Episode Information Trade Secrets Maidstone

Date Published:

18/06/2008

This week we reveal the trade secrets behind creating a home like Bill and Jean's hi-tech bungalow in Maidstone.

Bungalow. The word tends to conjure relentless rows of pitched roof housing in deepest suburbia. But instead, you should be thinking of ground level loft apartments, surrounded by the great outdoors. Yes, we are beginning to rediscover the joys of stylish single storey living.

The pinnacle of bungalow living has to be the iconic California case study houses built in post-war America. If you're looking to go lateral, this is the holy grail.

Built using a lightweight steel frame, this type of house featured huge glazing panels and deliberately connected the house with the surrounding outside space.

This 1968, Grade II listed bungalow is inspired by case study houses and sums up what's so wonderful about bungalows: firstly, the garden can be accessed from almost every room, and secondly, they tend to be located in quite generous plots. Just as there's lots of space outside, there's loads of room inside and bags of natural light too, so they're really quite indulgent buildings.

Unfortunately, buying a stylish bungalow is not as simple as it might seem. Those built in the latter half of the 20th century were built cheaply and quickly without a thought for good design. So if you're after a quality build, you'll have to look hard. Another option is to embark upon a self build project. But be warned: given bungalows have such a relatively large footprint, you may struggle to find a plot big enough.

It's less cost effective to build across than to build upwards. Not only do you need to buy a big plot of land, you also have to dig a larger hole for foundations and that's expensive. So it generally costs over 10 per cent more to build a bungalow than a house.