UK Bungalow Extensions
After more space in your Bungalow? If you are happy with your location, moving just isn’t an option.
Not to mention the stress, costs and added fees involved with moving property.
A bungalow extension offers the perfect solution.
An extension allows you to open up your home to better views and boost that inside-outside connection.
Many of us favour the bungalow. They provide all your rooms on one level and generally come with a good-sized plot and garden.
This gives the home buyer the option to extend out, making the bungalow the perfect lifetime home.
Bungalows Are Rare
When it comes to new builds, developers tend to favour multi-storey homes.
This is because they are keen to maximise the number of houses built on one site.
However, this doesn’t mean that their demand or popularity has diminished.
Their potential to provide a completely bespoke home makes them very attractive to families and retirees.
In a challenging market, it’s properties in short supply which hold their value. This is where bungalows come into their own.
Why Extend a Bungalow?
A single storey extension can be the perfect way to create extra living space in your bungalow.
Given the age of many bungalows, your home could be under-performing.
A refurbishment or extension is a good opportunity to improve it’s performance as well as the look of the property.
A bungalow can be adapted to suit anyone’s needs and can present you with some really great design opportunities.
Extending or developing a bungalow can create a very valuable property.
Planners are often very accommodating when it comes to those looking to extend a bungalow.
Bungalow Extension Ideas
Whether you’re considering a side return extension or rear extension, it will provide you with the perfect space for an open plan living area.
However, you will have to consider what your new space will be used for.
Rooms that will be visible from the road for example, will need more consideration in terms of suitable glazing options and lighting schemes.
You want your extension to enhance your living space but also be practical.
For example, a new bedroom next to a noisy kitchen is clearly not ideal.
You will want any social spaces leading off in one direction, creating separate areas or ‘wings’ in place of two storeys. You will also want to consider natural light and low rooflines.
Bungalow Roofs
For bungalows, a flat roof extension is often the ideal solution. It will connect to your existing bungalow beneath the eaves.
Introducing a flat roof is one of the simplest solutions but it needs to be handled carefully so it doesn’t look out of place with your existing structure.
The extension will be self-supporting so no extra support will be required from the existing building.
The extension can be attached to the existing house but this option is often trickier to achieve.
It’s also possible to have a new flat roof join at the same level as the existing eaves. However this can be tricky to achieve structurally and can make the joining look a bit awkward.
The flat roof would be added as a stand-alone element, with the new roof slid under the existing eaves. This would be the most successful way in which to install a new flat roof.
A monopitch roof can be used to fall toward the existing eaves and they can also help increase the area of glazing. A monopitch, ideally, will sit independently of your existing roof.
Extensions with a monopitch roof or designs that fall towards the existing eaves can also work well. Another equally popular option is a dual pitched roof.
Don’t be afraid to change your current arrangement. Identify the parts of your bungalow with the best views and use this as a starting point of where your extension should go.
If you hate shutting yourself away and using separate rooms for different activities, then an open plan space is perfect.
It’s a great way to eat, read, cook and entertain in interconnected but separate parts of a single, large space.
Bungalow Rear Extension Ideas
Smaller rear extensions are more often that not, seen as a permitted development.
Double glazed sliding or bi-folding doors will work really well here. They will help improve light as well as making the garden an extension of your dining or living area.
These modern doors are perfect for re-working an older property.
Enhance Light
You will want to look at reducing unnecessary areas such as corridors.
Many post-war bungalows have long, dark corridors which were designed to separate sleeping quarters.
This means that there is often a lack of natural light within the home, particularly in central spaces.
Rooflights can be a great addition to your bungalow extension, bringing natural light into the home.
Bi-fold doors or sliding doors are another feature that will enhance natural light. Connecting home to garden, they make a for a stylish entrance to the outside.
An extension that is South-facing with full-height glazed windows or doors, will bring light to your property as well as added warmth.
If you are fed up of your existing dining area, then this could also be extended and combined with a sitting room to create one big open-plan living space.
Planning Permission
Changes made to the roof and exterior of a bungalow will range in complexity. Internal alterations to the layout don’t normally require planning permission unless the building is listed.
How far can you extend a bungalow without planning permission?
If your bungalow has permitted development rights then you will be able to add a single storey extension 4m out across the entire rear.
You will also be able to extend 50% of the front width to each side of the property. This will allow you to double the floorspace without needing to through a formal planning permission process.
How Much Does a Bungalow Extension Cost?
A large ground floor extension will cost between £20,000 to £50,000 depending on specifications.
It will also depend on how buys your local builders are and how expensive the area you live in is. If you live in London for example, expect to pay that bit more.
If you are in North London, you could be quoted up to £65,000 for an annexe, ensuite and wrap around extension.
This would include re-wiring and re-plumbing, as well as the moving of internal walls around the existing structure.
Do Bungalows Hold Their Value?
In a challenging market, it’s often properties in short supply which hold their value. This is where bungalows come into their own.
Bungalows are practical to live in and ones that are in a good location are extremely valuable.
Their much-derided functionality is a huge part of their appeal.
Bungalows are perfect for young families, especially when compared to townhouses currently being built.
The lack of garden space and three-storey stairs aren’t great for families with young children. Having everything on one floor is also good for those with reduced mobility.
Design Plans and Ideas for Bungalow Extensions
You will need to plan your new extension carefully. You want to achieve space that balances practicality with great aesthetics.
If you are extending into your garden space then be sure to make the most of the lovely views.
Lose a wall by installing bi-folding doors and create a space that opens up completely to the garden.
A rear bungalow extension will give you the space that is required for a living room or kitchen diner. If your bungalow has a long garden then design wise, you will have a lot to play with.
It can even be used to continue your kitchen space outside. Floor tiles that allow a continuous flow from kitchen to patio will give the illusion of one large room.
Extending out to the side is also a good option, allowing you to save on valuable garden space.
You might however, loose side access to your garden and planning permission can be trickier depending on how close you are to your neighbour’s boundary.
You can also combine a rear and side extension for a beautiful wrap-around kitchen.
In a space that lacks conventional windows, rooflights and a set of bi-folding doors will enhance light and bring atmosphere to the room.
Remember to position the dining table where the maximum light falls.
Full-height sliding glazed doors can also help divide kitchen and living areas without screening anything from view.