Buying a holiday lodge

racey

I'm considering buying a holiday lodge and have a few concerns:
1. If the lodge is on a plot with a long lease can notice be given to remove the lodge?
2. Are the site owners able to pressurise you into vacating the plot? If they do can another lodge use the same plot if you have the lease?

I would be grateful for advice on this and any other considerations

spadoosh

These are normally terms and conditions which are dictated by individual sites.

Theyll usually include things like keeping it to a good standard. So once you went below that standard theyd be looking at ways of removing the lodge.

They can pressurise you. Bearing in mind most places like this are fairly close communities and cliques are rife. Never mind the site owners pressuing you, being scorned by everyone on site is probably enough pressure to take a loss and get rid.

As usual terms and conditions will apply. Essentially youre agreeing to buy a 'lodge' and lease a bit of land. If you fall fould of any of the rules that you agree to when doing so then there is likely to be consequences including forced sales

Youve considerably fewer rights buying a 'holiday lodge' (typically 48 weeks per year) over a 'park home' (Residiential lodges/caravans/statics etc)

SmashedAvacado

1. it depends - does your lease have an option to break in it? Unlikely in a long lease, as this would massively impact value
2. not if its harassment. If you have a lease, you have a right to quiet enjoyment. What do you mean by pressure?

racey

I've heard cases of site owners making things unpleasant so that owners want to move. This may be in shorter leases, though.

Zanderman

There are many possible pitfalls to look out for.

The issue with pressure to move usually centres around either your lodge is getting old and tired-looking and the site owners want to get a new, shinier one there or the owners want to redevelop the site wholly or partially.

The length of lease may be irrelevant - if the site owners want you out then they can, in theory, make life awkward for you by, say, redeveloping all the adjoining lodges, bulldozing the adjoining vegetation etc. Not saying they will, just pointing out you have no control over these matters.

Such issues are less likely if the lodge is fairly new or the site has recently been redeveloped - but are more likely if older.

Also, whilst most site owners are fine and would never do these things, bear in mind that the current site owners may sell up - and the incoming owners may be less scrupulous. Many formerly family-run sites have been bought by bigger firms more interested in cash-flow through new sales of new lodges rather than providing nice holidays for existing lodge owners.

Last caveat that I'd raise is to bear in mind a holiday lodge depreciates, often quite fast, so it's not an investment, and shouldn't be seen as one. But you may be well aware of that already.