The Ultimate Guide to Renovating Your Bungalow: From Budgeting to Design

Renovating a bungalow?

The potential that lies ahead with your style of property is insane – we’re so excited for you!

There are many articles for bungalow renovations out there but none show you a step-by-step of how to take your new bungalow and manage the renovation from start to finish.

But in this guide, we’ll be showing you how to renovate a bungalow from start to finish.

Neil and I will demystify the whole process. From working out your budgets to figuring out the right layout and design ideas.

We’ll even be throwing in a brief history of your new home which will open the floodgates for your bungalow renovation ideas.

We need to be upfront though.

One thing this guide won’t discuss in detail is your possible bungalow renovation costs.

But don’t worry!

If you need help to figure out what your costs will be then we recommend downloading our entire costs & our free renovation guide which is where other UK renovators are accessing a full breakdown of our renovation costs and the average renovation costs in our community today.

By the way, a big hello if you’re new here!

We’re Fi & Neil! And we’ve been right where you are.

Fi is an interior designer specialising in affordable renovations.

But back in 2016, before training, we completely gutted our own house, making some costly mistakes along the way!

Renovating is hard, even if you’re experienced.

So we set out on a mission to help new renovators prevent mistakes and achieve wow results!

Be sure to also check out our property renovation course to connect with other bungalow renovators and access a tried and tested framework to approach your reno.

Now, what we’ll cover in this guide:

The one mistake to avoid – Don’t hire an architect TOO soon ❌
Renovating a bungalow – A Brief History
Renovating a bungalow – What to look out for
Renovating a bungalow – Where to start
Budgeting for bungalow renovations
Layouts for your bungalow renovation
Designing your bungalow
Planning your bungalow renovation
Shopping for your bungalow renovation
The Build
Getting support with your renovation

Let’s kick this article off in style, much to our embarrassment, by looking at a mistake that cost us thousands of pounds back when we were doing our first-ever renovation project in 2016 🤯

We’ve made some mistakes in the past. Believe me, you won’t want to miss this.

First up, when renovating a bungalow – don’t make this mistake

Before we jump in and discuss how to renovate a bungalow step by step, we’ve got something a little bit concerning to share.

This mistake cost Neil and I £3.5K 🥴 but don’t worry – you can prevent it happening.

Before I trained to be an interior designer, we were new renovators just like you.

We took on our first renovation (a 1930s renovation) terrified of costs spiralling and that we’d make expensive mistakes we regretted.

Neil and I originally had big plans to construct a large rear extension – and called in an architect straight off the bat. It’s the first place to start, right? ….errr…. wrong!

Don’t start your project with an architect, if you aren’t 100% certain you can afford the structural work you want to make.

Quotes from contractors came back and we were floored. We had to make a last minute decision to ditch tear up those architect plans that cost us £3,500 and ditch our extension dreams.

The silver lining? It saved us nearly £80,000 in work which we used to complete the whole house renovation – and we’re every bit as happy with the results.

Our naivety had us instructing an architect too soon. And it’s insanely common for this to happen to newbies like us.

We don’t want this mistake happening to you and your Bungalow project.

There’s a simple method to prepare before you hire an architect (if you need one at all) that will help you renovate the right way and avoid expensive hiccups.

When you finish reading this step by step bungalow renovation guide, a great place to start is by joining our Renovating a Bungalow email series where we discuss this in loads more detail. Plus, I share my advice on budgeting and saving money (it’s a completely free email series).

Renovating a bungalow – a brief history

This style of house dates back to the 19th century, but a vast amount of UK bungalows were built post WW2 in the 1950s, and again in the 1970s.

The term “bungalow” actually originated in India referring to “bengal style houses” which were typically single-storey, small, detached with wide space around its perimeter.

John Taylor was the first British architect to build bungalows in Kent, UK where a passing journalist commented “they look like bungalow/bengal style houses” and the name stuck. Bungalows back then became associated with bohemianism and were built and bought by aspiring middle class looking for holiday homes. More recently, 1950s and 1970s bungalows were built in direct response to the need for fast, affordable housing post WW2.

Are bungalows a good renovation investment?

Honestly? We couldn’t have phrased it better than Jo, one of our renovation student’s based in the South East who has just bought a bungalow renovation. She told us:

“We are a typical family looking to create a great family space that works for us all. Our type of bungalow renovation is one that is being done more and more (just look at the amount of Insta accounts with bungalows in them!) but still I need the inspiration and design ideas to ensure we get our perfect home. It’s all very daunting and having some guidance would really help and reassure us along the way :-)”

Jo joined our free guide to master her bungalow renovation planning and it helped her understand how to budget for her project and what the typical order of events will be.

Bungalows are pretty homes with fairly spacious plots. A lot of emphasis is on the gardens front and back, normally a garage/drive (or the space to add this) and sometimes the potential to add a second floor (loft space permitting).

Are they a good renovation investment?
Well, it depends on your use for the property i.e whether you’re renovating it to flip, to let, or if you’re renovating it as a spacious, long-term family home. If the latter, bungalows are future-proof with so much room to extend and add to the house as your needs change. Normally having no stairs, bungalow renovations are especially perfect for older renovators or anyone planning to live in the property long into retirement if you choose to keep it single storey.

What we will say is, bungalow renovations can be less “straight forward” than your average, say, Edwardian renovation, simply because the rooms and overall layout tend to be squeezed in to a smaller footprint and on one level. Bungalow renovators need to work that bit harder to establish a good sense of “flow” to their property, utilising the external walls and perimeter of the building, as well as skylights and Velux windows to bring in natural light, but once you get it right, wow are they amazing, spacious family homes.

The ceiling price on bungalows tends to be lower, so care will be needed in establishing top-end of budgets. That said, of all the British house styles, bungalows have significant transformation potential inside and out, and they make exciting renovation projects. Many homeowners choose to remodel the whole face of the building as well as the interiors, building a work of art!

In the next section - not before the obvious plug for my frankly awesome renovation course - I’ll talk about the pitfalls and perils of bungalow renovation and how to slip past them all, Indiana Jones style.

It's Time to Master Your Bungalow Renovation

Need a helping hand with your bungalow renovation? We're here to help you with our FREE email series: A Survivor's Guide to Renovating.

A complete roadmap to help you navigate the world of bungalow renovations and empower you to create a stunning home.

By signing up for our Survivor's Guide, you'll unlock the following benefits:

• Expert design advice: Eliminate confusion as we guide you through planning, budgeting, and design for your bungalow makeover.

• Money-saving tips: Discover secrets to avoid costly mistakes and optimise your investment in your bungalow renovation project.

• Stress-free transformation: Master bungalow renovations, turning a potentially daunting experience into a smooth, enjoyable journey.

Don't let the fear of tackling your bungalow renovation hold you back any longer.

Sign up for our FREE Survivor's Guide to Renovating course today and unlock the secrets to a triumphant transformation and so much more!

Renovating a bungalow – what to look out for

No matter what style of house you renovate, all can inevitably expose some potential issues. On top of the usually things to look for when buying a house to renovate, there are some which are specific to renovating a bungalow…

1. Condensation

   This can be an ongoing issue in some bungalows. With rooms often being small, and many people living in the property at once, condensation/vapour can find it difficult to escape and patches of mould on walls can occur which is fixable. Experts advise to heat the property through winter to tackle this. Read about how we solved our condensation problems for more info. If you’re renovating a bungalow and moving windows/airbricks, be sure to seek expert advice as you don’t want to encourage damp.

2. Cowboy DIY work

   It’s fairly common to have to correct cowboy DIY jobs if you’re renovating a bungalow, where over the years in a bid to improve or split rooms to create more space for families, budget DIY work was the chosen route. You might find stud walls built to split rooms, not leaving any thought to fire escape routes, or the introduction of multiple doors not designed to support load bearing walls. A full structural survey will show you exactly what you’re renovating and the urgent fixes necessary to make the home safe.

3. Roof/leaks

   A big plus of having your house on a single storey is how easy it is to access the roof. Often chimney stacks can leak, and lead flashings need replacing. Check roof tiles and unblock gutters to ensure rainwater is running effectively away from your property. It can be very difficult to inspect roof leaks internally as there can be limited loft space, so keep a good eye on the roof exterior as well as interior to spot leaks/damp issues as they arise.

The next section is what you’ve been waiting for. It’s the main event, where I’ll finally give you an inside look at where to start your renovation. But I warn you, you’ll be surprised where that “start” actually is.

How to renovate a bungalow – where to start?

We renovated our 1930s house developing a tried and tested approach that has now been shared and helped hundreds of other UK renovators working on all house styles from bungalow renovations to Victorian renovations to Edwardian renovations.

The step-by-step to renovate a house is the same no matter what style of home you’re renovating, and below is a brief overview of the steps.

If at all you feel overwhelmed by the sea of information and uncertainty tackling your bungalow renovation, then we urge you to take a look at our online renovation course and community which has helped hundreds of UK renovators budget well and get stunning results.

Budget

Get estimates for your bungalow renovation

The first place to start with your bungalow renovation, is getting clear on your finances. Deep research is needed to establish how much it will be to complete the project within your budget. Call around for quotes, send photographs to trades, and itemise every single cost you know will be associated with updating the building.

Two good rules to always consider at this stage is:

1) Budget any work flagged in your survey first to ensure the property is structurally sound – the most important part of renovating!

2) Set a contingency to cover you for unforeseen issues which inevitably arise (normally +10-20% of the overall project costs).

Our free Survivor’s Guide to Renovating email series is for you if you need help with costing up your project and you’re interested in understanding cost-saving tips we learned along the way.

Layouts

Next, you’ll need to carefully plan the overall layouts and alterations you want to make to the bungalow

It’s all about making informed decisions on how you want to change or adapt to the layout in your bungalow. Decide on any structural changes, lighting and electrical layouts, as well as how you’ll heat each room. Take time on all of this and really ‘sit on’ / ‘live with’ your ideas and decisions before committing to the investment in them.

One of the most common mistakes first time renovators make is not considering their overall layout (how they’ll use the space, where they’ll position the furniture) alongside their electrics plan. If they aren’t planned together, you risk a mediocre design, or having to undo plaster work – which nobody wants! Understanding the timeline of how a typical renovation works helps to prevent mistakes (we include a timeline on Day 3 of the Survivor’s Guide to Renovating and go into much more depth for the more committed renovators who join our renovation online course).

As mentioned earlier in this guide, you need to work a little harder to establish a good sense of flow in a bungalow as they need to achieve a sense of flow having all rooms on one floor.

Some renovators with a more flexible budget choose to work with an interior designer (projects between £50,000–£100,000) or an architect for the larger remodelling that may be required (£100,000+) but many of the house renovators we work with choose to plan layouts themselves first, with our support. You need to constantly think about what is required for a comfortable house that maximises space, light, warmth, so nothing is missed (something our exercises go into great detail on).

Design

The exciting part – designing your bungalow. The colour schemes and overall interior style.

Bungalows are one of the most exciting house styles to design simply because there are no hard and fast rules you need to follow – such as reinstating period features, or having to work with tricky window styles such as angled bay windows.

When you’re considering the design for your bungalow, you’ll want to drill into what speaks to your personal style or the style of the people you intend to let/sell to and remain sympathetic to your house and its location. Opt for colours, materials, furniture and features that collectively create the look you want.

Many bungalow renovations go for modern design to lift the rooms from 50s or 70s back into the modern era but there’s no reason you can’t go for a country or eclectic look. It’s common to see renovators installing bifold doors, skylights and developing the front of their properties to increase natural light and improve kerb appeal.

Plan

Appoint the right contractors, architect and schedule the work

The next stage is to obtain estimates to compare contractors and appoint the right people for your build. Crucially, it’s at this stage you need to recognise whether the people you’re hiring have the skills required for the level of work you need them to do – and that you work together well.

Often, it’s about trying them out on small jobs first, getting reviews from their previous clients, and having good communication skills.

If you’re choosing to do a full remodel of your bungalow, to knock down and replan the internal walls and redo the face of the property then seriously consider an architect to help you make the most of the property and your budget, many will be able to recommend building firms to you.

We have a Planning module dedicated to managing timelines, appointing the right tradesmen and how to make your best judgement in our How to Renovate a House Online Course and we’ve found that our community – the Reno Club, a group of tight knit renovators helping renovators – are always there to lend advice. It’s been such a safe space to ask for help.

Shop

With the layout and design all planned, next you’ll need to research suppliers and arrange delivery for the items you need

This stage of a renovation is by far the most underestimated. Anyone who has previously renovated or decorated a property will tell you, it takes a long time to research and source the right items for your property.

From internal doors, to flooring and tiles, getting the right look at the right price is hard. It can pay to hire an interior designer who knows the industry and can access trade discounts for you. Alternatively, engaging with other bungalow renovators on instagram accounts, our community (the Reno Club) and blogs can help to give you supplier ideas. As an interior designer, Fi’s advice is to try not to copy other homes and work out what look really makes you and your family happy – that’s how you’ll end up with a unique, personal home. Obtaining the best items from rated suppliers is an area we’re working with our students on, and have exclusive discounts to top suppliers they can access, so if you’re interested in this, consider signing up.

Renovate!

Finally, work commences and you’re able to start watching your vision become a reality

While it is an exciting time watching the work start to take place, the secret to its success is all in the planning (the steps above). Managing the dust, the decision-making, the fear of things going wrong, and the finances is all made easier if you’ve meticulously planned every last job and item you need.

4 in 10 renovators can go over budget on their renovation, normally down to a lack of planning. So we encourage you to get the help you need to renovate your bungalow, and there is no doubt it will save you time, money and give you an excellent overall finish.

Wow, that was a lot of bungalow renovation revelations crammed into one space. If you're not revving your engine and ready to renovate after that, I think you're reading the wrong website! Before you shoot off to do your thing, I’ve got a trio of cash-saving tips to tempt you with.

3 tips to make the most of your bungalow renovation

Tip 1 - Consider renovating the loft space

Most UK bungalows have large pitched loft spaces which can make for a fantastic roof dormer of loft conversion. This work can make for a perfect addition to make the most of your renovation. 

Tip 2 - Create an open-plan layout

Bungalows have the benefit from an ease on fire safety requirements due to the ease of escape on a ground floor. This can make knocking through walls and opening up rooms much easier. 

This can provide more light and value to your renovation by creating modern open-plan layouts for rooms such as the kitchen, living and dining spaces. 

Tip 3 - Expose a vaulted ceiling

If a loft conversion doesn’t take your fancy, why not create a high ceiling? By opening the ceiling up to the pitch of the roof, your bungalow renovation can bring a grand, spacious feel to your home. 

Now that we’ve reached the end of this beast of a bungalow article, we’d like to offer you more support on your renovation road trip. Take a look below to get a taste of what I mean.

We’d like to support you!

We’re passionate about helping you learn the renovation ropes so you can turn your dilapidated dwelling into a jaw-dropping, Grand Designs-worthy home that’ll have your nabours scrambling to “keep up with the Joneses.”

Is that something you’d like to make happen? We can help you:

• With our FREE email series, A Survivor’s Guide to Renovating. I did say it’s FREE, right? Plus, it’ll save you money and your sanity. ‘Nuf said, really. Sign me up!

• With our How to Renovate a House Online Course. This is probably - I admit, I am biased - the best home renovation course on earth right now.

• Get 1-on-1 interior design support. Fancy a more personal touch? Who doesn’t, right? Get in touch today, and let’s get your renovation out of the mud and rolling forward!

Happy renovating!

Fifi & Neil

House Renovation Guides

We also have a range of guides to help you get to grips with your renovation:

• How to renovate a house

• How much does it cost to renovate a house

• Victorian house renovation

• Edwardian house renovation

• Georgian house renovation

• 1950s house renovation

• 1960s house renovation