Semi-detached bungalow

A semi-detached bungalow is one half of a pair of single-storey houses built side by side and joined by a shared wall, often called a party wall. Each half usually mirrors the other, with its own entrance, sitting room, kitchen and bedrooms.

Layout. The shared wall normally runs along the side with the fewest windows, so the living room faces the front and the bedrooms face the open side or the back. Each half usually has its own small compound, parking and gate, although some pairs share one gate and driveway.

How the plot is used. Developers and private owners build pairs to fit two homes on land that would otherwise hold one detached house. The two halves may stand on one plot under one title, or on a plot that has been split and documented separately. That detail matters when you buy, because it decides what you actually own and how easily you can sell it later.

Who it suits. Small families and first-time buyers who want a house rather than a flat but cannot stretch to a detached one, and landlords who want two lettable homes from one plot. A common pattern is an owner who lives in one half and lets the other.

Living next to a neighbour. You share a wall and usually a roof line, so noise, leaks and repairs on one side can affect the other. Water tanks, gutters and drains often sit close to the boundary. Agree in writing who looks after the shared parts and how costs are split.

Cost compared with other types. A semi-detached bungalow usually costs less than a detached bungalow in the same area, because the land and one wall are shared between two homes. It usually costs more than a terraced bungalow, which shares walls on both sides and uses even less land.