MORLEY VON STERNBERG
In the UK, bungalows are one of the most sought-after, but least available, types of house – in fact, a third of all homeowners claim that this type of property is the ideal place to live. However, this pent-up demand for living on one level is not being satisfied by commercial developers. With this being unlikely to change in the near future, frustrated buyers are finding that the best way to get one is to create it themselves. Experience has shown that whatever self builders are doing now is likely to influence the professional construction industry in due course. So, how can we help to bring about a renaissance?
Why the gap in the market?
In recent years, the cold hard economics of volume house development means it’s become preferable to create larger dwellings on smaller plots by building upwards. For instance, imagine there are two homes being built, each with the same floor space, but one is a two-storey and the other a bungalow – the latter will need twice the length of foundations and double the size of roof for the same floor area. The problem is that this requires more expense. The government’s building targets haven’t helped, either, because demand for the density of new housing has effectively worked to push bungalows out of the picture.
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About Build It
The December edition of Build It magazine brings you a wealth of information to help make your self build, renovation, extension or conversion project a success – including:
• A unique modular home (page 20)
• How to get basement extensions right (page 62)
• 15 renovation ideas to add value and kerb appeal (page 66)
• Will smart heating save you money? (page 73)
• The latest woodburner trends and costs (page83)
… and much more!