BUNGALOWS are among Bolton's most popular properties, according to developers.

Demand for the dwellings, which have an old-fashioned image, is booming.

And property firms say it is due to an increase in the number of people nearing retirement age.

There have also been increased reports of middle-aged couples buying the properties with a view to settling down before their health deteriorates.

Barbara McWhinnie at Bellway Homes, which plans to build bungalows at its Sandfield Park, Crompton Way site, said: "At the moment, everyone and their grandparents seem to want a bungalow.

"People are looking to the future and how they will grow old. As soon as their children leave home, we are seeing people in their 50's coming in their droves to ask about bungalows.

"We recently had two which came onto the market and they were gone within an hour. The dwellings have been considered outdated in recent years due to increases in the price of land. They were seen as being uneconomical when developers discovered they could make higher returns on a townhouse with three storeys.

Bungalows were recently voted the most sought after housing in England, as there are not many in existence compared to other properties. Most bungalows were built between the 1930s and 1970s.