Lone bungalow sits between two mega-mansions on Surrey’s millionaire’s row

A single-storey bungalow on Surrey’s so-called millionaire’s row sits between two enormous mansions, a rarity in a street lined with multi-million-pound estates. David and Jo Willsher, both 77, have called the home their own for a quarter of a century. They told the Daily Mail that the only way they would consider leaving would be if carried away by ‘men in the white coats’ or in a ‘wooden overcoat.’ The couple bought the property for less than £1 million, a bargain next to the neighboring mansions, and they say the contrast is part of what keeps them rooted on the street.

On one side is a mock-Tudor manor with a swimming pool and a Juliet balcony overlooking one of Britain’s finest 18-hole parkland golf courses. On the other is a large, ongoing rebuild thought to be for a former Premier League footballer, a project that embodies the ever-changing skyline of Surrey’s luxury enclave. The Willshers noted that, over the 25 years they have lived there, developers have repeatedly knocked down and rebuilt nearby properties, transforming a quiet cul-de-sac into a showroom of bespoke architecture. The presence of newer, larger homes has become the rule rather than the exception as generations of wealth pass through the area.

Across the street, the contrast is stark: opposite the Willshers’ home sits a five-bedroom mansion with a Romeo and Juliet balcony, a manicured garden and an indoor pool. The house is complete with its own set of luxury amenities and, as described by builders, a former Premier League midfielder is connected to the project. In the opposite driveway, four supercars are parked in a display that underlines the street’s gallery of wealth. A Bentley Continental, a Ferrari Purosangue, a Porsche Cayenne and a Rolls-Royce Spectre sit in a row, their combined value eclipsing the Willshers’ bungalow.

The cars carry personalised number plates valued at about £33,000 in total, a detail that serves as a reminder of the bespoke nature of the neighborhood. The Willshers told the Daily Mail that they are, in their words, the ‘poorest, smallest house in the road,’ and they maintain a sense of humor about their position amid the opulence. David recalled moving in when the area was less densely built up: ‘When we moved in here, there was another bungalow next door. The new build next door, two and a half years ago, that was a bungalow. If you go further down, the next two, which are quite futuristic, [with] strange roofs, that was also a bungalow, but a builder bought that and put two gin palaces in 11 or 12 years ago.’

David and Jo bought their home for under £1 million, a fraction of the price tags tied to the neighbouring properties. He described a street where architectural styles vary widely because each home has been tailored to the owner’s taste, noting that ‘identikit’ gin-palace designs are increasingly the norm among the newer builds. The couple said they have a long-standing, cordial relationship with their closest neighbors, and one neighbor who recently completed a build introduced himself and tried to minimize disruption during construction. Still, the daily reality of living among constant development is not without friction. A security guard who patrols the area said the road is never dull and that residents are generally polite, though the ongoing building projects impose a sense of disruption on a regular basis.

The security perimeter around Surrey’s luxury pads is tight. The estate is protected by a top security firm that patrols with guard dogs and responds to break-ins within two minutes, according to the company. The guard said the constant construction is a nightmare for those living on the street, and several neighbors have complained about the nuisance of ongoing upgrades. Yet the security presence, they say, also provides a layer of deterrence that is valued in an area where high-net-worth households are frequent targets.

For the Willsher family, the social dynamics of millionaire’s row are as much a part of daily life as the weather. They described a quiet, well-organized community where residents tend to keep to themselves but are generally law-abiding and courteous. The owner of a nearby property, described by builders as a well-known former Premier League footballer, has worked to minimize disruption for neighbors, according to those on site, and the couple said they still enjoy the location’s amenities and the social scene that comes with the street’s exclusivity.

The emergence of this bungalow amid such wealth offers a microcosm of a broader housing trend in the United Kingdom. While bungalows are relatively rare in many parts of the country, the UK’s housing market has historically prioritized larger, multi-storey homes on valuable plots. In 2019/20, UK housing data show only 1,833 bungalows were built, accounting for about 1% of the total homes constructed in that period. The scarcity underscores why many buyers regard bungalows as a niche but increasingly attractive option, particularly among younger buyers seeking single-storey layouts and potential energy efficiencies.

East Lindsey, Lincolnshire, for example, contains a sizable share of Britain’s bungalows, illustrating the regional variation in housing type distribution. In recent years, interest in single-storey homes has rebounded as buyers seek different configurations and opportunities to maximize land use. Reflecting a wider social shift, Confused.com Mortgages reports that internet searches for single-storey properties have risen by 53% over the past two decades. Social media has amplified the bungalow trend, with hundreds of millions of views on TikTok and thousands of Instagram posts tagged #bungalowrenovation, signaling renewed interest in one-floor living and modern renovations.

The Surrey case exemplifies how wealth concentration can redefine street profiles, even in a country where planning restrictions and community sentiment often influence development pace. On the Willshers’ block, the contrast between the lone bungalow and its mega-mansions has become a symbol of the era’s architectural experimentation and economic stratification. While the couple maintains that they have no plans to move, their story reflects a broader question: how long can a single modest home endure on a street built around ever-taller ambitions and ever-livelier construction schedules?