Can I live in a static caravan on the countryside?

hussnainh8

chappers wrote: »

If it is on a private site there will be at least an annual rent to pay.
You don't say whether it is a holiday or residential site. if a holiday site you may not be able to live there year round, also as others have said, there may also be restrictions on the age of the vans allowed on site, so you could find yourself having to replace it long before it's useful life is over.
Don't overlook the depreciation, as a rough linear figure that will be about 15% per year .But that could vary depending upon where it is sited.

Thanks this is what I was looking for.. I wanted to know what it meant by "small private site" which you just told me now that it would still have an annual rent to pay which basically for me makes living on the caravan pointless as you could get rent a flat in that case.

ProDave

hussnainh8 wrote: »

Thank you I am aware of all this. I was just trying to see if there was a way to live without the fees seeing as I have found the 2 bedroom caravan for 35k but it doesnt seem to show any fees etc other than it saying the caravan is located on a "small private site".. I was assuming that seeing as the caravan costs 35k the "small private site" would also belong to me?

Thanks.

No, it will be on a residential site, sometimes called a park home or mobile home site. Ar least if it is on a proper residential site agreement you will have security of tenure over the plot.

You will have to pay rent to the site owner as well as council tax and your utility bills.

If ever you sell it on in the future, the site owner can claim 10% of the sale price as commission.

There may be restrictions on age or condition so at some point you may be forced to replace it with a new one at your expense

It will most likely go down in value as it gets older.

Do not compare it to owning house. A better comparison, once you have found out what all the fees are, would be to compare it to the cost of renting a house or a flat.

hussnainh8

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

Also unless you buy the caravan on its site or from a regsitered dealer, you may find it difficult to find a site that will take it. Even if you do there will almost certainly be site fees which can be several thousand pounds a year (I know of one site where they are over £9k - ours is 3.5k a year plus gas, electricity and insurance).

The site also may be closed from 1-4 months a year and you won't be able to live in your caravan during that time.

If you buy one already sited on a residential site (as opposed to a holiday park), then you will be able to live in it all year round, but I think the site fees still apply.

So no matter what the site fees will still apply.. Surely the listing I have seen for £35,000 is a bit high for just a caravan? Oh well. haha

atolaas

hussnainh8 wrote: »

Thank you I am aware of all this. I was just trying to see if there was a way to live without the fees seeing as I have found the 2 bedroom caravan for 35k but it doesnt seem to show any fees etc other than it saying the caravan is located on a "small private site".. I was assuming that seeing as the caravan costs 35k the "small private site" would also belong to me?

Thanks.

Probably not. The 35k would just be for the caravan. You'd still have to pay annual ground rent, connections to gas and electric. You said earlier in one of your posts that the caravan you're looking at has gas and electric fixtures and fittings. You still need to pay for gas bottles and connection to the mains electric. I know from experience that a caravan in the depths of winter...even with a gas fire and lots of warm clothes and bedding is damn cold!!!

hussnainh8

societys_child wrote: »

I bought a house when I was 20. My "nice car" was a £300 mini which I had to make do with, for 8 years. Its all about your priorities.
Caravans in winter, damp, condensation all kinds of problems.

I bought the car first as I dont have a problem living with parents for a few years.. The car I bought is only around £10,000 so it hasnt exactly set me back completely. In around 2-3 years I would have enough for a deposit on a house.

ProDave

hussnainh8 wrote: »

So no matter what the site fees will still apply.. Surely the listing I have seen for £35,000 is a bit high for just a caravan? Oh well. haha

You can buy a good van off site for a lot less, but finding a site to put it on will be challenging.

You are paying for the right to lease the site as well as the ownership of the van.

hussnainh8

atolaas wrote: »

Probably not. The 35k would just be for the caravan. You'd still have to pay annual ground rent, connections to gas and electric. You said earlier in one of your posts that the caravan you're looking at has gas and electric fixtures and fittings. You still need to pay for gas bottles and connection to the mains electric. I know from experience that a caravan in the depths of winter...even with a gas fire and lots of warm clothes and bedding is damn cold!!!

Ahh now I understand.. I was thinking the 35k is for the caravan and the area where it is so that I can keep it there and live there without paying annual fees seeing as it said located on a "private site" I didnt think there would be fees to pay to stay there and yes that is true but now that I realise, you would still need to pay annual fees, it has put me off wanting to buy the caravan.

Thanks!

Lulu0110

Or stay longer with your mum while you save

seven-day-weekend

hussnainh8 wrote: »

Thank you I am aware of all this. I was just trying to see if there was a way to live without the fees seeing as I have found the 2 bedroom caravan for 35k but it doesnt seem to show any fees etc other than it saying the caravan is located on a "small private site".. I was assuming that seeing as the caravan costs 35k the "small private site" would also belong to me?

Thanks.

I wouldn't think so. I would imagine 'private' in this context means the whole site is privately owned and not part of a chain like Haven. You almost certainly will not own the land.

My static caravan cost £30k and is on a privately-owned site in Snowdonia, but I still have to pay for the privilege of having it sited there. There are lots of other 'vans, they all have to pay the site fees.

How many other 'vans are on the 'small private site'?

societys_child

chappers wrote: »

The OP is talking about a £30k static they have double glazing , central heating, en-suite bathrooms etc. Some are better than my house.

Hmm, I know what they are, have you lived in one through the winter?