GNHQ have commented on this thread. Read here.
We have been looking for a bungalow in Surrey lately and got very frustrated with what we have observed being a trend.
Almost all of bungalows were built in the 1930-s and are quite small, typically around 65m2. They are in a really poor state and have not been updated for a few decades. Many show signs of utter neglect. Most of them have suspended floors, rising damp issues or damp and mould from leaky roofs and gutters. Doors and windows need changing, not to mention pink and avocado bathrooms and pine kitchens together with polystyrene tile ceilings. They have EPC of D or even E.
Whilst most of those faults and undesirable features are due to age, some are due to sheer neglect from the relatives of the elderly owners. We have seen plenty of probate properties still on the market a year later with dirty dishes still left in the stinking dishwasher, food left in the fridge and gone mouldy, kitchen units left dirty still full of contents.
The saddest one was a perfect in every sense bungalow, so well laid out and built, where the water butt leaked, stayed unnoticed for ages, created damp in the wall and eventually black mould took over the whole wall behind the built-in wardrobe. The doors were left open, and the mould spores disseminated all over the house, infecting every inch of surfaces, carpets and fabrics. This is how you get what is called a “sick building syndrome”. You will never get rid of that mould completely, the spores will make sure it comes back.
So on one hand, there is a real shortage of bungalows for the aging population, and on the other hand there are plenty of them but in such poor condition that nobody would buy them. Relatives overprice these bungalows in a hope to get a bigger inheritance, so the buildings sit empty for over a year getting musty, mouldy and accumulate problems – and depreciate to the point of becoming unsellable. Yet they do very little to make them sellable in the first place, like dealing with leaks and damp or at the very least giving these properties a good clean and empty the appliances.
It makes me so sad to watch some great houses going to waste instead of becoming cosy and loved homes. The only thing that could stop this madness would probably be the condition under which properties could be marketed – to be cleared, cleaned and issue free.
Some properties even got extended but we have seen so many extensions that were given little thought and resulted in convoluted layout, blocked light and fresh air and unusable or lost space.
It costs about £40,000 to move before you start doing anything to a property.
There are nice "retirement bungalows" too Katie - though some probably have "clauses" in them about alterations for example.
NotSpaghetti
Would you consider leasehold "retirement properties"?
Think there will be some of those.
Plenty of apartments in retirement complexes like McCarthy & Stone but service fees are high and they have control over the sale. Similar for Park Homes.
Would you consider leasehold "retirement properties"?
Think there will be some of those.
RusBun
Katie59
Obviously £500k is an exageration, £50k would make it livable, but it’s never going to be a good house that’s cheap to run.
My DIL has just bought a bungalow with a couple of acres paid £750k, crazy money and it’s a dump that needs bulldozing, they are patching it up, no logic in that.And they will spend hundreds of thousands by the time they have finished. People always underestimate and end up spending at least 50% more than planned
That is about right OH has done a lot of property improvements over the years and always adds 50% to the budget, sometimes it does work out lower but not often.
Katie59
Obviously £500k is an exageration, £50k would make it livable, but it’s never going to be a good house that’s cheap to run.
My DIL has just bought a bungalow with a couple of acres paid £750k, crazy money and it’s a dump that needs bulldozing, they are patching it up, no logic in that.
And they will spend hundreds of thousands by the time they have finished. People always underestimate and end up spending at least 50% more than planned
Obviously £500k is an exageration, £50k would make it livable, but it’s never going to be a good house that’s cheap to run.
My DIL has just bought a bungalow with a couple of acres paid £750k, crazy money and it’s a dump that needs bulldozing, they are patching it up, no logic in that.
Cabowich
Joseann - Yes, I probably exaggerated - I was just thinking of something my brother-in-law said - new kitchen - £40K, new bathroom £20-30K, double glazing throughout - goodness knows, damp fixing and proofing - goodness knows again. Roof fixing - depends whether there's asbestos, but again, a lot of money. Redecorating, the garden - a whole other issue - it all adds up.
Oh yes, you are right, and only people from construction background like my DH can see that. By the time you spend all that money on doing it up, you could not make profit re-selling it, not in this market
Germanshepherdsmum
If you can’t find what you want at a price you can afford in Surrey the answer’s obvious isn’t it? Your purse doesn’t stretch to Surrey prices. Will your husband agree to look elsewhere? You said he mainly works from home, occasionally visits an office in London and various construction sites in Surrey. Just how often is that necessary? You can reach London and Surrey perfectly easily from other, less expensive places - but as has already been said, anything in the traditional commuter belt will be costly. A longer commute takes you into more affordable areas. However I am mindful that he has recently had cancer and a partial lung removal, has to work for another ten years, until his early seventies, to pay the mortgage and neither of you will receive the state pension for several years. Is moving to a totally different and much cheaper area, working from home and becoming mortgage free completely impossible?
You are right except DH mostly works from the office and will be commuting to Epsom for the next 10 years. Not easy in his condition, and he has a very stressful job. His job in engineering management entails a lot of team work and meetings, so he can't just work from home. It would be different if he only had another 3 years before retiring.
Thankfully to the advice given here he will explore the possibility of getting transferred to another location or finding another job (not easy at his pre-retirement age), but also his job is quite rare, typically based in large cities only.
Well then it might be a steal.
Its so difficult without knowing the area, just like saying Devon is cheaper, or someone on another thread saying abroad is a lot cheaper, (as I sit in a €600k appartement here). It's all relative.
If you can’t find what you want at a price you can afford in Surrey the answer’s obvious isn’t it? Your purse doesn’t stretch to Surrey prices. Will your husband agree to look elsewhere? You said he mainly works from home, occasionally visits an office in London and various construction sites in Surrey. Just how often is that necessary? You can reach London and Surrey perfectly easily from other, less expensive places - but as has already been said, anything in the traditional commuter belt will be costly. A longer commute takes you into more affordable areas. However I am mindful that he has recently had cancer and a partial lung removal, has to work for another ten years, until his early seventies, to pay the mortgage and neither of you will receive the state pension for several years. Is moving to a totally different and much cheaper area, working from home and becoming mortgage free completely impossible?
Joseann
^It would need another £500k to get it looking 'decent'.^
I think that might be a mistake because you would then be making it by far the most expensive property in a road that doesn't necessarily command it. It doesn't have an enormous plot.
Actually, on THAT road it would not be the most expensive property, there are some for 1.5 - 2 million
Joseann - Yes, I probably exaggerated - I was just thinking of something my brother-in-law said - new kitchen - £40K, new bathroom £20-30K, double glazing throughout - goodness knows, damp fixing and proofing - goodness knows again. Roof fixing - depends whether there's asbestos, but again, a lot of money. Redecorating, the garden - a whole other issue - it all adds up.
Foxygloves
^The essence of this thread is that there is not enough of this type of accommodation in good condition needed by a certain group of population^
You omitted the word affordable - where something is in demand, that will always be reflected in prices .
The other imponderable in the complex issue of market forces, is turnover.
Many younger couples/families move several times- more children, desirability of schools, work, etc, but once a couple or person on their own moves into a bungalow as a retirement home, they tend to stay- for obvious reasons.
Even most of the the 700K bungalows in Surrey need a complete renovation, and at that price I would not call them "affordable". You would need to spend another 200K to do them up, so you are looking close to a million. Not affordable for most and if you are not in great shape, you could not do it yourself to save money.
It would need another £500k to get it looking 'decent'.
I think that might be a mistake because you would then be making it by far the most expensive property in a road that doesn't necessarily command it. It doesn't have an enormous plot.
Maybe in other areas, where there are plenty of bungalows, the demographic of the purchasers is different. But I assure you, and every local estate agent knows it, that here in Surrey it is the retirees and the disabled who want to buy bungalows for the ground floor. And every bungalow for sale has clear signs of a previous elderly owner, so they must be the ones who lived in them. In fact, EAs look very surprised that we are looking for a bungalow because we don't look old enough and our disabilities are invisible.
People with mobility issues here in Surrey buy either bungalows or ground floor flats. We struggled for a long time to sell our very spacious second floor loft apartment just because there is no lift. A lot of retirees looked at it, absolutely loved it for its spaciousness, unique features, amazing panoramic views, almost new and in pristine condition, peaceful village setting. The absence of a lift was the only thing that stopped them from buying. For the same reason, ground floor flats here get snapped quickly.
Recently when we came to look at a bungalow, an EA told us that another couple of our age came to view, who also live in a penthouse without a lift, and likewise looking for a bungalow.
We never even thought of buying a bungalow until we started looking for a house this summer and with every stair in every viewed house I realised how painful it was for my knees and my leg muscles to go up the stairs. I hardly noticed it before because of living on one level in an apartment and only going out once a week due to my illness. But the DH gets out of breath every time he climbs to the 2nd floor, even without any bags. So two weeks later we changed our search from a house to a bungalow, even though there are much better houses in that price range.
The is nothing ageist in the post or in the choice of words, which are widely acceptable and never been regarded offensive. I am 60 but with every flare of my joints and ligaments and chronic fatigue I feel at least 80. We all age differently, but despite looking younger, we certainly feel old, and I have no shame in admitting it. It is only offensive to those who has a problem accepting getting old or crippled, hence it being only a natural course of life.
The essence of this post is 'there not enough quality bungalows for those specific groups of population who need to live on a ground floor', and most of those just happened to be old or disabled. What is ageist about it? Some people just love a good argument for the sake of it.
The essence of this thread is that there is not enough of this type of accommodation in good condition needed by a certain group of population
You omitted the word affordable - where something is in demand, that will always be reflected in prices .
The other imponderable in the complex issue of market forces, is turnover.
Many younger couples/families move several times- more children, desirability of schools, work, etc, but once a couple or person on their own moves into a bungalow as a retirement home, they tend to stay- for obvious reasons.
Casdon
RusBun
This is what you can get for half a million in my area for example: www.onthemarket.com/details/13326505/
I thought you were going to show us a shoebox on a busy road RusBun, but that’s a decent bungalow on a quiet street with potential and a lovely garden. I don’t really see what it is that you couldn’t face about doing something like that up, it could be done in stages? The USP must be the toilet seat though, I’ve never seen anything quite like that before.
Casdon. A decent bungalow? Really? You can see the damp there, the delapidated windows, etc, etc.
The bungalow would need either a total renovating from top to toe, or demolishing and rebuilding - new kitchen, new bathroom, roof done, etc, etc. It would need another £500k to get it looking 'decent'. And that's the problem RusBun is talking about.
I've looked around for a bungalow and they are often in a poor state of repair .
A neighbour's bungalow has just been demolished .
But if they have been bought as retirement homes then the elderly owners aren't always able to maintain them .
RusBun
This is what you can get for half a million in my area for example: www.onthemarket.com/details/13326505/
At that price it will be demolished and a house built, similar properties in this area will have the same fate.
Never thought GN would become agesitst. But seems from this thread if you want a bungalow you have to be as OP calls us elderly. I live in a road of 40 bungalows youngest is 39 oldest 96. I know several families with young children who brought bungalows for the size also safety aspect for the children.
I was born disabled but managed in 2 houses . My late husband adapted our last house for me when my health got worse in 1988 and when he was told wouldn't live 5 years in 2001 due to cancer only thing needed doing was having the bathroom out and shower room fitted. So I could manage to shower safely on my own. He died in 2004.
But due to looking after both parents and mother in law couldn't put my house on the market until 2018 after my mom was the last to die in 2017.
Moved over 100 miles to live closer to my family and knew I wanted a 2 bed bungalow which is my forever home. So glad I did . The executors of the will kept it for as my house sale fell through twice. They kept it heated during the winter and aired in the summer. It was clean when I move here but found mouse droppings but it had been empty since May 2018 when their mom died. Pest control got rid of mice only smell was from the blinds but went as soon as they where removed.
I looked at the bungalow with the view of how I wanted it not how it was. It drove me mad when viewers for my house saying they didn't like this that or the other. But pointed out you buy the bricks and mortar the rest is up to you.
No property is perfect even a new build. You make in into a home. I have never been happier since my move . Lovely neighbours ,great transport system and brilliant healthcare.
RusBun Can you prevent lugging heavy shopping upstairs (for now) by buying any most groceries online?
My daughter lived in a 3rd floor flat and did this for years.
Just a thought given that you are struggling.
A typical bungalow purchaser is also old or incapacitated, and also has no energy or resources to do it up.
... where is your evidence of this? I don't know many people who have bought/lived in bungalows to be honest but my own experience is not this.
One bungalow dweller I did know was my aunt who bought it when she was probably late 40s and her husband moved for work reasons to the Isle of Wight. It was a new-build with a massive garden including fruit trees and a big pond.
Another was a very wealthy friend of my mother's who bought a bungalow because it was the first available property on a particular road. This was on an enormous plot - a 3 bed.
The third bungalow I know was built by a builder who was a friend of the family. He built a two-bedroom bungalow for his own "forever home" (though I doubt they would have called it that in the 1950s). Looking at the photos of this man and his lovely wife with my parents and me on the steps of his new patio he looks early 40s. I know it was built post war. They had no children so may have thought about it differently.
My (then) 96 year old mother-in-law nearly bought a tiny new build bungalow on a smallish plot because it was in a location she wanted to move (close to my husband). It was 100% modern with "eco" systems for everything... in the end she bought a 3 bed 1970s "family" home instead - and lived in it for weeks whilst it was rewired, had many plugs and light fittings moved, had the parquet polished and sealed, had a new boiler fitted and radiators moved, altered the bedroom cupboards and had the whole place redecorated and recarpeted. She had a new kitchen and bathroom fitted and then when that was done she had the garden redesigned and terraced.
Not everyone meets your description of a bungalow purchaser.
The house next door to my mother-in-law is on the market just now and that needs lots of work. I'd guess £50,000 if they paid someone to do it. It is currently lived in by a nice couple in their 80s.
I think most people who move to a "retirement property" actually retire to a house rather than a bungalow.
I'd be interested to know the figures to be honest.
PS. Nothing against Torquay, I could equally have said towns like Plymouth, Truro or Barnstaple.
RusBun
OMG! Just looked at the bungalows in Cornwall and Devon and got blown away. You can get them twice as big, recently build, in great condition and for half the price of Surrey!!! Now trying to inspire hubby to get a transfer with his job, you never know!
It depends, yes if you're happy to be in a remote village with no facilites somewhere, or in a lesser area of say Torquay. Otherwise, Devon is very much on a par with Surrey, £500k is not enough to find something my opinion. That's if there's anything available now.
Registering is free, easy, and means you can join the discussion, watch threads and lots more.
Register now »Already registered? Log in with:
Gransnet »Get our top conversations, latest advice, fantastic competitions, and more, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter here.
