Static caravan purchase is it worth buying

Don't do it if you have any doubts and only after your have read all the small print regarding siting terms and conditions particularly if the annual site licence fee review clause is linked to inflation plus a percentage on top. The licence fee and site regulations often make it very difficult to transfer ownership for it's ' market value' if you change your mind afterwards. I know someone who bought one on a site from the site owner but then couldn't sell it for anything like she paid for it when she realised it was not for her. She ended up selling it back to the site owner for a pittance, who then sold it one again to another unsuspecting impulse buyer.

The site owners normally ake a commission out of any proceeds when ownership transfers. There's usually an option to remove the Mobile home and sell it off site, but buyers of off site mobile homes are limited, usually only people building own houses and who want cheap alternative temporary accommodation not necessarily top of range .

Rent one first and go to the same site for several trips at different times of the year to see it it's for you. You may get fed up going to the same site quite quickly particularly in the damper colder weather..

Forgot to add do consider rent and maintenance charges, also you might want to check if you are obliged to renew the caravan every 10 years or so and also be obliged to buy one recommended by the site owners. There is a site near to me where the charges are £6,000.00 annually.

If it's going to be a financial burden forget it. Do you really want to go to the same place, hail rain it shine for every holiday?

No, no, no and thousand times NO! You are at the mercy of the site owner and the value of the static will drop like a stone, so they persuade you to take out a loan to buy a new one and so it goes on! Did it once, never again!

Yes, there are good sites, but the OP needs to be aware that they are often sold to chains and things change overnight. Your contract changes too.

Whatever you decide, OP, please check out the Holiday Park Action Group before buying.

Elless

I think a lot has to do with the site you chose. Like Smileless we are on an owners only site with no amenities which is perfect. Just nature and beautiful views. The owners of our site (again a long run family business) have agreements to buy your caravan back or part exchange should you wish to change. Fees are £2400 which for the service they provide is exceptional.

This is how I feel. I love having my place to escape to. I really look forward to summer.

Doodledog’s response sums it up, I’d say, don’t do it. You could end up losing a lot of money. Do look up Holiday Park Action Group on FB. If you do decide to go ahead, do lots of research, don’t be lured in by no fed for the first year. Be very careful

Look out for site fees which I believe can be increased arbitrarily by the site owners. They can also make you replace your van if they consider it too old (which could be as little as 5 years) and make you pay for its removal. In other words, site owners are a law unto themselves. The site could also be bought out by more unscrupulous owners or those that wish to take it in a different direction, for example it might become more rowdy or vans might be let out to contractors.

I know this sounds very negative but it is well worth considering as caravans are not cheap.

We have a touring caravan which can live on our drive at home. I like that as I can pack it ready to go during the week. We have an electric hook-up point so we can keep the heating on low through the winter to prevent any damp.

At the moment we use it to visit our family and grandchildren who live an hour and a half away. They love coming for the day or a sleepover when we're there.

When we retire we'll use it to go to different places as well.
If and when we get to the point where my husband no longer wishes to tow we'll find a site with a seasonal pitch.

He's worked in the caravan and leisure field for many years. The consensus of opinion is that you are best to find a park no more than two hours from home. Any more and you will find it harder to get the use out of your van or lodge.

I could tell you quite a lot about the owners of a lot of these parks. Often from the same background and very wealthy and self made.

I’d steer well clear unless you really do your research into the owners of the parks you’re interested in. It can be quite a racket.

Grannytomany

One of the things to bear in mind is that spontaneity and enthusiasm for visits might reduce because after ‘the first flush’ you might find yourselves wanting to go to other places for breaks and holidays as well so start to use the caravan less. Or become frustrated about not feeling able to go elsewhere. The cost/value of maintaining any kind of holiday home depends on how much use you get out of it.

It’s also easy to forget about or disregard the ongoing chore of keeping a place in good order. In our experience (with a holiday house used only by us and family) there was always something which needed doing.

Yes. I find this. It isn’t my holiday home but my partners. Even so, on top of worrying about maintaining my own house I find myself worrying about his house and, when I’m there, especially if the weathers bad, I find myself cleaning. And I’d love to go somewhere else but feel obliged to go there and it doesn’t feel like a holiday.

Rubydooby My worry though is will we use it enough, can we afford it in the long term really ?

Different, however similar. We've owned a holiday home at the sea since the children were small. We love going there and make plans for every 2-3 weeks. We stay on schedule as best we can around his work.

Now our children and grandchildren go when they can (when empty if we're not there). We feel with all of us it's a well used asset.

Read the contract carefully. When coming to sell your static many parks reserve the right to vet any potential purchasers, will take around 15% upwards of the sale price and some reserve the option of first refusal.
Most parks insist on doing maintenance/annual certificates/winterising themselves which can be costly.
If you don't like the park or fall out with the owners it is nigh on impossible to move your static to another park.
If you want to sell it and can't you still have all the fees to pay.
Once out of its licence period the park will but it off you for a pittance and/or charge you for it to be moved off the park

I suppose it’s different in retirement, when you can just please yourself (selves).
A friend’s son bought a static on a farm site near Appleby - on a whim, when he and his son were camping nearby and got talking to the site owner. They go there most weekends, but his wife works part weekends and his 15 yr old daughter thinks ‘it’s the pits’ and won’t go - instead staying with her Nanna (my friend). Thankfully, she doesn’t mind as they get on well and can visit places her parents wouldn’t dream of going.

It's a luxury. As we were older we didn't want to invest too much. We bought secondhand, great bargain. The fees are just over £2k a year. We use it when we want to, no pressure to make it good value. We can still afford other holidays, if we want. It's an investment in pleasure. We like having our own place rather than renting as we can make it our own. If I was younger I think a campervan would be better.

I think a lot has to do with the site you chose. Like Smileless we are on an owners only site with no amenities which is perfect. Just nature and beautiful views. The owners of our site (again a long run family business) have agreements to buy your caravan back or part exchange should you wish to change. Fees are £2400 which for the service they provide is exceptional.

One of the things to bear in mind is that spontaneity and enthusiasm for visits might reduce because after ‘the first flush’ you might find yourselves wanting to go to other places for breaks and holidays as well so start to use the caravan less. Or become frustrated about not feeling able to go elsewhere. The cost/value of maintaining any kind of holiday home depends on how much use you get out of it.

It’s also easy to forget about or disregard the ongoing chore of keeping a place in good order. In our experience (with a holiday house used only by us and family) there was always something which needed doing.

You need to plan how you will use a holiday home, whether a static caravan or more substantial house/flat. It is easy to think what a wonder it is, at first, use it a lot and then less and less as time progresses.

We have just sold a holiday home we had for 33 years, but from the start we planned how often we would visit, in our case, roughly every 5 or 6 weeks and, COVID apart, that is what we did. Sometimes life got in the way but when it moved on we went back to the usual pattern. It is nice to think in terms of spontaneous visits, but spontinaity winds down. You need to weave regular visits into your ordinary life.

crazyH

If I had £100000 to spend on a motor home, I’d rather spend that money on having a few exotic holidays abroad - no hassle, no maintenance charges , no stress.

That kind of money would buy you a very luxurious motorhome indeed - but they don't have to cost anything like that. We bought one last year for a fraction of that amount and are loving just being able to get away here in the UK whenever and wherever we want, especially as we can take our dog with us. It won't stop us having holidays abroad either - but it's something which works for us just now.

I’ve often fancied a caravan as friends had a touring van, but on a residential site near Bedale, North Yorkshire. No facilities, other than a toilet block and the fees were only £1200 a year and no rules about the age of the van and owners only.
I looked at a static up on the Northumberland coast, but I’d need to rob a bank, with site fees between £7K to £10K a year and an 8 year old van costing over £30K.
I like my holidays, but I want guaranteed sun, so for less than half the site fees (never mind the depreciation) I can go abroad several times every year, with no worries about things.

If I lived in the city I would have a holiday caravan and use it most weekends plus holidays, but once you buy you are committed and selling is a big issue.
An alternative is a large touring caravan on a seasonal pitch then you can move if you want to from year to year and no issues selling. No problem towing it, just pay someone else to move it for you, for a couple plenty large enough.

We bought a Motorhome when we first retired(aged 55& 60). Great fun for first 10 years- touring around with bikes & lots of walking. Upgraded to a huge luxurious one- big mistake. Although comfier & great on site it was much more difficult to manoeuvre and park, too big for some sites- restricted choices. Forget wild camping- too risky for thefts/ damage. Expensive to run, Mot, servicing, insurance besides being ugly to look at on drive. Started to hate the journeys! Sold up & haven’t regretted for a minute. Now we rent a cottage somewhere or have a few nights in a hotel. Always did fancy a static though……. Sometimes rent someone else’s !

We bought a static caravan 9 years ago and upgraded to a holiday lodge 5 years ago. Our site is the smallest owned by the same family and is for owners only.

It's beautifully maintained and has a lake and large pond. No amenities which we like. Ground rent for this year for 11 months was £3,200. A bottle of gas is £85 and because it's so well insulated lasts approximately 3 weeks and that's with plenty of heating. Electricity is charged quarterly and our last bill was £66.00 so very reasonable.

The site is about a 50 minute drive so we go as often and for as long as we like.

Personally, I would avoid a site that does rentals unless owners are on a separate area of the park. The more amenities ie shop, bar, children's play area and pool, the higher the annual site fees will be.

Whatever you decide, have fun.

They are expensive so I wouldn't spend that amount even if I had it. I much prefer going to different places and the thought of being responsible for another property puts me off.

However, my DS's in-laws have one on a very nice site in the Lake District. They replaced it recently when it was 10years old.

I was invited along with DS and family when they weren't using it.
It was nice but very very 🤫 quiet. The children couldn't make any noise.

The picturesque village is a short walk away and all amenities not far.

I hope you come to the right decision for you.

If I had £100000 to spend on a motor home, I’d rather spend that money on having a few exotic holidays abroad - no hassle, no maintenance charges , no stress.