Short answer: downsizing to a bungalow in the UK works best when you choose the property for how you want to live in five to ten years, measure the rooms before you decide what comes with you, and give yourself time to sort a family home rather than doing it in the final week.
Why bungalows are hard to find
If viewings feel competitive, it is because they are. Single-storey homes are in short supply compared with how many older buyers want one:
- Demand: a HomeOwners Alliance survey of 2,000 adults found that 38% of over-55s would prefer to move into a bungalow, and that 1.2 million people aged 55 and over wanted to sell up but could not find a suitable property (reported September 2025).
- Supply: research by Quickmove Properties found bungalows made up 6.9% of new-build completions in 2000 but only 1.2% in 2020, when just 1,833 were completed.
- Existing stock: around 1.8 million bungalows, or 7.6% of the dwelling stock in England (2021 figures, same research).
Different surveys measure this differently, so treat the exact percentages as indicative. The direction is consistent: demand is high and few new bungalows are being built.
What this means for you: start looking earlier than you would for a house, be ready to act when the right one appears, and have a plan for your current home so the sale does not hold you up. If you are flexible, a ground-floor flat or retirement apartment can be a faster route. See our guide to retirement housing options.
Check the practical things before you commit
Look beyond the number of bedrooms. Walk the property at different times of day, and think about how you will use it:
- Step-free access to the front door, back door and garden.
- Room for the furniture you want to keep, especially the bed, a favourite chair and a dining table.
- Storage for things you use, such as a loft, garage or built-in cupboards.
- How easy it is to reach shops, a GP, public transport and family.
- Garden size and upkeep, and whether you want to keep gardening.
Measure first, then decide what comes with you
Get the floor plan or measure each room (our guide to planning furniture for a smaller home shows how). Mark where large pieces will go. Anything that will not fit becomes a decision: sell it, pass it to family or donate it. This is much easier with a plan on paper than standing in the old house with a van booked.
Our downsizing checklist gives you a simple way to sort belongings, and the step-by-step downsizing guide covers the whole process.
Plan the timing around your sale and purchase
A move to a bungalow usually depends on selling your current home. Dates can move, so plan the packing and sorting early and keep the final week light. Our UK timeline for selling and relocating explains what tends to slow things down.
Where Chayce Properties helps
We help older people downsize to bungalows, flats and retirement housing across the UK, with one coordinator for sorting and decluttering, packing, a fully insured removal and setting up the new home. A Discovery Consultation, £150, gives you a plan, timeline and budget first.
Related: what to look for in a smaller home is a viewing checklist that works for bungalows, flats and retirement housing.
Sources
- HomeOwners Alliance survey of 2,000 adults, reported by Property Portfolio Investor, 23 September 2025.
- Quickmove Properties research on new-build bungalows, reported by Luxurious Magazine, 27 November 2023.
Figures are quoted from these sources as published and were not independently verified by Chayce. This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.
