Buying a Bungalow

Buying a Bungalow – Why you need a survey – Why you should protect your investment

The History of Bungalows

The word Bungalow come from Bangla, the Hindi or Mahratti term meaning “of or belonging to Bengal”, as in Bangladesh (East Bengal) and originated in the 1670s. As a term to describe a type of dwelling, it is now used in practically every continent; something called a bungalow can be found in all English-Speaking countries as well as many ex-colonial ones.

Bungalows are a modern concept in living and the main purpose is to create an accessible environment on one level.

Many bungalows in the United Kingdom were built in the late 1950s through to the early 1970s. Some of the 1970s bungalows were built with much larger windows, which you would not have expected in the oil crisis during the 70s. Subsequently further innovative designs were used such as timber-framing and curtain walling.

In the UK there is a plethora of timber-framed bungalows which are not always going to be considered by some lenders, particularly if the inner and outer wall has been cavity filled. This is another reason that you require a survey to find out the mortgageability of a bungalow. Many purchasers buy a bungalow with cash, but as Chartered Surveyors we must always consider the resale value and this may induce a mortgage on the security of the property at that time.

The design of many bungalows was used in various systems, often where block walls were built on top of concrete floor slabs and this in itself comes with a range of significant defects. We also note that a lot of concrete floors are laid on hardcore which is not correctly compacted and in certain places we are now finding settlement and structural movement, which is leading to a number of ongoing problems.

Some bungalows that are built in areas that require a solid fuel burning fire have tall chimneystacks. We find that many properties with tall chimneystacks inherently have a weight thrusting down upon the walls and foundations which is much greater than the walls around it and this too can cause various issues with floor slabs and the surrounding walls. Again, it is an area that requires specialist identification. We know that many modern bungalows that were built from the 1980s onwards were constructed in the boom of the economy. Their rapid construction did not necessarily mean that they were built to high standards. The owner of Charters-Reid Surveyors Ltd began his career many years ago as an apprentice-served joiner and he fully understands how and why corners were cut and how indeed these defects could have been avoided with much more care and attention and better supervision.

Bungalows with wooden floors

Perhaps the Pandora ’s Box of the property. This is the area where so many defects (too many to list) can occur. We suggest that on a survey for bungalow you insist on a sub-floor investigation which is provided by ourselves at not a great deal of extra cost.

A number of bungalows are of non-traditional construction. Although far and few between some of these have been re-enveloped, which entails building a brick skin around the property. Although a number of these have been carried out to a good standard, they do not have any certifications, often referred to as a PRC certificate. If you do require a PRC certificate on a bungalow or any property, then you should contact us for further information and costing.

Poor DIY alterations

Many bungalows have been altered either through poor DIY, inexperienced or cowboy builders carrying out repairs to the property which leave it looking sad, neglected and often dangerous to use. On many occasions we see the layout of a bungalow has been altered. Various points have been overlooked like means of escape in the event of a fire and often the lack of opening windows that prevent egress in the event of a fire or other calamity.

What asking price should you suggest for your bungalow when you come to sell it?

Over the years our company has looked at literally thousands of bungalows. The majority of them in your area. We have a huge database of property prices that we have built up over the years. It is more than likely that we have been involved with the purchase of a bungalow like the one that you are about to sell. What you must remember is that all sold house prices are purely historical. They do not take into the fact any future growth. As a perfect example, if your property tales four months to complete there might have been some extra growth in that period. Therefore it is essential to make sure that you “future proof” your asking price. In addition to this you can also request our professional expertise in terms of looking at your bungalow with a view to selling it i.e. are there any defects, for example cracks that may cause problems when the purchasers or indeed their property professional comes to inspect the dwelling upon resale. It is for that reason it is worthwhile talking to us. We provide a short cost-effective report on any potential issues which could slow the sale of your bungalow. We also provide some general advice and we can suggest which estate agents in your area have the best expertise and indeed sell the most properties.