Living in a caravan

FelisSilvestris

I'm a single person in a low-paid job and currently rent my house. My contract is due to come to an end and most of the interviews I'm getting for alternative employment are offering even less money.

I'm likely to have to downsize my living arrangements in order to survive. However, I've got two cats so most other rental properties either wouldn't be available to me or wouldn't be suitable.

Would living in a caravan be a feasible option? Has anyone tried this and how was the experience? I have some money in an ISA from the sale of a previous property so could afford to buy something second hand.

Pixie5740

Are you thinking about a caravan you can drive about from site to site or a static caravan in one park full time?

m_13

FelisSilvestris wrote: »

I'm a single person in a low-paid job and currently rent my house. My contract is due to come to an end and most of the interviews I'm getting for alternative employment are offering even less money.

I'm likely to have to downsize my living arrangements in order to survive. However, I've got two cats so most other rental properties either wouldn't be available to me or wouldn't be suitable.

Would living in a caravan be a feasible option? Has anyone tried this and how was the experience? I have some money in an ISA from the sale of a previous property so could afford to buy something second hand.

I worked in Truro for 9 months and lived in a touring caravan for some of the time. The majority of people on the site were working locally living in tents, caravans and motorhomes along with a couple of static caravans. Some of the people had been on the site for several years because it didn't have a restriction that only allowed occupancy for part of the year. One man had returned from Spain after a relationship breakup, bought a second hand caravan and didn't even have a car to move it! He had an awning up and pets. He said it had been cold in the winter but mostly it was fine.

PasturesNew

As a general rule, 98% of the time, the answer is most probably a "No". The definition of caravan varies ... and where you are will offer different options to other areas.

While some sites do have people in caravans living in them full time (there are some just outside Bournemouth I've heard about), most are actually turning a blind eye/bending the law and even then ... in the main your problems will be [a] identifying them them existing anywhere where near where you'd wish/need to be.

With detailed study, planning and consideration - and in some limited locations, for some people, it is something they can consider.

But, for most, most of the time, in most places, it's not going to be possible.

CostCutter

I suppose it depends on the park. I know most parks have to close for a certain number of days a year. The one where we have our static caravan is closed 7th Jan - 7th Feb each year. However there is a site down the road from ours with very odd rules which is sort of open all year but you can't use the site / stay in the caravan tues-thurs inc from Jan-March.

The guy in the caravan next to ours (plus a few others on the site) all live in theirs throughout the year. I know the guy next door then rents a place local (a cheap holiday let, out of season) while the park is closed for the month. He is perfectly happy doing it. The main problem he has is not being able to have post or parcels like Amazon etc.. delivered to his caravan. I guess this would be the same for most sites.

I think pets may be a problem, I know we are allowed dogs but the site rules say no other pets. I know someone who brings a cat though because I often see it. I don't know if they have special permission or if the park managers know but they don't seem to hide the fact it's there.

I think I'd be happy to live in ours. There is certainly less cleaning to do!! My dad, who is single often says "this would do me champion to live in, I don't need anything else" I've told him he can't have it!


You would need to consider that most sites also have site fees. Ours are £2250 a year.


I know there are a number of 'residential sites' where you are allowed to stay and are open all year. A friend of ours parents have a static caravan on a site in Southam. I don't know what the rules of the site are though.



Hope that helps :0) CC

FelisSilvestris

Thanks for the advice. Sites closing for winter would definitely be something to check - although some do seem to stay open throughout the year. Restrictions on pets is another issue I hadn't considered.
I guess I just need to wait and see where I end up working and what the pay's like...

lincroft1710

Do be aware that if you are thinking of buying a secondhand caravan on an 11 month (or less) occupancy holiday park, that many parks only allow vans up to a certain age to remain on the park. So your "end of season bargain" could be worthless in say 4/5 years and you have to buy another van.

Proper mobile or park home parks (open and designed for year round living) don't usually have this problem, although many have minimum age restrictions for the occupiers (usually 50 or 55). And the homes on these aren't caravans, they're "park homes" and are of different construction to holiday caravans, designed for winter living and much more expensive.

knightstyle

We lived in a mobile home for over a year at the bottom of the garden of our being built house. Living in it was OK but pipes under it froze and thee was a lot of condensation, the plastic double glazing is not very good.

paddyrg

Have to say from experience that over winter is a lot less fun than over the summer months - but it's doable! You'll need to stock up on hot water bottles and extra blankets, they're poorly insulated generally, so it's a lot like posh camping :-\