Remember the old riddle? ‘When is a door, not a door?’ Answer, ‘When it’s ajar’ (A jar). Well I’ve got a new one for you. When is a bungalow, not a bungalow?

I’m conscious of the fact that I keep referring to our new home as a ‘1930’s bungalow’. This is because that is the description used by the agent, and also because it has everything on the ground floor that you need to sustain a comfortable lifestyle.

However, I’m also conscious of the fact that it has 2, perfectly good, perfectly big upstairs rooms that, if it weren’t for the fact that they can only be accessed by means of a step ladder, (see photo below) would be referred to as bedrooms.

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Indeed, it is our intention to install a staircase and use them as bedrooms, which prompted the discussion as to whether we will be living in a bungalow or a house when we move in.

There is no doubt that the property was built originally with a proper staircase, as we can see remnants of where it used to be. So does that mean it is, and always has been, a house?

At this point the terms ‘chalet’ and ‘lodge’ were added to the mix.

For me a ‘chalet’ conjures up images of Alpine meadows and goat herds or seaside beach huts painted in bright colours. The common denominator for both of these being the fact they are generally built of wood.

Then there is the spectre of the 1980’s ‘chalet bungalow’, not exactly a landmark design in the rich history of British architecture!

As for a ‘lodge’. That makes me think of where beavers live, the Freemasons, or a house at the gates of a large mansion or graveyard!

So there we are. When is a bungalow not a bungalow? What do you think?

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