Why would anyone buy a static caravan holiday home?
Posted by Rude-Principle-7366@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 148 comments
I'm looking for properties and I always notice these holiday homes. For example, I found one for 30k but it's leasehold with only 15 years left and you can only use it for 6 months per year (March to Oct)... to me that seems like such a rip off. Even if I had 30k to spare on holidays for the next 15 years I wouldn't spend it on a little static caravan in England I'd much rather use that money to go abroad for a few weeks. I just don't get it, it seems like such a rip off.
Independent-Ad-3385@reddit
Id love to have one but even looking at the basic details in one of the big names was enough to put us off.
Apart from the massive site fees which have to be paid in a lump sum at the start of each year, you have a utility fee which is fixed by the park, so you can't save by using less or switching supplier. If you use finance it has to be arranged by them. There are fees for the different spots in the park and fees for moving the van to your chosen spot. Basically any aspect of using the van has a fee attached which is non negotiable. If you want to sell because of the fees you have to sell it directly to them not privately. And don't forget you've already paid your entire year's site fees so you won't save anything there. And you can't even decorate the bloody thing how you want because it has to be done to their specs. We realised we'd need a lottery win to afford it.
The other option is letting your van out to the public to offset the fees, but then you can't keep any belongings in it, and you might not be able to have it whenever you want e.g. school holidays. So why have it at all?
The whole thing is a scam.
BrightPinkSea@reddit
In theory I like the idea of one, a little holiday place that you can go to for weekends and school holidays without getting stung by school holiday price hikes, you can leave your holiday stuff there so it's easy to come and go, and you're not taking a house out of the housing market like you might if you bought a 2nd home somewhere.
However, huge swathes of the industry seem absolutely unscrupulous. There's a Facebook group called Holiday Park Action Group and it has been eye opening and totally changed my mind about buying one, or anything similar, unless there are some regulations brought it.
There are some incredibly sad stories shared on there. Someone bought an expensive caravan, all the bells and whistles, paid the year's site fees, got the decking etc etc. Found out a few months after buying that they're terminally ill, wanted to sell the caravan etc to have some money to stop work, sort out their affairs etc. The park offered them 1/4 of what they'd spent, at most. For a caravan that had been bought new a few month prior, some depreciation is of course expected but 75% in 3 months feels excessive, especially when they're going to turn it round and sell it again for the same price the original person bought it for.
Regardless of all that I think even the site fees are a lot. I saw one and the site fees add up to close to £7k a year, and they can hike them up year on year. I think I'd rather just have a few holidays instead and not be lumbered with the cost and hassle.
Rude-Principle-7366@reddit (OP)
It's the same issue I have with service charges on flats.. I'd love a flat because they're more affordable than homes but instead of throwing my money away on rent it'd be thrown away on "service charges" which can be increased on me.
BrightPinkSea@reddit
Yes, some of them are crazy, I've seen a few where it's just been tucked away in the listing on rightmove and they've been super expensive!
Puzzled-Barnacle-200@reddit
£30k for 15 years is only £2k per year, which doesn't seem too bad. Going for 2 weeks a year wpuld make it worth it, if that'd the sort of holiday you'd want.
Lots of older people like going away regularly, and they have the time to do it more than once or twice a year. Perhaps even for months at a time. If you're not in good health, staying in the UK is much safer than going abroad. And having a regular place to holiday makes it easier on the booking, removes stress about yhe area/which restaurants to go to, and you can leave things like cooking supplies and clothes so that you don't have to completely pack each time. Being in the UK also means you can easily bring your dog.
My grandparents had one for a reasonable chunk of my childhood. They probably stayed there only for about a month a year, but my family also used it for a week or two, and so did my uncle's family. In a similar situation for a family today, £2k for about 7 weeks of holiday accommodation is a bargain. Not to mention the facilities (pool access, kids show most nights, adults show most nights, etc).
BrightPinkSea@reddit
£30k alone isn't too bad, but add in the site fees which can easily exceed £6k a year and then you could be looking at £120k, and that's if the site fees don't increase year on year.
JavaRuby2000@reddit
They used to be a fairly good deal but, then the caravan parks went rogue.
If you want a holiday home in the UK the correct way to do it should be buying a caravan or chalet in a holiday location and not purchasing residential property that means locals are unable to afford to live in their own village.
20-30 years ago this was the case but, unscrupulous holiday parks put the rent and service charges up and also changed the rules about how old a caravan could be. It just means that it makes more financial sense to buy a flat in St Ives, Snowdonia or the highlands that's only going to get used for a couple of months a year.
Adept-Mind-5422@reddit
My friend do not touch these with a very long barge-pole. I know someone who has lost tens of thousands for all the reasons mentioned above.
CAElite@reddit
Be aware, a lot of the holiday parks who sell these have some toxic business practices.
Many include a ground rent, that can be freely raised every year.
Many have age limits on their static vans, meaning you need to replace them after a couple of decades.
Many require you to buy a new van from them/their approved supplier.
A lot of people have lost their pensions through these schemes, not all are bad, but many are, so be careful.
Boilemmashemm@reddit
Then when the fees skyrocket the site very kindly pays you 10% of the vans worth to take it off your hands. Plenty of facebook groups exposing this scam.
CrabNebula_@reddit
It’s not so much a scam as a very profitable business model.
Hard selling is rife but people still willingly sign up for these contracts despite them being a complete rip off because up front costs are kept low.
Just like high apr credit cards or PCP deals, they think they’re getting a steal, in reality they are signing up for something they can’t afford, and doing it in haste
Milam1996@reddit
Bernard madoff didn’t run a scam it was just a very profitable business model.
CrabNebula_@reddit
No, that was illegal. That was a what is known as a Ponzi scheme. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernie_Madoff?wprov=sfti1# That’s why he went to prison for fraud. For 150 years.
It was also the USA which has its own, distinct laws
Milam1996@reddit
I’m very glad that you finally understood my entire point.
twonaq@reddit
Yeah not really a scam just more a trap for suckers
makomirocket@reddit
And yet that's not how language works. When something is an extremely bad deal, even when willingly signed up for and agreed to, that is colloquially referred to as a scam.
The same way I can sell an iPhone 16 BOX (READ DESCRIPTION) for £400, and someone buys it in haste, one refers to that as a scam.
The same way someone may say that were "assaulted" when punched, but they actually suffered Battery
CrabNebula_@reddit
I would refer to an iPhone bought privately by using the term ‘buyer beware’
On this occasion you would be the scammer for sure but the buyer would have no recourse if your description was accurate and it wasn’t an online sale. Haste doesn’t pay. Read the small print. If it’s inaccurate then you have recourse, if it isn’t, you don’t
Morris_Alanisette@reddit
You don't get an iPhone, you get an iPhone BOX. It's quite clearly there in the description. Perfectly legal. Still a scam.
quellflynn@reddit
(did he just try to explain about reading the small print, whilst not reading the small print?)
Master_of_Ocelots@reddit
Not even small print, full caps.
ApplicationCreepy987@reddit
How about unscrupulous instead
JoeyJoeC@reddit
Can you link to one/some. I work with a company that owns multiple of these sites across the UK, would be interesting to know if they do the same.
AnOtherGuy1234567@reddit
Just to further add, that often you can't transport one of the caravans on or off site without booking it through them. And they have a substantial mark up.
pajamakitten@reddit
Especially if they are owned by Wyldecrest Homes. Alfie Best, the owner, is a regular in Private Eye for his practices.
ciaranr1@reddit
Read an article on trailer parks in the USA and the key quote was along the line of it doesn't make sense to rent the appreciating asset (land) and while buying the depreciating asset (caravan).
MaxMouseOCX@reddit
A family member had this sort of issue, actually lived in a static for most of the year, but had to move out for a few months of the year to keep it all legal, I think it was three months of the year.
The age of the static was up according to the site rules so he left it, and moved into a traditional house, the site it was on said they'd dispose of the static and all that, just sign all this paperwork.
What they did was, moved the static, did some small works on it, and resold it with a new "expiry date" on it.
huskmesilly@reddit
I'm head groundskeeper on a pretty small family run caravan park with 150 vans. We've had a lot of people coming from other parks where they've paid 50k plus for a van, and are required to sell it back to the park for actual peanuts - it obviously then gets resold for what it's actually worth = big profit. Heinous stuff. Not sure why you'd want another van after that, but they do, usually something secondhand.
We have a 20yr rule. And to be honest, you don't want to keep them much longer. Vans that aren't residential spec are barely more than cardboard boxes sat on a metal frame. Some of the construction quality is really poor, across the board. And at the end of the day, few people want to buy a 20yr old van. So owners end up having to pay for it to be scrapped.
It's as far as you can get from an investment. But the costs of holidays are otherwise sunk into it, over the years.
There should certainly be more regulations. What some parks do is absolutely criminal.
CAElite@reddit
If I recall the story of one near me, the park was selling the already in situ used vans onwards, with a 20 year rule at near enough full price.
So folk where spending £20+k on a 12-15 year old van, and being told by the park in 5 years time it was actually only worth £500, and that to retain their plot they need to spend £30k on a new van.
It was obviously all in the small print but folk where still being stung by it.
Impossible_Boat_969@reddit
My uncle just went through this. Bought a static for 34k, 3 or four years ago, spent over a grand on decking and air conditioning. Van was under ten years old.
Told earlier this year that his van was about to be too old for the site it was on and the park offered him £200 for everything or he would have to pay to remove the van himself. Wtf are you gunna do with a 30 ft long static, can't put it in your garden.
Obviously he told the park to shove that offer. He managed to sell the decking for £200. The van he sold to a guy who needed it as he was building a house for £600. Ground rent and all the other fees already paid up for the year and we're just lost.
Absolutely wild the money he lost. I know he should have read the small print but still absolutely criminal business practice. Crazy profit made by the park!
UncleD1ckhead@reddit
As well as the prices rising, the parks tend to get fewer facilities. The in-laws have one and, when they first got it. It was great. But since buying it, the kids parks is run down, the club house is only open 1 day a week and is in shambles, the kids activity days have completely stopped, the heated pool is no longer heated and not cleaned often enough, the dog walking section of the park is always overgrown and the fence is falling down. The list goes on.
dogdogj@reddit
You've got to question why, if these park homes are such lucrative holiday rentals, that the park owner doesn't just...rent them out themselves.
SpudFire@reddit
They cost money to buy. If you own a field with space for 100 caravans, buying them all yourself is going to run into the millions and then you have to pay to maintain them. Easier to let other people buy them to avoid that huge investment and then simply overcharge them for utilities and the patch of grass it sits on.
dogdogj@reddit
That's kinda my point, they advertise a lot of these home purchases as a wise investment - make money and have free holidays, but it's clearly not worthwhile to run one of these parks as a one-owner holiday camp, so why would it ever work without the economies of scale.
JustAnotherFEDev@reddit
Also, it must be a tiresome fucking job. Like owning one caravan means you are constantly advertising on groups, answering messages, comments, calls and what not. Dealing with cancellations, damages with just a 4 hour window in high seasons, cleaning, storing spare stuff and then the maintenance and other shit. All for what, a few weeks staying in your own van for "free" during colder and wetter times 😂
Fuck that.
dogdogj@reddit
Oh it is, used to work with someone who had one, they basically bought themselves a customer service job. Having to deal with pain in the arse guests who raised complaints for stupid stuff*, and deal with the overlord park management company that fined them for abhorrent crimes such as guests putting up a washing line next to their van.
All this to stay in it out of season, when the nearest town is all battened down for the winter, and it's freezing cold.
*they once had someone royally kick off, phoning them multiple times after arrival, because there wasn't a bath, you can see the shower room in the photos, and it's a fibreglass shed no bigger than a large garage that sleeps 6!
JustAnotherFEDev@reddit
Yeah, my folks used to have one. My mum basically had a full time, around the clock job dealing with it all. They depreciate in value, rapidly, too. Like despite it being rented out most of the time, when they sold it, they'd still lost a decent chunk of cash. Just seemed like a massive hassle, for little reward, and yeah, the park owners are usually epic cunts that just exist to get folk to buy into their shitty lies and then continue to bleed you dry for as long as you have a van on their plot.
testydonkey@reddit
Scammervans
the_anglonesian@reddit
Second this - my father was a victim of one of these rogue park owners, during a time when he was vulnerable. The guy extorted money from him for various 'fees', and attempted to charge £1000 to remove 1x water pipe, 1x soil pipe and 1x mains supply, as well as 'forge' paperwork to make my fathers trailer look older than it was, forcing him to leave the park.
Tutheraccount@reddit
My brother has one. It is a rip off but he has money. We go once or twice a year but don't like the cardboard thin walls.
We thought about getting one to live in April to October, with winters in Asia but we are better off getting a 2 bed flat. Yes it costs more but at least we can leave it to the kids.
Tight-Ad@reddit
I bought a really nice three year old van van around 15 years ago for 20K second hand. Had it till it was ten and looked after it fastidiously. Site rules were I had to give the Site first chance at buying it if I wanted to sell and had to accept their offer. I got 3k for it and they sold it on for 12k. A total rip off though I did enjoy the Van the years I had it, but they're a money pit and the site fees or ground rent is going up every year without fail. Bottom line don't buy it as an investment and also expect to spend a lot of money just to have it on site.
AnOtherGuy1234567@reddit
Some people like to go to the seaside every Friday evening and come back Sunday night/Monday morning.
EdmundTheInsulter@reddit
We've had one and it's a great place to go many times a year and I was able to work from it at the end of COVID and beyond. It's coming to an end now though due to cost. I don't really recommend it
jillcrosslandpiano@reddit
Traditional seaside holiday here (Yorkshire).
Some people go every sunny weekend.
WhoIsJohnSalt@reddit
So once a year then?
Hakizimanaa@reddit
Do you not go outside much? We just had a phenomenally sunny may and I believe we are on course for one of the hottest springs ever
WhoIsJohnSalt@reddit
I’m a Lancashire man living in the South. Yorkshire is my mortal enemy (after Liverpool and I’ve got to keep the Yorkshire thing quiet because my wife is from Leeds)
However; what I did was “a joke” playing on stereotypes. Hope that helps
RoyceCoolidge@reddit
I once stayed in one for the whole summer - I think it was a Tuesday.
ImScaredofCats@reddit
Did exactly that this year in Filey, no regrets.
TheRealGabbro@reddit
So once a year then 😂
Loose_Acanthaceae201@reddit
I'm in Cheshire, and it's relatively popular for families or extended families to have a static in north Wales (ie within an hour's drive).
If the weather is meant to be remotely fine over the weekend during British Summer Time, they chuck the kids and the dog in the car straight from school pickup on Friday and don't come back until Monday morning.
They get to know the families in the nearby vans, and their children have Wales friends as well as Cheshire friends.
They keep essentials in the van such as dog food, baked beans, towels, even a couple of changes of clothes, so it takes no planning to decide to go.
If you have outdoorsy children and no weekend commitments, why not? Yes maybe it's a lot of money, but six to ten weekends is also a lot more "holiday" than two weeks all inclusive.
Stigweird85@reddit
I own a caravan with a 9 month season and 20 year lease
Yes it is expensive - very expensive.
However the way I view it is that is is the equivalent of one decent ish family holiday abroad a year. I don't like heat or flying so staycations suit me. Add this to the comparison, what would you prefer one two week holiday a year or multiple week holidays with no check in or check out times.
Its not for everyone, but for me I don't regret it.
One piece of advjce I will give if you are considering getting one. Find a location no further than 90minutes-2hours travel away. Any longer and getting there becomes an endeavour in own right but under that after a Friday its easy to justify a long weekend away.
That being said, since this season opened I have spent more time in my caravan than at home because I relax more. So in my example what would it cost to spend 12 weeks elsewhere.
I have already "broke even" on my site fees since everywhere puts prices up during peak holidays periods (my caravan would cost around 1k to rent during easter) 3
Mr-Incy@reddit
A lot of people rent them out when they aren't using them.
ZiggehZiggeh@reddit
They won't make any money. Site fees and taxes will take most of it...and then the sofa, TV, bed etc gets broken by some twats having a party and you have to refund the next guests because you have 4 hours to find a sofa, TV and bed.
Educational-League92@reddit
Some sites won't even let you do this.
Puzzled_Panda_9489@reddit
Obviously there's owner sites but you can your caravan the vast majority of the time...
GabberZZ@reddit
My friend bought one in some dingy campsite in Wales that didn't even have a pool. Sold it after about 3 years back to the campsite for 1/4 of the original price. It was listed for sale a week later for 20k more than he sold it to them for.
He said he'd truly had his pants pulled down by them.
Then the fucking idiot bought a bigger one from them after 'missing the old van'
He did this TWICE and now has a 'lodge' there.
He is loaded but christ they must have seen him coming.
Rude-Principle-7366@reddit (OP)
They must love him haha
Future-Quote6915@reddit
It's a sense of freedom you don't get with other holidays
HuaBiao21011980@reddit
Fill this up for me
stebus88@reddit
I’ve slung one up her a few times myself.
CommentOne8867@reddit
It's the sense of shitting in a cupboard you don't get with other holidays 😆😆
Slugdoge@reddit
In England, with your parents
Mr_Culps@reddit
Everyone knows that Caravan Club is one massive orgy.
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
I had no idea...
SuspiciousAgency5025@reddit
Oh, boy, do I have a story to one day turn in to a movie based on the shenanigans at the Malvern Caravan Club site...
FedoraTipperAndy@reddit
Nice crisps Mrs Cartwright
hattorihanzo5@reddit
She opened the packet herself!
JustAnotherFEDev@reddit
I can see the freedom thing with a caravan you can just tow anywhere, but is a static caravan really "freedom"? Surely it's no different than a chalet, holiday bungalow or time share, etc?
Obvious_Arm8802@reddit
It doesn’t cost you $30k though. It actually costs you $30k minus whatever you sell it for in the future. Might even turn a profit.
utukore@reddit
Found the caravan salesman
Obvious_Arm8802@reddit
Cheap price because I know you.
utukore@reddit
Nice. I'll take one for me nan too then, in Periwinkle Grey.
jiminthenorth@reddit
I'm more a fan of periwinkle blue.
utukore@reddit
Guess I biffed the line. Clearly time for a rewatch
presterjohn7171@reddit
That's pretty much impossible. It's like buying a car. It will depreciate.
Intelligent_Bee_4348@reddit
You mean, when the lease runs out they charge you to take away a perfectly serviceable caravan and refuse to keep it on the site any longer.
ShotInTheBrum@reddit
Wait till you find out some go for £550,000+ on 25/30 year leases. Plus ground rent, bills etc.
5nuffb0x@reddit
My parents like walking coastal paths and have one in an area of outstanding natural beauty and go down every weekend March - Nov apart from when they go on 2-3 foreign holidays a year. It’s better than staying in the house on weekends?
Plus they bought it with the grandkids visiting in the summer months in mind, which we all do and it’s a nice place next to a beach.
Lowest_Denominator@reddit
You let it out for £100+ per night.
Phantom_Crush@reddit
Guy I know bought a second one with the rental income from his original. They're in a lovely seaside park and people are always keen to rent. He basically gets a free holiday home because his payments are fully covered
bitch_whip_bill@reddit
My family in law live in a coastal town that's a nice place to visit, I've toyed with the idea of one as a base to stay in when we go over. Our space, instead of sometimes feeling like we are in the way of the MiL who sometimes can be unwelcoming after a day or two
Prestigious-Gold6759@reddit
It's a total ripoff and there's a campaign group on Facebook that's trying to get the industry regulated. Their advice to anyone considering buying one of these is DON'T!!
Nosferatatron@reddit
Like most things in the UK, they seem like a rip-off
pickindim_kmet@reddit
It was more affordable (slightly) and more popular. Two extended family members had them and their reasoning was they didn't like/want to go abroad and were older so it was less hassle. A few hours in the car and you're there. Even as a younger person it sounds a bit more appealing than 10 hours door to door when flying abroad.
Ultimately the family were priced out and with an ageing caravan it was getting pushed yearly towards the back of the park and ground rent was going up.
They're some of the best memories as a kid, some of the best family trips that everyone can be included on.
worldworn@reddit
I wouldn't call static caravans a "rip off" , some are pretty nice and if on a nice site. Can make a really nice getaway.
A friend has one and when not using it, will rent it out, he reckons it's cheaper than a holiday and he can get away any time he likes.
In your example it's a 2k per year cost. I think he rents his out at around the £300 mark.
So if comparable, he would make most of not all of his money back and holiday for "free".
But I also know a guy who lives in one, it's a lot more than 30k, but the site is amazing and (when he bought it) it was way cheaper than a traditional house.
Reading the comments it's all about the site you choose that makes the difference. There are better ones, and not all make you sell it back to them, ground rent will vary massively.
Plenty_Suspect_3446@reddit
When I retire I might get a static for late spring, summer, and early autumn. Get a similar set up in New Zealand, a small wooden coastal house they call a 'bach' (pronounced batch) in a remote region for their spring, summer, and early autumn. The flights are hell, assuming plane travel is still accessible in 35 years, but it would be 2 days every 6 months for a lovely lifestyle. Hopefully i'll be able to do it when im still young enough to enjoy it and able to do casual work so maybe more like 15-20 years but that will probably depend on a modest inheritance I dont really expect to receive.
Nyxrinne@reddit
Yeah, my grandfather did something very like this. Lived in the caravan through the summer/until he'd maxed the time he was allowed to be in it each year, then went off to Spain for the winter and stayed in the absolute cheapest off-season hotel he could find. It did make him quite financially vulnerable as he couldn't then get back into a brick house in his old age, but someone more considered could avoid that issue, I'm sure.
SnooRegrets8068@reddit
This is where I see it working. 15 year contract with 6 month occupancy is fine with an opposing option for the other 6 months and a lot cheaper than a house. Especially if you are able to move freely without being concerned about working.
Lazy_Age_9466@reddit
Its people who do not want to go abroad and want to make it their home away from home. Yes they are a rip off though.
lelpd@reddit
Yep. My SO’s parents go between the same two UK holiday parks 5-6 times per year. They have their own caravan they tow there each time.
If they were retired I have 0 doubts their dream scenario would be to own a static caravan at those two sites and be able to stay there for months every year.
20127010603170562316@reddit
In the 90s, my aunt had a static caravan in a seaside town. I never understood the point, as they lived about a 15 minute walk away.
Hate_Feight@reddit
If you like the site, and can go every weekend, it's a nice getaway. I was dragged as a teenager, and I get it.
GrimQuim@reddit
A friend from Glasgow has one on Arran and I can see the appeal.
Illustrious-Sweet791@reddit
Yep. Also if people have small dogs or kids it can be an was option.
Source. My parents had one for 15 years and loved it
MarvinArbit@reddit
The owners of a lot of these sites are often multi-millionaires. There is one that regularly flits around his sites in his private helicopter !
colin_staples@reddit
They are the new tineshares
MarvinArbit@reddit
I would only buy one if i had private land to put it on. I would never get one on a holiday park as they are just a scam. You can only keep them on the parks if they are less than 10 years old. Once they get to that age, you have to remove them from the park !
djashjones@reddit
If you don't understand it, then it's not for you.
fidler2326@reddit
I wish more people could think like this. Just because you think holidays abroad are better than caravan holidays doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there who thinks the complete opposite. Different people are... Different
jake_burger@reddit
People don’t understand it because you could just pay to stay at a hotel or book a caravan on a rental basis.
Owning it seems more expensive with no upside
Farscape_rocked@reddit
The upside is that you can personalise it. It's yours. Hotels are soulless places to spend any extended time.
I_am_legend-ary@reddit
Hotels don’t make good holidays for families
Next go look at how much it costs to rent a static in good locations
It’s easy to see why people decide to buy them, if there is a location they really like and are using it regularly then it can be affordable
Puzzled-Barnacle-200@reddit
Even OPs example is £2k per year. You'd be looking at around £1k per week to rent, so if you go for 3 weeks or more it works out. Plus there's the flexibility of not having to book in advance, you can just go on a free weekend if you want, and you can leave stuff there so your packing is simpler.
And if you share them the value is much greater. My grandparent had one and my family and my uncle's family would use it. Probably about 6-10 weeks a year, which isn't massive, but if you do that for £2k it's miles cheaper than renting.
djashjones@reddit
Same reason, people own a caravan and go camping.
Same reason, people go on holiday abroad a few times a year to the same place and same hotel...
It may not be for you & I but what ever floats their boat.
Responsible-Walrus-5@reddit
That’s true of all holiday homes though (albeit bricks and mortar isn’t usually a depreciating asset).
djashjones@reddit
Unless it's near a cliff, lol.
ModeR3d@reddit
My parents have one on a terrific site in Cornwall. Open all year round and they use it monthly - much cheaper than booking holidays for each occasion and as they’ve always had a fog it gives them a place to go without issue.
BanditKing99@reddit
I don’t think I’ve ever seen this situation end well. It’s much cheaper to just have a week’s holiday in one a couple of times a year. You are buying a massively expensive constantly depreciating asset with significant ongoing costs. I don’t think many investors would see it as a good thing to get into.
CaptMelonfish@reddit
We love our static.
It's situated in a small town in yorkshire, on the edge of the wolds, from there we can hit york, or anywhere along the coast without too much fuss and not all that much driving (if we dont' fancy the bus)
It's a small town so it isn't noisy, the air is clean, there's plenty to do, and it's rather a friendly site (private site) where we can relax, sit outside in the sun reading our books and forget work exists.
one of the better buys we've made tbh. Prices are... interesting right now, but just before covid when we got ours they were reasonable, the hope is that the prices may come down a little once the manufacturers stop overinflating, but I have to say some of the new builds are utterly lovely inside.
Farscape_rocked@reddit
My extended family own a static caravan. It means the whole family get somewhere to stay for a very low cost, there are three bedrooms and a sofabed in the lounge so you can fit quite a few people in it. It's available, there's no peak pricing, and it's in a lovely part fo the world.
Six months is unusual, usually a park will close for two months. The reason is that living in them full time makes it an actual home so you're eligible for council tax and all that. I'm not sure our park officially closes, but it's small and the owner knows everyone so would prevent people staying the year round.
I don't think I'd buy one but I'm glad we have it available.
PaulJMacD@reddit
I don't think they make sense if you look at it from a purely financial angle. My parents bought one when they both retired 25 years ago. The costs were nowhere near what they are now and they went for weeks at a time. They still went abroad occasionally but this was their go-to when they felt like it.
My Dad passed away but my Mum's kept it on and got a new one now to keep with the 20 year rule. Our whole extended family has had use of it over the years. We have kids now and they have both gone a handful of times a year since they were babies. It becomes a home from home and a special place for the family.
We're very lucky though as the prices go up every year and my Mum's at a stage of her life where she's not making sums about value for money etc.
I love to go to new places and we will travel more when the kids are older, but it's been perfect for us for regular breaks.
dazzlerdeej@reddit
Just to offer a different point of view - my mum bought a static caravan in 2017 and she absolutely loves it. She treats it as a holiday home, a weekend getaway on the coast, and it means I’ve had eight years of free holidays with my kids.
claretkoe@reddit
Live abroad, static at home that is used for when you're doing your time back home for visa/visiting. Kids use it rest of year.
Cheaper than keeping a house or hotels
presterjohn7171@reddit
My cousins have one. Family and friends are allowed to book a week or two. We've been going to Cornwall every year in it for 15 years. We pay her enough to cover costs which is around £350 a week in August. We all love it. It's not the most up to date caravan but it suits us. Statics are like cars. They are something that needs to be used a lot and go down in value. You have to pick a good site with a good reputation and go in with your eyes open. Additionally I reckon over half are bought with inheritance money. If you are in your 40s or 50s, financially stable and then inherit say £100k from Mom or even Grandma then dropping half of that on a used van then is a luxury you can afford.
IKILLYOUWITHMYMIND@reddit
My retired parents absolutely love their static caravan. They have no interest in going abroad and didn't like the lack of control over their environment when hiring holiday cottages etc. They chose somewhere nice with easy access to a lot of different places to visit and great walks nearby and set it up like home. It basically is a second home, but a hell of a lot cheaper than buying another house. Means they can go most weekends during spring and summer too.
OrganicPoet1823@reddit
My idea of hell! I’d rather spend the money on foreign trips
CptFrankFurillo@reddit
My SO's grandparents had one and he has incredible memories of going up there most weekends. My (retired) in-laws now have one and spend most of their time there, only coming home when they have to. They have it 8 months of the year. The van is in an incredible spot, in a wooded site. They spend every evening watching badgers and deer just outside their living room window. It's an absolutely beautiful second home that only makes sense if you're retired and can spend most of your time there.
MACintoshBETH@reddit
It’s a sense of freedom you don’t get with other holidays
dwair@reddit
? Explain please.
You can set off to go anywhere in the world now in the same time it takes to pack a car to go to your static. Once you get to your designation you are free to go and do what ever you want and stay where you want too. (accepted that some places require lengthy visa applications and other weirdness but most tourist destinations are very easy to get to)
Owning a static van (or holiday home) massively limits you and your choices to a specific location. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with that though but it is massively limiting.
PossibleFlatworm220@reddit
It's a sense of shitting in a bucket in a cupboard you don't get with other holidays... in England... with your parents!
dwair@reddit
As someone who lives rurally and is the proud owner of a cess-pit that frequently goes wrong... My kids get to experience this at home without having to go anywhere.
Ok_Music253@reddit
It's a line from the Inbetweeners, quite a famous one but also will still be a "if you know, you know..."
dwair@reddit
Yeah... that went right over my head!
codechris@reddit
We had one for most of my childhood (90s and early 00s) on thr West Coast of France. 2 weeks at easter and 5 weeks over the summer. It was cheap and great. Some very happy memories.
But no I wouldn't buy a 30k one in the UK. You have to remember some poeple can't or don't want to go abroad.
Temporary-Zebra97@reddit
Loved it as a kid, when my grandad owned one, pretty much every weekend and summer holidays were spent there, had a second set of friends there.
As an adult a bit like camping its a nope from me.
Mesonychoteuthis@reddit
My mum and her partner have one on a small independent site. It cost them £6k second hand with £1.5k a year site fees. The site is in a quiet bit of countryside, a short drive from the seaside in one direction and the Galloway forest in the other. They bought it 8 years ago and are down most weekends throughout the year. Wouldn't be something I'd buy personally but I can definitely see the appeal.
tommycamino@reddit
Wife's family has had one for about 20 years I think. Someone in the family goes most weekends in the summer or mid-week during the holidays. Think my wife used to go for long periods during summer holidays when she was a kid. It's only a couple of hours away in Pembrokeshire.
It's not my dream holiday but I do see the appeal.
Don't know how much it cost initially but I imagine you use it more once you have it. It's not like you're just using it once a year.
tradandtea123@reddit
Not something I'd do but my uncle had one and went there every other weekend for 15 years whilst his kids were growing up. No idea what he paid or whether he got much when he sold it but I'm sure he would have spent a lot more than that if he'd stayed in b&b at the coast for 25 weekends a year for 15 years.
terryjuicelawson@reddit
The only people I can speak of who have done it, did so successfully. I can't speak of the cost but they love the site, basically live there all summer. Family can come and go as they please, it is a home from home. They can rent it out when not there too (which is to trusted friends and aquaintances after being burned a few times by random members of the public I believe). They absolutely love it, but probably aren't the type to want to arrange going abroad for weeks at a time. It is more load up the car, we are off to the caravan for a few days.
lewkir@reddit
My fairly wealthy aunt and uncle wanted a holiday home they could share with the rest of the family that didn't mean they were buying a property in a town where is already problems for locals buying their own homes.
UniquePotato@reddit
They’re popular with people that retire to Spain etc and need somewhere in the uk as a base. As you can only live in it part of the year it means you don’t need to pay council tax on it iirc.
Valuable-Wallaby-167@reddit
My neighbours have one. I barely see them over the summer because they spend more time there than they do at home. I don't know how much it costs them but I'd say they get their money's worth. I don't really get it because it's only about half an hour away but maybe they find it more relaxing than being at home.
iamabigtree@reddit
My grandma has a caravan a few decades ago. Back when it was all a lot cheaper.
They would basically spend every weekend there during the summer.
We used to go up and visit quite often.
Personally think it would get boring fast.
BigFaithlessness618@reddit
My parents have one in Anglesey and they love it.
It's a 2024 caravan and to be honest it's almost as nice as my house, 2 bedrooms the master is a king with an ensuite, lovely modern open kitchen dinner.It cost something like £800 pm to keep it. (Caravan loan , site fees , gas and electric).
The similar payment on an apartment in Anglesey but the apartment where near as nice and also doesn't have the same Caravan park holiday atmosphere.
They can't rent it out but family can and my sister and other family members go, I would say there is someone there 50% of the weekends.
It's a lot of money for some people but they like having somewhere they can go to which is "away" but also at home.
They also go on multiple foreign holidays a year, it's not an either or, it's a both. I'd say most of the families on their caravan park pretty well off and still got somewhere hot.
Ok_Resident3556@reddit
It appealed to me, the idea of having a place at the seaside I could go to regularly. But when I looked into it, it just didn’t seem worth it. I can book a lot of hotel rooms/holiday cottages for the amount it costs to buy one (and pay all the ground rent and service charges, which are normally quite high), which has the added advantage of me being able to go to different places.
real_Mini_geek@reddit
They used to be great but the industry has been taken over by less than reputable people
gham89@reddit
Slightly different perspective - my parents had a few static caravans when we were growing up. We essentially went there every weekend in the summer and had an absolute blast. As my sister and I got a bit older, we even went there on our own with our friends a few times. This lasted a good 10 years.
I fully expect that the cost to keep them were extortionate, but honestly the memories for me are invaluable.
sjintje@reddit
You have to pay ground rent on the top, which is a couple of grand per year.
beachyfeet@reddit
It's between £6000-£9000 in the 2 biggest near us. Can't understand why anyone would want one
ChanceStunning8314@reddit
This is exactly the ‘discussion’ I had with my (long ago ex) wife. She was obsessed with having a static caravan and pitch on a farm in south wales. She loved the place-had grown up holidaying there. Me-meh-it’s ok but it’s in wet wales. Maths is indeed-let’s buy a static caravan for £60k plus £5k pa site fees, as you say for 15 years (135k or £9k pa). That’s a lot of holiday money, seeing different places.. but no. Worse, because of work, school holidays etc, we probably went down for a total of three weeks a year?
Some people will see your logic. Loads won’t.
datguysadz@reddit
My mate's parents had one in Devon and they let about 8-10 of us go down for a weekend one summer, while the weather was brilliant and the site was hosting some sort of mini music festival. It was genuinely great, but I find the 15 year lease thing odd.
terahurts@reddit
My dad had a small one 2-bed one for a few years in the 00's on a small site outside Mablethorpe. I can't remember the exact figures, but I'm reasonably sure he paid less than £5k for it 2nd hand and the ground rent was maybe £500 for the year. The site was basically a field with power, sewage, and water hookups and a fishing lake, no other facilities like a clubhouse or shop or anything and it was far enough away from Mablethorpe that you needed a car to get there (or anywhere really). I know he looked at sites and caravans with more facilities around Cleethorpes and Skegness but they were 3x - 4x more expensive.
He was semi-retired and took an overseas holiday once a year in the winter, but spent most weekends at his caravan during the open season plus a couple of weeks in the summer. Given the site's lack of entertainment facilities, it was mostly free of families with kids and very quiet so ideal for chilling out and relaxing but still close enough to Mablethorpe and Skeg that him and his partner could go do holiday stuff if they wanted. Perfect for a couple of almost-retirees.
I think he was also part of some club where he could swap weekends with other owners on different sites/parts of the country but I might be mis-remembering. The site rules said he wasn't allowed to rent it out for profit, but he could let friends and family use it for free. That said, the site had no real way of stopping him taking a few quid in private or getting something in kind from the neighbour over the road or whatever.
Crochetqueenextra@reddit
My friend with a city high rise council flat has one. Cost £90k everything is brand new and she more or less lives there from April to Oct. It's on a really nice beach 2 bed 2 bath nice little terrace and garden. On site manager. Seems a bargain to me at £90 ish a week inc most bills It's got a 20 year lease she can't be there in December. It's more a trailer home than a caravan tbf but I have was shocked how nice it is.
Breaking-Dad-@reddit
Friends of ours had one. They and their family (adult children with kids of their own) went as often as possible and they rented it out on other occasions. We went once. I think they are a bit like timeshares though, they sucker you in and they aren’t as good as they say. But having a place on the Northumberland coast you can go to every weekend and holiday is quite appealing
ShinyDiscoBallzz@reddit
Because they're Chavs?
Individual_Dig_36@reddit
I've always thought the same absolute rip off, must be plenty of nieve people out there
ToriaLyons@reddit
They used to be a cheaper option than a second home, and not tying up houses only to be used a few months of a year.
Nowadays, they are often more expensive than second homes, and the laws around them let the park owners get away with a lot.
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