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

recovering_spendaholic

I think it looks fab - one question - can you get fitted air conditioning? Some caravans can get really hot in the summer!!

finc

I looked in those caravans at the Holiday Show and they are better than my house! I would live in one with my hubby and kids if I could. They've everything you need and are really posh! Only the bedroom size would bother me but the living space is great. Go for it!

bluenose1

recovering_spendaholic wrote:

I think it looks fab - one question - can you get fitted air conditioning? Some caravans can get really hot in the summer!!

Don't think so, I think the new caravans have some type of roof that doesn't absorb the heat the way the old ones did. Our caravan doesn't get too hot in the Summer. There are also plenty of decent size windows so that a nice breeze can blow through.
Regards
Anne

moggins

Are you talking about the permanently sited 'mobile homes' not actually a caravan? We lived in a twin unit one about 8 years ago and I loved it. It was so easy to clean and look after and had loads of storage space. The only thing you have to be careful of is the type of heating, we had LPG and had to make sure that we ordered gas in plenty of time otherwise you could end up having a few very cold days in winter. Other than that I would say go for it and jump at the chance, we have a few sites down here and most of them only allow people over the age of 50.

Ted_Hutchinson

I think you have to fully investigate the site fees and the contract you are entering into.
Some friends of mine were on a Park Homes estate and found their management fees each year seemed to increase out of all proportion to the service they got.
I think you also have to investigate the insulation properties of the property. My friends fuel bill for their small two bed park home where higher than my 5 bed old solid wall house.
Do be careful also about how much space you are getting. I noticed that in the Park Homes before they were sold the doors weren't in place. My friends didn't put the doors to some of the rooms on as there simply wasn't room to open them when in place.
One more gripe they had was the cost of moving when they did eventually move to another Park Home.
If you are thinking of buying or already own a mobile home, you can download the Mobile homes: a guide for residents and site owners - Office of ...

Shelter: Mobile homes has lots of useful information as well

See also Economics of the Park Homes Industry

bluenose1

moggins wrote:

Are you talking about the permanently sited 'mobile homes' not actually a caravan? We lived in a twin unit one about 8 years ago and I loved it. It was so easy to clean and look after and had loads of storage space. The only thing you have to be careful of is the type of heating, we had LPG and had to make sure that we ordered gas in plenty of time otherwise you could end up having a few very cold days in winter. Other than that I would say go for it and jump at the chance, we have a few sites down here and most of them only allow people over the age of 50.

Hi,
yes I suppose I do mean mobile home. We just call it a static caravan.Have changed title of post to reflect that.
Never been in a twin unit one.Am getting a bit of a caravan junky as I have looked around loads of show caravans.
The site were we currently have our caravan has piped gas, electricity, water etc so don't have to worry about gas bottles etc.

I think more and more Parks will spring up as house prices increase. There is no way we could afford to live in our current house if we were jus starting out.
Must make sure that I get one with internet access or I will have withdrawal symptons from MSE.
Regards
Anne

muddled_midget

We used to have a static caravan on a site in Kent, and there were a lot of elderly couples doing the same thing. Our site closed for 2 months over winter, I think it was January and February so they all used to go to Spain or Majorca where the weather was a bit nicer, and their arthritis wasn't so bad, IIRC! It definitely depends on the site as to how it works out I think, our site was nice enough, but maybe a little big and noisy for me to want to live there permanently. I'm trying to persuade my BF to do something similar now, while we save up for a house and we currently haven't accumulated too much stuff that would make living in a caravan difficult. If we were on a site that closed, I'd consider a cheap rental house over those months as it's much cheaper to rent somewhere in the winter (you can get good longterm lets on properties that are usually only rented out during the summer months)

tootles_2

The vans you are talking about are actually holiday caravans, you would be better looking at Park homes if you want to live in one and as Ted says you need to check very carefully the conditions of the site you are wanting to go to.

Park homes have very high levels of insulation and can cost as much as a small house, the land they are on is not yours, its rented from the site owner, so you pay a rent and also a sevice charge, it can cost upwards of £10,000 to site a park home depending on where it is.

A holiday static van will not be so well insulated, their shelf life is usually about 10 years but a lot of park owners insist that you change your van after 5 years and they will charge you again for re-siting a new van.

It is a good idea in principle, but do be careful......

Essex-girl_2

My caravan is def cooler that my house in summer (my house has a lot of wood) but it is freezing in winter. It hasnt got central heating & I would def look into the cost of gas bottles and how many you would need if you were living there.

There are a couple of people on my park who like other posters have stated stay there 1st March - eoNovember then go to spain for a couple of months, the site fees at the moment are about £200 dearer than my council tax.

Im only 37 (only?) but def think it would be an option for my future to have as a base in UK then to own a smaller home somewhere hot - also I dread to think of the cost of living here when I retire if it carries on going as it is now.

I think it is a good idea - also the inside of new statics are gorgeous - better than a lot of peoples houses.

Spendless

Would you be able to manage in one, if ill-health befell either of you in later years? Often flats/houses can be adapted, ramps to front door etc, space for wheelchair use? Would you be able to adapt a mobile home?