The number of bungalows being built in the UK has collapsed and is falling every year with just 1,833 bungalows built in 2020, warns McCarthy Stone, the UK’s leading developer and manager of retirement communities. This is equal to less than 1% of the new homes built in 2019/20

In 2000, 9,347 bungalows were built, 80% more than today’s level. The drop is also noticeable in more recent years. In 2018, 2,418 bungalows were built, falling to just 2,384 in 2019.

However, research by McCarthy Stone has found that demand for one-level living is on the rise: 70% of over-65s would consider moving to a bungalow.

This is equal to 8.4m people across the UK and indicates that in recent years, bungalow building rates have actually moved in the opposite direction to demand.

This represents a 10-percentage point increase in demand since 20195 highlighting the ever-growing appeal of low-storey housing in later life. The impact of lockdown and the Covid-19 pandemic may have contributed towards older people considering moving to a more suitable property, including bungalows.

The appetite for bungalows is explained by multiple factors, including the desire to live on one level (57%), the easier maintenance (43%) and being much better suited to older people (39%) than conventional houses.