Bungalow vs Semi-Bungalow: What They Mean in Alberta

"Bungalow." "Semi-bungalow." "1.5 storey." Scroll Edmonton MLS® listings and you will see all three terms on houses that look almost the same from the street. In Alberta real estate, these words describe the roofline, not the lot size or price, and knowing the difference helps you filter listings and understand why homes with the same total space carry different price tags.

What "Bungalow" Means on Alberta MLS® Listings

On an Alberta MLS® listing, "Bungalow" is a style field, not a marketing word. It means one storey: kitchen, living room, bedrooms, and bathrooms all on the main floor, with no stairs to another level. Most Edmonton bungalows also sit over a full basement, often finished, sometimes with a secondary suite, though that basement never counts as a storey.

Elsewhere, the word means something different. "Bungalow" comes from the Hindi "bangla," or "of Bengal," a term British colonists in India adopted for simple one-storey local houses, rarely with a basement. In Edmonton, the basement is standard.

Semi-Bungalow, 1.5 Storey, Storey-and-a-Half: Same House, Three Names

These three terms describe one style: a main floor like a bungalow, plus a partial upper floor built inside the roof space. That upper floor brings "knee walls," short walls, usually three to four feet tall, where the ceiling starts sloping with the roofline. Furniture is awkward there, so builders tuck closets into the low space behind it. Dormers push the roofline out for extra headroom and light.

This is classic Edmonton stock, built as wartime housing in the 1940s and through the 1950s boom in neighbourhoods like Parkallen and McKernan. The half-storey let builders add bedrooms upstairs without the cost of a full second floor, keeping these homes affordable.

Bungalow vs Bi-Level vs Two-Storey

A bungalow puts everything on one level over a basement fully below grade. A bi-level (sometimes called a raised ranch) splits the entry between two half-levels, raising the basement partly above grade for real windows. A two-storey stacks two full levels. All three can share a similar footprint, but the above-grade living space differs a lot.

Why Bungalows Often Cost More Per Square Foot

Bungalows carry a premium per square foot in Edmonton. Buyers planning to age in place want no stairs between bedroom and kitchen, pushing up prices on single-level homes. Bungalows also sit on wider, older lots in mature neighbourhoods close to the core, adding land and infill value.

A measurement quirk plays in too. RMS (Residential Measurement Standard) counts only finished space above grade, so a bungalow's basement never counts toward its total, even fully finished, while a two-storey's upper floor does. A 2,400-square-foot bungalow (1,200 main plus 1,200 basement) can show as "1,200 sq ft" on MLS®, next to a two-storey showing "2,000 sq ft" with less total finished space. Our guide to RMS measurement in Alberta breaks this down.

Bungalows in established neighbourhoods often sell above the citywide median once you adjust for their smaller RMS footprint.

What About Raised Bungalows?

A raised bungalow still shows "Bungalow" in the style field, but its basement sits partly above grade. That means bigger windows, more light, and sometimes a walkout, without changing the home's single-storey classification.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a bungalow? In Alberta, a bungalow is a single-storey house with all living space on one main floor, usually over a full basement.

What does semi-bungalow mean? A semi-bungalow has a main floor plus a partial upper level built into the roof space, with sloped knee-wall ceilings. It is the same style as a 1.5 storey or storey-and-a-half house.

What is a 1.5 storey house? A 1.5 storey house has a full main floor and a half upper floor under the roofline, with dormers and knee walls upstairs. It is the same design as a semi-bungalow.

Is a bungalow a detached house? Most Edmonton bungalows are detached, but "bungalow" describes storey count, not lot or ownership type. See our guide on what counts as a detached house for the full breakdown.

Why are bungalows more expensive per square foot in Edmonton? Bungalows attract buyers avoiding stairs and sit on wider, mature lots with infill potential. Their RMS footage also excludes the basement, which can inflate the price per square foot next to a similar two-storey.

Ready to look? Browse bungalows for sale in Edmonton, check recently sold prices, or get a free home value estimate. A local REALTOR® can walk you through comparables for your neighbourhood.

Sources: live Edmonton MLS® data (July 2026); Wikipedia (bungalow etymology).