Heritage buffs may shudder at the word bungalow but real people like to live in them. Sales of small, single-storey houses are brisk, according to Dublin estate agents who say that bungalows are the ideal alternative to apartment living for those who want their own front door and a garden.

While the countryside is strewn with unimaginative, single-storey houses built from standard plans, cities have more to offer in bungalow design, particularly in affluent suburbs such as Clontarf, Dundrum or Foxrock where hundreds of bungalows were built in the pre and post-war era as affordable housing.

Dublin buyers are snapping up these compact homes as fast as they come on the market. They don't usually come with tall ceilings and period features, but they do have several advantages. Many bungalows built in the last 50 years are on generous sites, allowing plenty of scope for extending. They are just ideal for people who enjoy gardening more than keeping house.

Small, single-storey houses suit a range of buyers who have become particularly active in the market in recent years - first-time buyers, couples trading down from larger, more expensive homes, single or separated people seeking a small home with privacy and a garden, and those who simply want an easy to run home that is all on one level.

Estate agents in suburban areas such as Foxrock, Greystones, Dundrum and Clontarf - where there is a good selection of bungalows - find that they get sold fast, regardless of condition.

"Clontarf bungalows are extraordinarily popular because of the amount of ground that they tend to occupy," according to Paul Menton, in Gunne Residential's Fairview office. He currently has just one Clontarf bungalow on his books, a four-bedroom house with a large garden at 51 Kincora Road, that is for sale at £520,000.

In Glenageary, Co Dublin Sherry FitzGerald is seeking offers in excess of £420,000 for Dove Cottage, a detached bungalow on a third of an acre off Lower Glenageary Road, that is for sale by private treaty. The house has two bedrooms - one of them en suite - and two reception rooms.

A narrow road leading to Dove Cottage gives it a sense of privacy as does the belt of trees surrounding the house. High timber gates open into the gardens surrounding the house.

Built in 1970, the 1,220 sq ft house has been totally refurbished in a bright, feminine style. Large, plate-glass windows make for a great deal of light and good garden views. The living room, in particular, benefits, with both a window and double glass door to the garden. A white, marble fireplace and pastel walls further ensure the light, bright effect. New owners might prefer to use the current family room, which is between the living room and kitchen, as a dining room.

The kitchen/breakfastroom is a long room stylishly decorated with terracotta walls and a floor of black and white mosaic tiles. Off the entrance hallway there is a shower room, lavatory and hot-press.

The largest of the bedrooms has an en suite bathroom and mirrored fitted wardrobes, as well as a fitted chest-of-drawers. In Dundrum, Robin Palmer of Gunne Residential expects keen interest in a two-bedroom semidetached bungalow in a cul-de-sac off Barton Road East that is for sale by private treaty at £195,000-plus. 15 Willowgate, at Beechlawn, Meadowbrook is a compact house that will appeal to house-hunters seeking a home in walk-in condition.

Built in 1998, it is one of 15 homes in a quiet location a few minute's walk from the shops.

With an overall floor area of 765 square feet, the house is similar in feel to an apartment. There is a good-size livingroom with a period style fireplace fitted with a coal-effect gas fire. Larger still is the kitchen/breakfastroom, a long room with the working kitchen at one end and the diningroom at the other. Sleek beech kitchen units give a contemporary feel, as does the terracotta tiled floor. A patio door opens onto a passageway leading to the 45-foot garden.

Both bedrooms are doubles and both have good fitted wardrobes. They share a bathroom with a ceramic tiled floor.

Fitted carpets and curtains will be included in the sale.