Static home buying tips

Have you ever been stuck for ideas about where to spend your next holiday? Have you thought about buying a second home that’s not too far away? Maybe a place in the countryside where you can entertain your family and friends? Perhaps you could even earn some extra money by renting out your holiday home from time to time?

The answer to questions such as these might lie in your buying a static home. This is a caravan more or less permanently pitched on a caravan park or resort in a part of the country you like, visit often, and want to share with friends, relatives or even paying guests.

As you drive around the country, it might soon become quite evident that the idea of a static home set in a well-maintained landscape at any number of attractive locations is something that already appeals to many.

If you want to share in what is clearly a widely enjoyed way of spending a holiday or weekend break, what are some of the considerations to keep in mind when buying a static home? You have probably done at least a little background research already, but what follows are some tips and suggestions about things you might need to know.

What is a static home?

What better place to start than the most fundamental question of all – just what is a static home?

  • a static home is what many people might also call a mobile home;
  • it is typically appreciably bigger than a touring caravan and generally stays in pretty much the same place all the year round – it is static rather than touring;
  • there is also a critical distinction between a static home and what is generally called a park home – the former serves as a second or holiday home and only the latter provides a permanent, year-round place of residence;
  • in a note last updated on the 20th of April 2021, the charity, Age UK points out that the latter sites must have a residential licence granted by the local authority to allow you to live in such a park home the whole year round;
  • holiday sites for static caravans do not have this permission and generally close for certain periods of the year – the government website warns that you could be forced to leave if you permanently reside in a static caravan on a site that is not licensed for residential purposes;
  • if you are buying a static home, therefore, it is important to recognise the restriction placed on its use as a residence.

What suits you

The key to making any such decision about buying a static caravan is how you intend to use it as your second or holiday home.

You might want to use it as somewhere to take your main holiday, for instance, or just the occasional weekend break. You might want it close to the beach or tucked away in the countryside. Perhaps it will be somewhere to entertain friends and relations, or even a way of earning a little extra cash by letting it out to paying guests once in a while.

There are a huge range of decisions to be made about the location and the site on which your static home is berthed let alone the sheer range and versatility of static caravans themselves.

The options open up so many different possibilities on the type, size and location of static caravan that best suits you.

Where?

Although you are likely to be spoilt for choice in practically any part of the country, it is clearly important to pick somewhere you want to go back to again and again.

Travelling longer distances might be fine for the occasional holiday, but to make the most of a second home it might be worth choosing somewhere not so far away.

A tranquil, out of the way park may be to your personal tastes, but if you are planning to let out your holiday home it might be just as important to pick somewhere on a more well-beaten path for tourists.

As you will be only too aware, the recent coronavirus pandemic meant the closure of holiday caravan parks. As they are reopening, you will notice that different parks and resorts are open at different times of the year – some close for the winter season, others may be available for use (but not to live in permanently) the whole year round. So, be sure to get up to date information on the seasons your preferred site is likely to be open – consulting, for example, the information published by Good to Know on the 17th of May 2021.

The site or resort you choose is important, therefore, not just for its location but also the type of park that it is.

Some parks might also be more suitable for families with young children and others for the more mature. While some might be close to a bustling town and others set in the depths of the countryside.

The choice of caravan park is as important as geographical location – does it offer all the facilities and amenities likely to make any stay as enjoyable as possible, for example? So, check out your chosen park just as carefully and, even better, arrange to stay there by borrowing a friend’s or renting a holiday home there before making your final choice.

It is not only a question of facilities and amenities, but the overall terms and detailed conditions contained in the lease or licence agreement with the park owners that allows you to pitch your caravan on their land. The agreement does not need to be in writing, but a written one obviously gives you more certainty and security.

Still greater confidence might be found in seeking a licence agreement that accords with the code of practice put together by the National Caravan Council (NCC). This will set out the annual cost and duration of your licence and also detail conditions, restrictions and commissions that might be payable upon the sale of your holiday home. An important condition, for instance, might be the maximum age your caravan may be for it to continue to be pitched in the park.

Finding a pitch for your static caravan

Although it is possible to buy your static home first and then look around for a site on which to pitch it, this is likely to involve considerable expense in transporting your caravan to your chosen park. Many static homes, therefore, are bought – either new or second-hand – already on site.

Either way, one of the most important aspects to consider is the lease agreement with the park itself. This sets out the terms and conditions on which the static home may be pitched on the site and the important question of how much rent you need to pay for the lease of the pitch.

It may also set out the length of the lease and may impose restrictions on the age of any holiday home occupying the site, together with the commission the park owners may charge on the sale of your static caravan.

Importantly, the lease and management agreement may also stipulate the need for the owner of the caravan to hold appropriate static home insurance.

Budget

Before making an investment likely to be as significant and relatively long term as the purchase of a static home, you need to have a clear idea of your available budget. It might be easy or tempting to get carried away, but unless you have thought about how much you have to spend on the purchase now and the annual running costs in the future, your enthusiasm might end in tears.

If you arranged finance for the purchase, then the cost of the ongoing repayments clearly need to be added in.

These ongoing costs include the fees you pay to the park owners for your annual lease agreement – and is likely to represent your single most expensive running expense. But you also need to factor in costs such as static caravan insurance, utilities, and repairs and maintenance to your static home.

The caravan

Once you have chosen an area in which you want to have your second home and have worked out a manageable budget it is time to set about the exciting business of choosing your caravan.

There are so many makes, models, sizes, and layouts that you are likely to have plenty to choose from, so keep in mind the individual needs and requirements of you and your family.

It is not just the number of people likely to determine choosing the caravan, but also the layout and design that best suits the way you intend to use the home – as a base for hiking or water sports, say, or somewhere to stay, relax and just be comfortable.

Old or pre-loved?

Deciding whether to buy new or pre-loved might be a question of the budget you have – but fortunately, there is a thriving market in both types, so there is likely to be a choice that suits almost any pocket.

Following close on the heels of that decision is whether you are aiming to buy first from an independent supplier and look around for a suitable park on which to seek a pitch. Or to buy your static home already in situ. If you opt for the former, remember that transport costs to your chosen caravan park are likely to add considerably to the bill.

Condition

Of course, that you are also likely to be interested in knowing as much as possible about the condition of any static home you are interested in buying.

Although there are several checks and inspections you may feel confident enough to do for yourself, if you are buying privately rather than from a reputable dealer, the size of the investment you are making may warrant a survey by a specialist professional.

Insurance

You are likely to have invested a tidy sum in buying a static caravan – new or pre-loved.

Insurance, therefore, is a safeguard likely to be high on your list of priorities – and here at Cover4Caravans, we can guide you towards those policies relevant to your particular needs and requirements, at what we believe are highly competitive market rates.

Do I have to buy the site operator’s insurance?

You may find that your site operator offers you static caravan insurance. But in most cases, you are free to shop around for your static caravan insurance cover – meaning you may get a more suitable and cost-effective deal.

The site owner’s concern about insurance is most likely to focus on your having sufficient public liability insurance to cover the risk of personal injury or damage to the property of other park residents, their visitors, and members of the public.

Claims such as this – especially those involving personal injury – may assume substantial sums and it is common, therefore, for public liability insurance to offer a minimum of £2 million of cover.

If you have independently sourced your insurance, therefore, the park management may insist on proof of third-party cover – and they may charge a small administration fee for doing so. Even then, it may still work out more cost-effective overall for you to source your own static home insurance.

Further reasons for arranging static caravan insurance

It is not only public liability cover that is important. A note published by the Financial Ombudsman Service in June 2020 identified some of the most common issues encountered by caravan owners. It also highlights a number of elements that are designed to safeguard your investment in such a holiday home.

Typically, such static home insurance puts at its core cover for the caravan itself against such potentially major risks as fire, flooding, storm damage, impacts (from vehicles or falling trees and aircraft), vandalism and theft. If required, similar protection may also extend to the contents of your holiday home.

You may need to bear in mind the likely possibility of your static caravan lying unoccupied for reasonably long periods of time – either because you are not using it or because the caravan park has closed for the season. When it is empty like this, your holiday home is probably at its most vulnerable. Your insurer may therefore impose a number of specific safety and security conditions to help mitigate the risk of loss or damage.

Our guides to static homes

Many thousands of people have enjoyed the pleasure, fun, and enjoyment of owning a static home. A static caravan might make an ideal second home for you, your family, and your guests.

The right caravan, pitched on the right park, in a part of the country you love to visit regularly might meet a huge range of your leisure needs.

For further reading in and around this subject, why not consult our Introduction to Static Caravans, Guide to Static Homes, and Guide to Buying a Static Home