Moneysaving -Move to static mobile home to release equity in home!!!!!!

bluenose1

My husband is due to retire when he is 51 as is a police officer - lucky so and so.
He thinks we should sell up then and buy a luxury carvan in North West. probably Southport way which is about 20 mins drive from were we live.
He has worked out that our house is worth £250,000 and that a luxury caravan would cost approx £40 - £50,000. With savings we will have equity of about £350,000 and with pension etc could live off equity.
This is our favourite up to now
http://www.atlas-caravans.co.uk/images.php?currmodel=theconcept

We currently own a caravan in the Lake District and the shelf life is meant to be about 20 years for caravans. Must admit the new caravans they sell are fantastic with central heating, double glazing etc.

My friends have recently sold up and retired to a caravan as they were plagued by gangs of kids were they lived. They absolutely love the lifestyle and when the Park closes for a couple of weeks in Winter go on great holidays abroad.

Just wondered if anyone else has considered this or has actual experience of doing it.
It does appeal to me in the long term as our house is to big to keep on top of and I know from experience how fabulous caravans are nowadays. The things that put me off is not sure whether my kids will have left home by then (my husband reckons we could buy them a caravan next door to ours) and what happens if one of us dies and the other is left on their own.
Any opinions anyone?
Regards
Anne

needmoney

Looks fab and sounds like a great idea to me:)

Lucie_2

Some friends of my parents have just done this, sold their house & bought a pre-fab, a convertible BMW & are currently holidaying in Australia! They have decided to give their son his "inheritance" now (when he needs it with 2 young children) & spend the rest! Good luck to 'em I say. I als know of other people (friends of friends etc) who have bought caravans/log cabins etc up at Ainsdale & think it's fabulous.

outrageous_monkey

Hi

I think its an excellent idea and its what me and the hubby have planned to do when he retires, however, thats another 30 years time!!! Although I dont have any experience in this area, I do know that, the caravan site we holiday at in Southport, there are a few people like yourselves, who live there. The site we use, doesnt close at all over the year, but they do take themselves off for a few weeks at a time to either other sites (hire motorhomes) or abroad. Again, its an excellent idea and one that we are definetly doing. Go for it!

Good luck

Julie

P.S. The caravan looks fantastic, my mum has a luxury caravan in the Yorkshire Dales, but on their site, once the 'van' reaches 10 years old they have to replace it.

russjacks

we are in the process of paying off our mortgage hopefully in the next six years. by that time i will be 50, we will only get about £150000 for our house . but we are looking at getting a log cabin instead of a caravan, which would cost us about £80000, leaves us a lot less to live on than you will have, but the way i see it, both in part time jobs should see us by. can't wait.

snax

My mate had an elderly[ish] neighbour for a while when he moved to his present house. After a few months the old boy sold up and announced he'd bought a caravan [permanent job - not a gypo type one you can stick on the back of a transit] about 10 miles down the coast in an all-year-round caravan park.
He didn't want to be stuck in a 3 bed semi, sitting on loads of equity that he couldn't get at and being scared of the costs of heating, maintainance, etc.
Still there as far as I know - living the good life - with no real cash worries.
Seems to work for some.
Seen ad's on telly recently for retirement chalets - near a 'forest' somewhere ..... same sort of thing as a caravan only purpose built.
1 way of beating the pensions trap - downsize when you retire and live off accrued equity and interest + any pension.

S.

Horasio

It sounds a lovely idea.

My worry would be living with trailer trash - I'm not a snob but want a decent neighbourhood to relax in my retirement not be stressed by anti social neighbours, or is it like housing, there are good and bad sites/areas?

Also, do they retain the heat when it is cold and do they get too hot in the summer?

Rachie_B

sounds / looks fab

id def go for it

finlay

Sounds great! I sat next to a chap on the plane coming back from Spain. He had a static on a site in England and used his equity to buy a house in Spain. He came back to the static every now and again to visit relatives.

lynzpower

Cor, it looks great! Super idea.

bluenose1

CCStar wrote:

It sounds a lovely idea.

My worry would be living with trailer trash - I'm not a snob but want a decent neighbourhood to relax in my retirement not be stressed by anti social neighbours, or is it like housing, there are good and bad sites/areas?

Also, do they retain the heat when it is cold and do they get too hot in the summer?

I am a bit of a snob myself -not intentionally, just have standards. Oh my god I sound like Hyacinth Bouquet.
My friend actually moved to a caravan park or Residential Holiday Park as I prefer to call it LOL. to escape the yobs.
At the Park she is on they are all retired people and seem very friendly. I am pretty certain she told me that kids couldn't live on the site but they can visit grandparents etc.
Suppose like everything there are good and bad parks. I would only go on a decent one.

Our caravan gets warmer than our house in Winter, it has central heating radiators in every room. double glazing and the walls of caravans nowadays are cladded. During the night the bedrooms can go cold but this just means setting the boiler to come on for 1/2 hour about 3am.

In the Summer our caravan is just as cool as our house so I assume they all are.

Unfortunately hubby and I are only 39 so can't realise our dream for at least 12 years. Nothing like forward planning and wishing your life away.
My husband has also spotted a caravan that is 40" by 16" that looks very luxurious. That is now his current favourite.

I want to live in a caravan now. Although our house is lovely it is near a busy dual carriage way and I am convinced that we all suffer repeated coughs etc cos of it.

Oh well off to Lakes for May Bank Holiday weekend so will get my fix of fresh air then.
Regards
Anne