Consumer E-Newsletter - 09/29/2006 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
Buying in a Soft Housing Market
The Advantages Are With YOU: The Economics of a Buyer's Market
Lower Your Home Heating and Energy Costs in Time for Fall
Loving Your Leaves: Prepping Your Garden for Fall
Time to Tailgate in Your New Media Room
Want to Think Green? Download This Great Guide!
Bungalows: All the Rage
Quick Remodeling Tips to Open Up Your Kitchen
How Bright is Your Future?
Free, Award-Winning Educational Tool for Teachers
Did You Know?
Inside the Homeowner's Mind...Tell Us What You Think!
Subscribe to NAHB HouseKeys Today!

Bungalows: All the Rage

In the early 1900s, a new style of single-family home called the bungalow caught the interest of American home builders and buyers. The bungalow was both simple and practical, and quickly became popular among middle-class Americans. Today, bungalows are seeing a revival, and the classic style is once again in demand. In fact, according to John Brinkmann, publisher of American Bungalow Magazine, the demand is nothing short of a “national rage.”

First seen in the early 1900s, bungalows are experiencing a national revival.

It is not hard to see the appeal of the bungalow to early 20th century families — and to today’s homebuyers. Some costing as little as $900 in the early 1900s, bungalows gave many Americans the chance to own their own home equipped with modern conveniences. Nestled on cozy lots in established neighborhoods, today some of these homes can fetch upwards of $500,000 in sought-after inner suburbs of major American cities.

The word bungalow, derived from the Hindi word “Bengal,” literally means a house built in the Bengal style. In the 19th Century, British visitors to the Bengal region of India saw small one-story huts and adopted the style for colonial retreats and compounds outside Indian cities. Early English designers clustered dining rooms, bedrooms, kitchens and bathrooms around a central room, forming the basis for the modern bungalow. The style eventually made its way to England, and then to the United States.

In a traditional American bungalow, the English style remains evident. The first U.S. home called a bungalow was built in 1879 at Monument Beach on Cape Cod. It was not a true bungalow because it was a two-story home. Most likely, it was the resort-style architecture that earned it the name.

For builders, the bungalow was an easy construction project, with just one story and utilities easily installed. The foundation of a bungalow is often a simple rectangle; however, just about any footprint works. A true bungalow is distinctive because of its low profile.

The generally horizontal house type is usually built on a raised foundation. Popular siding on bungalows includes brick, shingles, clapboard, and wood.

A low-pitched roof and a front porch are essential to a bungalow, as is a fireplace. The fireplace is often framed by symmetrical bookshelves and is generally found in the living room. Dark wood is also common in bungalows, as are built-in cabinets. Structural simplicity is key.

A fireplace, as well as a low-pitched roof and a front porch, is an essential characteristic found in bungalows.
The bungalow style quickly spread across the country. Brinkman notes that cities that experienced major growth in the 1910s and 1920s often have many bungalow neighborhoods. The style took on a new look in California, where they were popular choices for small lots in growing suburbs. While similar in style to a traditional bungalow, the California Bungalow is generally 1.5 stories. A California Bungalow is never clad in brick, unlike in other areas of the United States such as Chicago, where brick is commonplace. Other cities with many bungalows include Seattle, Denver, and Tampa. New Jersey also has quite a few bungalows throughout the state.

Today’s home buyers find that the bungalows built early in the last century are generally very structurally sound, making them excellent candidates for remodeling. Common additions to bungalows include larger kitchens and more bedrooms. According to Brinkman, it is increasingly popular to add a second story. One benefit of “adding" up instead of out is that the home retains its yard space.

Families buying these homes today find that fire safety is a natural feature of traditional one-story bungalows, as all windows and doors offer an easy escape route. Bungalows also can be a good choice for older homeowners who find that stairs limit their mobility.

Home builders also are tuning in to the bungalow revival. With their honest and homey feel, bungalows are visually appealing and use space efficiently, says Brinkman.

Christian Gladu, owner of The Bungalow Company in Bend, Ore., suggests another reason for the renewed popularity of bungalows is that they fit well in existing neighborhoods. “New planning,” as he calls it, often centers on long, skinny lots in previously developed neighborhoods where space is at a premium. A bungalow can fit very nicely on this type of lot.

Whether you are considering remodeling or adding on to an older bungalow, or if a brand-new bungalow-style home is more to your liking, contact your local home builders association for more information on contractors in your area who specialize in this charming American home style.