Bungalow to Spacious Two Storey Home

20/09/2021

Benefits of bungalows

Bungalows are often an affordable alternative for first-time buyers in the South West. Bungalows are perfect for residents who need their homes to be accessible. One storey homes are ideal for disabled residents, elderly residents, young families, and pets. Beautiful homes all over the world are bungalow-style and open, one storey designs can feel modern and spacious. One-storey builds are also often easier to maintain and keep clean and tidy. The garden area attached to bungalows is also often more generous, making them highly desirable and valuable properties.

Loft conversions for your bungalow

However, not only are bungalows an affordable and desirable option, but they are also hugely versatile. Need more space in your bungalow? Why not consider a loft conversion? Bungalows often come with loft spaces, ordinarily used for storage. Bungalows built in the earlier part of the 20th Century have high, roomy attics, and strong, load-bearing walls. Steeply pitched roofs will also give you a good amount of headroom, meaning that you can install Velux windows, rather than building Dormer windows, which are a little more costly.

You can read more about the benefits of loft conversions in our article.

What could a loft conversion do for your bungalow?

Loft conversions can be used as a home office, a guest suite, an extra bedroom, granny annexe, Air B n B, children’s play area, or to give teenagers and grown-up children some space of their own.

We all know that land in the South West is highly sought after, and so extending your bungalow upwards, rather than outwards, reduces the use of more land, and is better for local ecologies and wildlife. Loft conversions in bungalows save land, saves you money, increases the value of your property and gives you the extra space you need.

Our St Minver Bungalow Loft Conversion Project

Hysmark converted this cosy, one-bedroom bungalow in St Minver, Wadebridge into a spacious house. We dismantled the roof and raised it to increase the headroom required for the extra floor. We then covered the roof with striking and durable Brazilian slate and installed Velux skylights to give the loft space an airy, bright, light atmosphere.

But we weren’t done there.

We built a balcony out from the loft conversion, which was made accessible by French doors from the second floor. Building a balcony with French doors immediately extended the upstairs living space, and opened it up to the landscape outside. The large glass panels brought the natural world outside into the light and airy loft conversion. The outdoor balcony area could be used for candle-lit meals, or early morning coffees, or reading a good book in the Cornish sunshine, or as extra garden space, by arranging plant pots… Balconies are a lovely, liminal space, between outdoors and indoors. And why not erect a canopy over a balcony for shade or rain protection?

Within the loft itself, we also created bespoke inbuilt shelving and installed a new bathroom. Making a room ensuite means that the floor is suitable for visitors, grown-up children or paying Air B n B guests (or just saves you that chilly trip to the bathroom in the middle of the night!)

Outside the house, we completely relandscaped the garden, giving easier access to the house, and blending the outdoor area with the beautiful indoor living space.

The St Minver project resulted in a cosy, spacious property, that offered stunning views, open and airy rooms and bespoke details that really made the place feel like home. We were so proud and honoured to work on such a beautiful build.

 

Further reading and resources:

https://www.bespokelofts.co.uk/latest-loft-conversion-news/125/everything-you-need-to-know-about-bungalow-loft-coversions.html

https://www.empirecommunities.com/blog/advantages-of-bungalow-living/

Loft Conversions in Cornwall