Build bungalows to free up market, says McCarthy & Stone boss

The boss of one of Britain’s biggest housebuilders has called for the return of the bungalow to allow older homeowners to downsize.

McCarthy Stone chief executive John Tonkiss said many retirees are stuck in larger family homes even after their children have left as they have nowhere suitable to move to.

This, he argues, clogs up the housing market and leaves younger and growing families struggling to find somewhere big enough to live.

Writing for the Daily Mail, Tonkiss placed the revival of bungalows at the heart of his solution to ‘unlock’ the UK’s stagnant housing market.

‘Couples rattling around in family-sized houses remain where they are,’ said Tonkiss, whose firm specialises in housing for the elderly. ‘The four-bed property they no longer need is unavailable to the young family that’s desperate for more space. The starter home that family might vacate never reaches the first-time buyer. Chains stall; the market seizes up.’

More than 1.2m over-55s have abandoned plans to move in the past two years with a third saying the lack of suitable properties has put them off entirely, according to a report by the HomeOwners Alliance.

Streets ahead: John Tonkiss has called for the return of the bungalow to allow older homeowners to downsize

The advisory firm Savills has found over-60s own £2.9 trillion worth of housing wealth that is frequently ‘locked up’ in a broken ladder with pensioners having nowhere to move. Tonkiss said bungalows ‘are exactly what millions of people say they want’.

‘Single-storey living is easier to maintain, safer, and helps people remain independent for longer,’ he said.

Bungalows made up 11 per cent of new builds in 1990 but just 1 per cent last year, according to the National House Building Council (NHBC). This figure has not topped 2 per cent since 2010 despite the huge unmet demand. The NHBC reported 5m older people want to move to this type of housing, and 9m pensioners want more built.

Paula Higgins, chief executive of the HomeOwners Alliance, said: ‘Our research shows that too many older homeowners feel stuck in homes that no longer work for them but struggle to find an appropriate alternative

‘With the UK’s rapidly aging population, we hope the Government’s long-promised housing strategy looks at a better range of retirement housing including single-storey solutions.’

Tonkiss noted that housing for those in later life needs to be considered a UK-wide priority that is consistent with how first-time buyers^[1] are treated.

He said: ‘We can unlock vast amounts of under-used stock. Local authorities should be required to assess demand and allocate sites accordingly.’

‘Developers, planners and policymakers can then build homes, including bungalows that meet changing needs, not just demand from first-time buyers.’