Downsizers are abandoning their plans to move after finding they can’t locate a suitable new home.

More than a third of potential sellers in the 55+ age group say they want a bungalow, but are unable to find one, according to the HomeOwners Alliance.

Just 1%

Only 1% of new homes are bungalows as developers turn away from building them. They made up 11% of new homes in 1990, NHBC data shows.

Now, the HomeOwners Alliance is campaigning to ‘Bring Back the Bungalow’, as figures show that 1.2 million people, or one in seven of the older age group, dropped their moving plans.

Other reasons for the change of heart include the stress and upheaval involved, and a reluctance to leave their community behind, which are bigger factors than for younger people.

Feel stuck

Paula Higgins, CEO at the HomeOwners Alliance, says: “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.

There is a huge demand for bungalows but hardly any get built anymore.”

“There is a huge demand for bungalows but hardly any get built anymore,” she says.

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

“No one wants to make their life more stressful, and as we age the prospect of a house move can be overwhelming.”

Chronic shortage

Nick Sanderson, CEO of retirement village firm Audley Group, says: “There is a chronic shortage of all types of age-specific properties in our housing market.

“Only 8,000 units are expected to be completed this year, a number dwarfed by the 50,000 needed to meet our shifting demographics.”

Demand for bungalows soars, but they account for just one in 10 home sales