Bungalow Building at an 80-year Low
Bungalow building across Britain has hit an 80-year low.
According to the National House Building Council, in the past 40 years the number of bungalows built each year has dropped from almost 30,000 to less than 2,000. Figures recently published by the NHBC show that only 228 new bungalows were registered with them in Q3 2023. This is down 70% on the same period last year.
With the backdrop of an ageing population across the nation, Sir Chris Whitty, the Chief Medical Officer for England recently addressed the issue of insufficient housing that is best suited to the elderly in his annual report. Sir Chris explained "Houses are built for young families... and if you project forward to the middle of the century, a quarter of the population will be over 65, yet we still have a housing stock not designed for that age group".
Bungalows have long been a popular style of property for those looking to future proof their home and for those buyers approaching retirement age. They provide level access living for wheelchair users and those with mobility issues. So, with the backdrop of an ageing population across the country, many people are questioning why are there so few new bungalows being built?
The stark reality is that bungalows have a large footprint and are not the most efficient use of expensive developable land. For example, at Stancliffe Homes we can build a five-bedroom home or 3 two-bedroom houses on the same plot as a three-bedroom bungalow. Therefore, their cost per square metre is much higher and the associated profit margins lower, than building over two or three stories. For large housebuilders, with shareholders to answer to, it is an incredibly difficult style of home to justify building commercially. Furthermore, when developable land is so scarce, and competition for it high, it can be very challenging to secure developable land whilst at the same time delivering single storey homes to better accommodate the elderly.
As larger housebuilders are unable to financially justify the provision of bungalows on their new developments, it often falls to smaller developers to deliver the supply of this product to market (albeit in small numbers given the latest data from the NHBC). At Stancliffe Homes, we have always looked to provide a high percentage of bungalows on every development we are involved with and, being a privately owned company, we take a different approach to the provision of bungalows for a number of reasons:
First, the demand for the product has historically been high and all of our bungalows are typically reserved off plan. A stylish, modern, energy efficient bungalow available on the market is such a rare beast, for a very obvious reason. The number of potential buyers is increasing, yet the supply is declining because mainstream developers tend not to build them. Our view is that demand for bungalows will continue to grow and we see this as a huge positive and something we value as a developer. Second, it helps create a truly mixed development with people of all ages living together. This creates a real sense of community, which new developments can sometimes lack. Finally, we take pride in providing homes that all our customers can be happy living in. As opposed to building small, tightly packed, characterless bungalows, we look to build homes that deliver modern, light filled single storey living. We are increasingly mindful that many of our customers, who are looking for a new build bungalow, are still working, socially active and have obligations to parents and children. We therefore put a great deal of time and attention into the design of all our bungalows to ensure they deliver space which can truly be enjoyed.
Stancliffe Homes is delivering 11 two and three bedroom bungalows on our latest development of new homes in Tansley. All these homes are built in natural stone and achieve an ‘A’ rating for energy efficiency. As standard, the homes come with built in solar panels to the roof, EV charging, bi-fold doors, designer kitchens, modern bathrooms, high quality carpets, Porcelanosa tiles, smart energy meters and landscaped gardens.
For further information please visit www.stancliffehomes.co.uk, email sales@stancliffehomes.co.uk or call our Sales Manager Lynne on 07548 845999.