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Park Homes. Pro's and Con's

Hello 

Am looking at Park Homes.  I understand all the different kinds of sites and the rules for occupancy.

My question is about cost and value for money.  The site I am looking at is quiet and minimum when it comes to 'facilities'.  So no pools or discos !

The site fees include water and sewage.  Gas and electric is extra.

Any views/experience would be appreciated.

many thanks

bala
AKA : Bala La Boo & Bala Baloo

According to a lovely poster I am Bala the Brave who wrestled a Tiger.  You know who you are..... 

I HAVE A GOLD STAR and A MEDAL and a Title !
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Comments

  • -taff
    -taff Posts: 15,055 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Better off asking on the holidays board.
    Non me fac calcitrare tuum culi
  • balabooberlies
    balabooberlies Posts: 1,865 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Ahhhhh

    didn't know there was one !

    thanks Taff

    bala
    AKA : Bala La Boo & Bala Baloo

    According to a lovely poster I am Bala the Brave who wrestled a Tiger.  You know who you are..... 

    I HAVE A GOLD STAR and A MEDAL and a Title !
  • joedenise
    joedenise Posts: 17,323 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Bear in mind that although they are reasonably cheap to buy they depreciate quite quickly; they don't appreciate like bricks and mortar.  After X number of years it's likely that you will have to upgrade and you'll probably have to sell it back to the site owner if you decide to sell.

  • boultdj
    boultdj Posts: 5,323 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Mice get in easy, if you sell 10% goes to the site, you have to keep to the sites allowed colours for the outside of the building, the site fees go up every year. 
    Plus side they are on their own.
    £71.93/ £180.00
  • cuddlymarm
    cuddlymarm Posts: 2,002 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    We lived in a park home while OH was still working. Be very careful to read the terms and conditions. We had to leave for a set 28 days every year which meant either going on hol or staying with family. Also the address on the site wasn’t recognised so you needed a family member who would allow you to use theirs for your post. Very expensive to heat in winter and could be uncomfortably hot in summer. There are all year round sites where you pay your own rates and ground rent but there’s lots that are just holiday sites so be careful. Also your home depreciates and will need removing when it hits a certain age and the ground rent can be really expensive so this needs factoring in to your costs. It not necessarily a cheap home. I’m sorry to be negative and it suited us as was cheaper than renting while OH was working near London. You need to weigh up the pros and cons and make sure it’s sensible for your needs.


    February NSD 5/15
    February grocery challenge £5.35/£300
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  • A_Lert
    A_Lert Posts: 609 Forumite
    500 Posts Third Anniversary Name Dropper
    Money pits for caravan owners. Money makers for site owners.
    IMHO it's never smart to own a hard-to-move asset that's on land you don't own. Static caravans and fleecehold houses are in the same boat there.
  • Wow

    thank you all.  Tremendous amount of food for thought.

    bala
    AKA : Bala La Boo & Bala Baloo

    According to a lovely poster I am Bala the Brave who wrestled a Tiger.  You know who you are..... 

    I HAVE A GOLD STAR and A MEDAL and a Title !
  • oystercatcher
    oystercatcher Posts: 2,352 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I know someone who lives in a residential park home. The ground rent is well over £400 a month but she gets help with housing benefits for this. She has to have heating on 24 hours a day in winter and air conditioning in summer so massive fuel bills . Hers has the tanks of gas which also costs more than the usual mains gas.
    There can be very strict rules and regulations, obviously this can vary between sites. This is an over 55's site and one family who bought a unit were asked to leave when their homeless son cane to stay for a while. Poor lad ended up sleeping in his car over the road while their spare bedroom sat empty, eventually they moved on. Lots of rules about pet ownership, tidy gardens, no washing lines. So read up carefully. Also the same about 10% of selling proceeds going to site owners I believe this is universal .
    There is also what can be called 'a very close knit community' , because the units are small and close together everyone can see what everyone else is doing and they all discuss it among themselves !!
    That being said my friend moved there from an unsuitable , privately owned house in an awful estate and is now mortgage free in a place that suits her disabilities , she likes most of her neighbours and is much happier there than she was before so it's not all bad but needs careful thought.

    Decluttering, 20 mins / day Jan 2024 2/2 
  • balabooberlies
    balabooberlies Posts: 1,865 Forumite
    Fifth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Thank you Oystercatcher

    All of the responses are just so helpful.  Great food for thought.  Very informative.

    When I phoned one site to ask about fees I got the distinct impression that the gentleman I was speaking to wasn't keen on new comers.   :)

    I also asked about broadband, approx 30 pounds a month.

    I am curious about your friend recieving housing benefit as the gentleman laboured the point about how it cannot be your main residence/address.  Perhaps I am getting confused.

    bala

    AKA : Bala La Boo & Bala Baloo

    According to a lovely poster I am Bala the Brave who wrestled a Tiger.  You know who you are..... 

    I HAVE A GOLD STAR and A MEDAL and a Title !
  • carolbee
    carolbee Posts: 1,768 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    One site near me dictates how many pots  of plants you can have outside! 
    Carolbee
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