Bungalows have always had their fans in the UK, but lately it's turned into something bigger. People aren't just casually browsing single-storey homes. They're actively hunting for them, and there simply aren't enough to go around. NHBC data shows that just 122,012 new homes were completed across the UK in 2025, down 2% on the year before. Bungalows made up roughly 1.3% of that total. Back in the early 1990s, bungalows made up around 11% of new builds. That's a massive drop, and the gap between what people want and what's actually available keeps getting wider.
The demand isn't coming from one group of people either. And if you think bungalows are just a retirement thing, the reality will probably catch you off guard.
Who's Actually Buying Bungalows?
Retirees are the obvious answer, and yes, they do make up a big part of the market. A HomeOwners Alliance survey found that 38% of adults over 55 would pick a bungalow for their next move, making it the most popular housing type in that age bracket. But it doesn't stop there.
Young families like the open-plan layouts because they can watch their kids without constantly running up and down stairs. People dealing with mobility issues, whether short-term or long-term, see single-storey living as a way to stay independent without shelling out for expensive home adaptations. Remote workers are also getting in on it, drawn to the idea of a ground-floor home office with garden access and zero stairs to deal with during the day.
Estate agents say demand is consistent across the board, and bungalows in market towns close to local amenities tend to get snapped up fast. Competition for existing stock is fierce in plenty of parts of the country.
Why So Few Are Being Built
It comes down to money. Developers can squeeze more units onto a plot by building upwards, so a two or three-storey home will almost always bring in a higher return per square metre of land than a bungalow. With land prices sitting where they are, most housebuilders just don't see the numbers adding up for single-storey construction.
Planning rules don't help either. Local authorities tend to push for housing density targets, and bungalows use more land per home by default. Nearly 1,000 fewer bungalows are being built each year compared to a decade ago, with registrations dropping from 2,445 in 2015 to 1,505 in 2025.
What This Means for Retirees and Downsizers
For older homeowners who want to downsize, the environment isn't great. The aforementioned HomeOwners Alliance survey reported that 1.2 million people aged 55 and over wanted to sell within a recent two-year window but couldn't find anywhere suitable to go. A lack of single-storey homes was the main thing holding them back.
Park bungalow communities have started filling that gap. Popular developers like Regency Living build purpose-designed single-storey homes in managed settings across the UK, from the Cornish coast to the Norfolk countryside. These communities are built specifically for people who want accessible, low-maintenance living without giving up quality or space.
To put all this in perspective, the ONS projects that by 2050, one in four people in the UK will be aged 65 or over. That's an enormous demographic change, and the current rate of bungalow construction doesn't even come close to keeping up.
Beyond Retirement: A Property That Works for Everyone
Single-storey homes offer things that multi-storey properties simply can't match. Level access throughout, no stairs to manage, lower heating bills thanks to a smaller footprint, and easier upkeep all round. Those aren't perks reserved for older buyers. They're benefits anyone would appreciate, which is exactly why bungalows pull a premium whenever they hit the market.
Asking prices for bungalows already run above the national average. In some constituencies, they cost as much as 67% more than the typical property. That premium tells you everything you need to know: there aren't enough of them.
What Needs to Change
Britain's housing conversation tends to focus on building more homes full stop, but it rarely asks what kind of homes people actually want. The data says a big chunk of the population would go for single-storey living if the option existed.
Until developers and planners catch up with that, the gap between supply and demand will only grow. And buyers looking for a bungalow will keep facing stiff competition for a pool of stock that's getting smaller every year.
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