16 October 2025: Nottinghamshire based Gusto Construction has nearly quadrupled the number of bungalows that it has built in the last 10 years, building 82 in the last 5 years up from just 21 between 2015-2019.
This means that bungalows now make up over half (57%) of all houses being built under the Gusto Homes brand, whilst only accounting for 19% between 2015-2019. And the company isn’t slowing down – 15 bungalows are currently under construction on Gusto Construction’s newest development Easthorpe Green, Leicestershire, with more in the pipeline.
The business decided to ramp up its bungalow building in an effort to resolve the severe mismatch between supply and demand which is restricting older people from being able to move into more suitable homes.
Founder and chairman Steff Wright believes that providing accessible, affordable accommodation for over 55’s older people will not only help to reduce pressure on other services by helping to keep them independent for longer but will also add fluidity to the market, releasing larger homes for families to move into.
According to research, 5 million older people would like to make their next move to a bungalow but there are only an estimated 2.5 million bungalows in the UK, and supply is dwindling. NHBC figures reveal that bungalows accounted for 11% of new homes in 1990, falling to just 1% in 2024, as developers have increasingly prioritised higher-density housing.
Wright commented: “Developers typically avoid bungalows due to the reduced return per square metre – they require more land per home and the building costs are higher, therefore they need to be sold at a premium. Having seen the high demand for bungalows locally we decided to find a way to make it work commercially and to meet the needs of an ever-growing percentage of the population. We’ve shown that it’s possible and we hope to see others follow suit.”
To make the bungalows commercially viable, the company has taken an innovative approach – using smaller pieces of land with communal areas in order to be as efficient with land as possible. It has also been keen to make the bungalows affordable for residents – keeping energy costs at a minimum by building homes to a high energy and environmental performance standard, in-line with the AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building) standard.
He says: “Right now the lack of bungalows is seriously stifling the market and leaving older people in homes better suited to another demographic. Making sure that people are in the homes most suitable for them or ‘right sizing’, will not only make a significance difference to flow of stock but also to the housing crisis, by helping to ensure that homes are actually full.”
“But there is also a quality-of-life argument” Wright continues, “Ultimately, we want older people to be independent for as long as possible and therefore being in a house that is accessible and comfortable for them is crucial. But we also want people to feel supported by those around them, which is why we have chosen to build bungalows in a way that allows for community and connection, rather than as isolated homes.”
At its Collingham Brook development, where Gusto Construction recently delivered 60 bungalows, the homes form part of an over-55s community with a communal lounge and easy access to cafés and other local amenities. This creates the sense of community and lifestyle that many in this demographic are looking for and is something it is keen to replicate in future developments.
Wright believes that developers need to be doing far more to meet the rising demand for bungalows which is only going to worsen, by innovating and finding new ways to create older-adult communities.
Wright says: “It’s crucial that developers build homes suitable for all demographics and as an industry, we need to look at value in different terms; designing houses that are appealing to live in, with the wider community and planet in mind.”
16 October 2025: Nottinghamshire based Gusto Construction has nearly quadrupled the number of bungalows that it has built in the last 10 years, building 82 in the last 5 years up from just 21 between 2015-2019.
This means that bungalows now make up over half (57%) of all houses being built under the Gusto Homes brand, whilst only accounting for 19% between 2015-2019. And the company isn’t slowing down – 15 bungalows are currently under construction on Gusto Construction’s newest development Easthorpe Green, Leicestershire, with more in the pipeline.
The business decided to ramp up its bungalow building in an effort to resolve the severe mismatch between supply and demand which is restricting older people from being able to move into more suitable homes.
Founder and chairman Steff Wright believes that providing accessible, affordable accommodation for over 55’s older people will not only help to reduce pressure on other services by helping to keep them independent for longer but will also add fluidity to the market, releasing larger homes for families to move into.
According to research, 5 million older people would like to make their next move to a bungalow but there are only an estimated 2.5 million bungalows in the UK, and supply is dwindling. NHBC figures reveal that bungalows accounted for 11% of new homes in 1990, falling to just 1% in 2024, as developers have increasingly prioritised higher-density housing.
Wright commented: “Developers typically avoid bungalows due to the reduced return per square metre – they require more land per home and the building costs are higher, therefore they need to be sold at a premium. Having seen the high demand for bungalows locally we decided to find a way to make it work commercially and to meet the needs of an ever-growing percentage of the population. We’ve shown that it’s possible and we hope to see others follow suit.”
To make the bungalows commercially viable, the company has taken an innovative approach – using smaller pieces of land with communal areas in order to be as efficient with land as possible. It has also been keen to make the bungalows affordable for residents – keeping energy costs at a minimum by building homes to a high energy and environmental performance standard, in-line with the AECB (Association for Environment Conscious Building) standard.
He says: “Right now the lack of bungalows is seriously stifling the market and leaving older people in homes better suited to another demographic. Making sure that people are in the homes most suitable for them or ‘right sizing’, will not only make a significance difference to flow of stock but also to the housing crisis, by helping to ensure that homes are actually full.”
“But there is also a quality-of-life argument” Wright continues, “Ultimately, we want older people to be independent for as long as possible and therefore being in a house that is accessible and comfortable for them is crucial. But we also want people to feel supported by those around them, which is why we have chosen to build bungalows in a way that allows for community and connection, rather than as isolated homes.”
At its Collingham Brook development, where Gusto Construction recently delivered 60 bungalows, the homes form part of an over-55s community with a communal lounge and easy access to cafés and other local amenities. This creates the sense of community and lifestyle that many in this demographic are looking for and is something it is keen to replicate in future developments.
Wright believes that developers need to be doing far more to meet the rising demand for bungalows which is only going to worsen, by innovating and finding new ways to create older-adult communities.
Wright says: “It’s crucial that developers build homes suitable for all demographics and as an industry, we need to look at value in different terms; designing houses that are appealing to live in, with the wider community and planet in mind.”