Any caravan owners?

shegirl

Charityworker wrote: »

Hi there. I own a caravan on a Park Resorts site and I've had it nearly 4 years. The ownership is about the same as haven.

The site fees are roughly £3500 per year and then on top of that you have the electric (about £250 per year), gas (about £280 per year), insurance (£200 per year), gas and electric safety check what you have to have if your going to let it out (£90 per year), business rates and water rates (£500 per year).

During an august week you can let it out for £400 per week but the hard to let weeks (may, september and october) you have to sell them for £100 or dont sell them at all. I spend 2 weeks a year and the odd weekend in my caravan.

Last year I made a profit of £6 on the caravan (whoo hoo!) but it did enable me to own a caravan for nothing. This year I think I'll make about £100 profit.

I do the lettings myself which means that I do all the advertising, the admin and the cleaning which means going there every saturday to clean it inbetween lets. You can let it out through the site. I did that the first year I had it and lets just say the clientèle isnt very good. I've heard its worse from Haven. The first year there was a lot of damage and things went missing from the caravan including the TV (!!!), 6 doormats, 2 bathroom blinds, 2 frying pans and duvets. When this happens the site charge you to replace them, even though its their customer that did it. Since I've been letting it out myself nothing has gone missing.

If you want any more info let me know.

Got some more info now. One positive is that Haven provide the basics like cutlery,pots and pans etc and replace them for you if stolen/damaged.


It's not looking too bad and will look into it further. The fees aren't too different to yours but you'd never rent a caravan at Haven (especially the park I use) at the low prices you give,which is a bonus.


It does appear there isn't much to be made at all though so will need some consideration

Charityworker

shegirl wrote: »

Got some more info now. One positive is that Haven provide the basics like cutlery,pots and pans etc and replace them for you if stolen/damaged.


It's not looking too bad and will look into it further. The fees aren't too different to yours but you'd never rent a caravan at Haven (especially the park I use) at the low prices you give,which is a bonus.


It does appear there isn't much to be made at all though so will need some consideration

Haven is no different to any other site except butlins where you can get away with charging more.

I think you have a lot to learn about costs and prices. Speak to some real owners instead of just the park salespeople. They will tell you whatever they think you want to hear just to make a sale.

Charityworker

ThumbRemote wrote: »

But presumably you didn't own a caravan for nothing. If it cost £20k to buy and has a lifespan of around 10 years, it cost you 2k this year. Obviously adjust the figures accordingly.

The only reasons I can see for anyone wanting to own a static van are the convenience of being able to go at the drop of a hat, being able to spend significant amounts of time there, or wanting your own van that no-one else uses. All of those are negated if you're going to let it out. Otherwise you're just paying through the nose for a massively overpriced van, huge site fees and any other costs they can throw at you.

The caravan cost me £17,000 and its all paid off. I don't run it as a business. I just let it out for the required weeks to cover the costs. Ill be staying in it myself from mid September to January most weekends and I might do Xmas this year! I've also let some family members have free holidays in it.

Charityworker

Another thing to bear in mind is that if you are on any income related benefit at all it may be affected if you own or let out a caravan. They see the money you get from letting it out is seen as income even if you don't make a profit as it is enabling you to own a luxury item for free. Also if the caravan is on a 12 month site it affects your housing benefit as you could live in your caravan. I was on benefit for about 2 months a couple of years ago and had to get the site to wrute me a letter proving your not allowed to stay in it for more than 6 weeks in a row.

shegirl

Charityworker wrote: »

Haven is no different to any other site except butlins where you can get away with charging more.

I think you have a lot to learn about costs and prices. Speak to some real owners instead of just the park salespeople. They will tell you whatever they think you want to hear just to make a sale.

I am talking to some,including one I've hired from which is coming in quite handy.


As I have said, Haven is clearly more expensive than Park. I've never even paid less than £550 for 4 nights for the most basic grade caravan, nevermind £300 for a week!! Even through private caravans I wouldn't pay £300-£400 for a basic caravan in August. Although it often includes the fun works passes, it doesn't always.


There are caravans that go cheaply at last minute,if not booked though.Although that never seems to be a big thing.


I've been holidaying at this specific site for 8 years, both directly through Haven and through privately owned and let vans,so know how much they charge for rental

shegirl

Charityworker wrote: »

Another thing to bear in mind is that if you are on any income related benefit at all it may be affected if you own or let out a caravan. They see the money you get from letting it out is seen as income even if you don't make a profit as it is enabling you to own a luxury item for free. Also if the caravan is on a 12 month site it affects your housing benefit as you could live in your caravan. I was on benefit for about 2 months a couple of years ago and had to get the site to wrute me a letter proving your not allowed to stay in it for more than 6 weeks in a row.

None of that is an issue. Makes perfect sense with regard to housing benefit though!

Charityworker

Sorry to drag up this thing again but I've just thought of another thing to bear in mind. Some Haven sites have an age limit on the caravans they allow you to keep on the site. They dont tell you this when you buy one, its in the small print and you have to notice it before you sign anything. Some of the time limits on the caravans are 10 years and some are 20. So if you buy the van secondhand (or new) you wont have it long before your expected to either upgrade or move your van off. Luckily Park Resorts dont have that. As long as your van is in full working order and doesnt leak it can stay on the site.

paddyrg

The van age thing is a genuine problem. The cost of moving a van that's been sitting for a decade is real, you may find that the park insist you use a particular haulier, then you've got to take it somewhere, so find another site for a perfectly functioning yet now near-worthless van (because without anywhere to store it, you'll go to the first buyer at any price), or otherwise the park may arrange it all for you - IF you buy another van at full price...

Not saying that's how it's going to go, but you should certainly get written terms about how it *will* go upfront, and keep them safe as you'll probably want to refer to them when the time comes.

shegirl

Luckily there is no age thing or ten year rule anymore! As long as the van is in good condition it can stay there and the initial leases are for 12 years.


That's certainly better than it used to be as I remember it's the one thing that put my brother off back when I was a kid


I've got a lot of interest from people already by thinking along the line of making it an autism/disability friendly caravan as a lot of other families with autistics no longer use caravans, or have a hard time, due to lack of safety items they would have at home (such as locks on things) or a gated area outside the van.


So still considering it

greenface

So long as the van is in good condition IN THEIR OPINION . So 12 years then depending on what they want to do . If your site has an option of finance deals over a 20 year repayment then there is no time limit even if you dont use the finance deal . little know fact , unless you already have a written contract saying time up anytime after ???years . We are due up next year after 10 . we know of no one being turfed out after 10 years but as we have a prime pitch thats in demand we dont expect to stay without upgrading by about 14/15 . ( and we have a good relationship with the site owners).