Park Homes. Pro's and Con's

monnagran

I think that there are varying types of park homes.  One is purely residential and the other caters for holidaymakers as well.  The latter are the ones where you have to vacate for a certain number of days each year.
I have a friend who lives in a residential park and she says that she would never do it again.  They are in constant conflict with the park owners who seem to do very little for the money that the house owners fork out every month.  They've had no outside lighting for ages.
Also, as oystercatcher says, it seems to be a very close community and the lack of privacy, particularly in the garden, is really getting my friend down.

It is a great pity, because the homes themselves are nice and quite adequate for someone on their own or an older couple.

Good luck.

thriftwizard

Living somewhere where people come on holiday & also retire to, there are two kinds of park; residential, generally known as park homes, and holiday parks. Both generally do have the same kind of set-up where you pay ground rent & service fees and new owners pay 10% to the site owners when you sell on. Holiday parks have to close for at least 28 days per annum, (some are shut for 3 months) with no-one allowed to stay put, and rarely allow units over a certain age; 10 years, IIRC, on the biggest local ones, and there's no obligation for the units to be insulated. Residential parks don't have to close, and units are usually insulated, and I believe some are more relaxed about older units as long as they are kept up to scratch. Some even allow each unit a little garden, and pets, but that's not standard. If you actually live full-time in a residential park, benefits are payable, but not on a holiday park, even if you're there for 11 months of the year. 
We did consider buying one some years back, when DD1 insisted on going to college 30 miles away in a seaside town; we were advised that it would work out cheaper over 3 years than her renting a flat or doing a house-share, plus she'd have use of the gym, swimming pool (indoor, heated, Olympic-size with flumes etc.) social club etc. & we'd cover the cost by letting it out in the holidays. However she decided the course wasn't for her after a month of commuting, before we'd committed to anything. I'm still wondering whether those sums would really have worked out in real life...

oystercatcher

balabooberlies said:

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

Ahh, I think you must have been talking to the owner of a holiday park , as described in previous posts there are parks where the homes are mainly used as people's second homes, usually in nice parts of the country, these tend to close for part of the winter, I believe some people do go under the radar and use them as their permanent home and just stay elsewhere when the parks are closed but it's probably breaking regulations .  Then there are parks where the homes are people's permanent residences and it is usually their only home and because this is a cheap form of housing many of the residents are on low incomes and entitled to claim benefits . These tend to be tucked away in ordinary parts of the country and it is usually cheaper to buy a park home than a bricks and mortar home but the running costs can be expensive.

Its not clear if you are looking for a holiday home or a permanent home. I assumed you were perhaps thinking of downsizing to a permanent residence.

Either way there is lots to think about and it's not a particularly cheap option but it does suit some people.

balabooberlies

Thank you ThriftWizard & Oystercatcher

The park I was talking to gives a 12 month licence.  Must go back and check because i specifically asked about occupation.

bala

balabooberlies

okay....

I understand now, the difference between the 2.

Totally stunned at the prices of Residential Park Homes.  One a few pounds away from 4 Hundred Thousand Pounds.  The Rules and Regulations also took my breath away namely you could bring one pet with you but after it's demise you could not get another one.  That's the end of researching that.  Totally out of my meagre price range but the research and info offered here has been so helpful.  Also, my life cannot ever (unless I think I am reaching the end) be without a furry, much loved, totally adored pet !  

bala

jwball

They are a con. Complete waste of money.

Katiehound

Resurrecting a very old thread!
Why???

t14cy_t

would be cheaper to buy youself a small camper van. x