernity in the housing sector, bungalows have defied the norm and remain a classic option for the modern homeowner. From their humble beginnings in India, bungalows have remained a stubborn feature of real estate. They may be as old as the hills but are prized possessions in different parts of the world.
Benefits of Bungalows
Many home buyers find bungalows attractive for different reasons, but we can all agree that bungalows provide the benefits below:
Offer Privacy
If you are looking for privacy, bungalows are an excellent option. They are secluded from other properties and their compounds are exclusive to their owners. With a proper perimeter wall or fence, you can easily prevent outsiders from gaining access to your home. You can conduct activities on your porch and backyard without the prying eyes of nosy neighbors.
Easy to Expand
Bungalows often sit on ample parcels of land and provide great flexibility for expansion or installations in the future. It is easy to expand the rooms upwards, sideways, frontwise and from the rear and build extensions as required. You can construct a balcony to add relaxation space. You can add extra space by building a top story if permitted in your neighborhood. This kind of flexibility is absent from other house designs like apartments.
Reasonable Prices
One of the reasons why bungalows are popular with first time home buyers and young couples is their reasonable prices. Since most bungalows have smaller rooms and simple designs, they attract lower prices than maisonettes with massive living spaces and state of the art finishes. Besides, bungalows are located mainly outside urban areas, where land prices are more affordable. With reduced land costs, it is easier to build cheaper homes. You can visit Movoto for the best bungalow deals in a wide selection of neighborhoods.
Great for Resale
As the population continues soaring in many places, the need to utilize space has seen an increase in the number of bungalow conversions and demolitions to pave the way for story buildings. This means that in some areas, bungalows are hard to find and supply hardly meets demand. With increasing demand, bungalows are an excellent option for real estate investments as they gain considerable value over time. Besides, there is no shortage of buyers due to the great potential of bungalows.
Excellent for Family Living
Bungalows are a great option for families due to their open plan living. They encourage communal living and foster closer ties among family members. Young families can breathe a sigh of relief since they do not have to worry about falls from stairs or balconies. It is also easier to check on infants and toddlers as they sleep since all rooms share the same floor. The compound provides ideal space for kids to play and for homeowners to enjoy the outdoors.
Offer Versatility
When it comes to versatility, bungalows stand out for various reasons. They can be built using a wide selection of materials such as timber, tin, concrete panels, among others. Besides, bungalows come in all tastes and sizes, from luxurious designs with ultra-modern fixtures and fittings to simple minimalist designs. Their compounds provide an opportunity for experimenting with landscaping ideas and gardening. You can find a wide selection of bungalows in various US locations online.
Senior-Citizen Friendly
One of the reasons why bungalows stand out is their accessibility to the elderly. Since all rooms are on one floor, they can move with ease from one point to another. They do not have to endure painstaking activities like climbing stairs, which also pose a falling hazard. It is also easy to modify the entrance into a ramp to facilitate pushing wheelchairs. Their care-givers can also monitor them with ease and respond quickly when need be.
Image by Kim Heimbuch
Simple to Design
For individuals who prefer to build their homes rather than buy, bungalows are relatively easier to design than other types of homes. Their less complicated specifications make the construction quick and straightforward. With basic finishes, a standard bungalow is good to go for the simplistic homeowner. As a result, you can build your home and relocate in record time.
Easy Maintenance
Homeownership comes with a new challenge; routine maintenance. Some components of your home like the roof, windows, and compound need regular maintenance which you would normally hire a builder, a residential and commercial roofer, or a window cleaner to handle for you. With a bungalow, all parts of the house are easy to access when cleaning, checking for faults, and repairs. Meaning you can save money in certain areas such as scaffolding and ladder hire. In some cases, you wouldn’t need to hire a professional at all because of ease of access.
The Downside of Bungalows
Despite many amazing benefits, bungalows have select drawbacks that you should consider before buying a home. If you are planning to purchase a bungalow, here are a few cons you should know:
Low Supply
If your dream home is a bungalow, you might have to wait for a reasonable amount of time to find one. The demand for housing due to population expansion has dramatically led to a low supply of bungalows. Additionally, land prices continue to soar every year, locking out many people from becoming landowners. Most property developers who can afford land find bungalows wasteful and would rather build story homes to get maximum value for the land. However, with the help of a reliable agent, you will eventually land a dream bungalow.
Security Concerns
Due to bungalows’ low lying nature, they are susceptible to burglar attacks, especially when the compound’s barriers are insufficient to deter trespassers. Their detachment from other houses in the neighborhood makes it difficult to raise the alarm for your neighbors to intervene. Homeowners have to invest in surveillance cameras, high perimeter walls and adequate outdoor lighting to deter criminals.
Take Up a Lot of Land Space
Bungalows inevitably take up more space for a single unit in comparison to other home options. This is a great deterrent where land prices are high or where plot sizes are inadequate. With declining plot sizes, especially in urban areas, it is no wonder that bungalows remain a feature of the rural regions.
Without a doubt, bungalows remain class statements and offer excellent ownership prospects for people looking forward to growing old in the same house. They are the complete package, from convenience, affordability, class to great potential for short term and long term possibilities.