Buying a Chalet...

Sibley

Don't get me wrong. I know it's not ideal but why don't some of the first time buyers consider buying a chalet?

My friend bought one on the Isle of Sheppy. He paid about £8000 for it. As it goes it's not that bad. 2 bedroom.

You can get them everywhere. Can't believe people cannot afford that. I know some of them only allow 8 months living but that would suit me. Wouldn't buying one be a better option than sitting waiting for a crash that's not going to happen?

PasturesNew

You can't live in them. Even for the occupancy months, you can't live in them. That's strictly enforced. And there's often quite high site fees too (£3k/year). And you can't get landlines/broadband to them, or post.

And round my way, such a chalet is more likely to cost £80-250k. Which you can't get a mortgage for, it's a personal loan.

Sibley

You can't live in them. Even for the occupancy months, you can't live in them. That's strictly enforced. And there's often quite high site fees too (£3k/year). And you can't get landlines/broadband to them, or post.

And round my way, such a chalet is more likely to cost £80-250k. Which you can't get a mortgage for, it's a personal loan.

You have look at Isle of Sheppy. I know £8000 was cheap but a much better one is not that much more expensive. I suppose it's like everything. One chalet site probably turns a blind eye to people living there. I've seen my mates. People have got sat dishes up, car parking etc. Wouldn't be the end of the world living there.

What about mobile homes as well?

Why aren't FTB's looking into them? It works in USA.

Graham_Devon

Sibley wrote: »

Why aren't FTB's looking into them? It works in USA.

Because of everything PN has just stated?

You cannot live in them, so it's about as much use as buying a motorbike to ride to work as it's cheaper than a car, when you don't have the licence to ride it as you have a car licence.

System

You try to help and look at the thanks you get

Really2

Some sites are 12 month residency, but that does cost you a lot more for the pitch.

The lodge I stayed in when moving house was 12 months residency, they were £150K and were huge though.

You can caravans sites with 12 months residency there is one by my old town. (they are called park homes arn't they?)

(But to add I think the OP's post is to wind up, not help:))

lostinrates

People DO live in mobile homes like USA here. I was amazed when I first noticed it here. I've seen them advertised in towns near where I used to live (not big city commuterville) for around £80-100k. Not always a really cheap option, though significantly ceaper than a house flats are available at not dissimilar prices

holderness

It is an option I've considered, I own a static on the coast, I don't live in it but quite a few of my neighbours live in theirs. It cost me 24k second user (a 2004 abi wentworth), has central heating, double glazing and with the skirting is very warm even with snow on the ground. So the sums - it costs 2700 pa for rent and insurance, it has a meter for electric cards and I get 2 gas bills a year, no water bills (it has mains gas and water) it is an 11 month site, so is classed as a holiday home, so no council tax - legally you do need another UK address. There are 12 month sites around ours but I believe you do then pay council tax. You can get a half board winter month to Cyprus or Spain for 2 people for not much more than £1000. So it works for retired couples, don't know about young working couples. Its not an investment, it depreciates much the same as a car. The big benefit - living in the countryside with a sea view, and real pubs.

PasturesNew

Sibley wrote: »

You have look at Isle of Sheppy. I know £8000 was cheap but a much better one is not that much more expensive. I suppose it's like everything. One chalet site probably turns a blind eye to people living there. I've seen my mates. People have got sat dishes up, car parking etc. Wouldn't be the end of the world living there.

What about mobile homes as well?

Why aren't FTB's looking into them? It works in USA.

Well, we can't all live on the Isle of Sheppey - wherever the heck that is.

People have satellite dishes up etc on their holiday homes.

If a site turns a blind eye, then that's only until somebody reports them - I could link you right now to two in my area where the council issued notices to two people to stop using theirs as residential.

Mobile homes - again, expensive. £80-120k here to buy on a residential site. You can't buy/live on a holiday park (8-11 months' occupancy) because it's not allowed/is enforced - and they only usually have a 10-12 year license on the park anyway.

Every day, part of my "looking for somewhere to go" includes searching for chalets/mobile home sites across three counties, trying to spot any that are [a] affordable and have an occupancy of 10 months or longer and [c] I think I could get away with living in one unnoticed (except for the fact you have your car sitting outside 24/7).

If it were possible, for most, we'd be doing it. Fact.

PasturesNew

lostinrates wrote: »

People DO live in mobile homes like USA here. I was amazed when I first noticed it here.

I'm amazed you were amazed. When I was at school I had friends who lived in them. Then, when I got to 30 and still couldn't afford even a studio flat in my town I managed to get myself a cheap/tatty one myself and bought it.

Mine was OK, except the door froze up in winter so I had to kick my way out in the winter and try not to put my foot through the glass window. And the gas had to be kept on 24/7 in the depths of winter, which cost £35/week at the time. And I was nearly evicted as I had a tiny water drip/leak, so I used to turn the water off when not using it - only turned it on to wash up or refill the cistern or to fill the bath.

Most site owners are little Hitlers and will literally 'patrol' a site - pointing out to you every tiny problem they see. I had to employ the site owner's gardener just to ensure I got my edges 100% straight/perfect so she didn't issue me with an eviction letter.

Generali

Sibley wrote: »

Don't get me wrong. I know it's not ideal but why don't some of the first time buyers consider buying a chalet?

My friend bought one on the Isle of Sheppy. He paid about £8000 for it. As it goes it's not that bad. 2 bedroom.

You can get them everywhere. Can't believe people cannot afford that. I know some of them only allow 8 months living but that would suit me. Wouldn't buying one be a better option than sitting waiting for a crash that's not going to happen?

TBH I'd happily spend $15-20k on a mobile home to live in for 2 years to get the Generali finances sorted out, especially if I thought I could get a significant chunk of the money back at the end.

We'll get there in the end anyway but it would be a helpful kickstart.