Living in a Static

Nathan_Burns

I'm currently considering purchasing and living in a static caravan. Not only will this save vast swathes of money, but also be an interesting and hopefully exciting way to live.

However, the big issue is having a permanent residency address (unless you can find a residential site, but these seem few and far between, and typically seem to sell very expensive park homes).

Does anybody have solutions to this issue? 

Davesnave

You have spotted the flaw in your plan, which is essentially that others don't want to see shanty towns of mobile homes peppering the landscape, so rules exist regarding their siting which more or less restrict this sort of permanent living to controlled sites. The sites have rules and service costs, so living on them is rarely interesting or exciting, except perhaps when the owner tells you you must get a newer van as yours is too old.

While buying a cheap pony paddock and sticking a caravan on it as a permanent home isn't going to be tolerated in most places, there are a few people roughing it in caravans where I live in a more  remote part of the West Country. One has occupied a council lay-by for well over 5 years now, but the other two groups seem to have bought woodland and gone quietly native without much interference from 'the powers that be.' Obviously, the council will have to act before 10 years is up, or they'll lose their lay-by, but Matey and his family have enjoyed council tax and rent-free living for a considerable time. As for the others, I don't envy them in winter, when their sites are very boggy and have no services whatsoever. Also, I doubt if Waitrose deliver!

TLDR: It probably isn't feasible, even short term, unless you go off grid and rough it. Then you might get away with it on your own land for a while, but have you the cash to buy that outright and what happens when you are evicted?

lookstraightahead

How about a canal /narrowboat instead? Might be less of an issue for residency.

Keswick1uk

My daughter lives on a caravan park in a park home (she's the manager) and says, apart from the major problem you've found - which councils, site owners and lenders, if financed, do check,  the caravans sited for these purposes are often not the residentially insulated versions. They are remarkably hot in weather like last week and cold (or a lot of heating is required) in winter. Parks will close for certain times. Van licences only last so long, so you will need to plan for another large coat at the end of that period.

One would hope we never get another lockdown but the council visited to check no one not allowed to be was onsite during lockdown.

Keswick1uk

Large cost, not coat. Although if you don't have the cost money, perhaps it will be a coat that's needed!

AdrianC

@Dave is right on the money.

Buying a static caravan is one thing.
Having some land to put it on is another.
Having some land to put it on legally is yet another still.

Somebody near here bought a field and put a mobile home in it.
Not to live in permanently, just as a stepping stone to short-term use.
Several years later, he is still trying to get planning permission to do something, anything other than the pre-existing agricultural use, following an enforcement notice to remove the mobile home... which he did.

ProDave

I have done 3 spells in a static caravan.  One was my first home but on a private "single unit" site so the rent was cheap and did not have so many of the silly rules that big sites have.  the other 2 have been our own vans on our own land as temporary accommodation while self building a house.  In that case the PP for the self build house allowed for temporary occupation of a static caravan.

Park homes are seriously bad value, They go down in value as they get older as most sites have a clause saying it has to be replaced when it gets to a certain age, and it then becomes worthless (or worth very little e.g for a self builder)

user1977

Nathan_Burns said:

Not only will this save vast swathes of money, but also be an interesting and hopefully exciting way to live.

Sounds more like a cold way to live, listening to the rain batter off your depreciating tin roof. What makes it seem interesting and exciting to you?

silvercar

There are postal addresses that will accept post and forward onto you, some will even scan mail and email it to you.

just google for mailing address rentals or mail boxes.

london21

For your mail you can possibly use a PO Box. 

Section62

Davesnave said:

....Obviously, the council will have to act before 10 years is up, or they'll lose their lay-by, but Matey and his family have enjoyed council tax and rent-free living for a considerable time.

If the layby is still highway (very likely) or 'roadside waste' then no amount of occupation can change the status... in case the OP thinks this sounds like a good plan.

On the plus side, by not paying council tax Matey and his family haven't been contributing financially to the Highway Authority (and/or Council's) shocking failure to fulfill their Section 130 duty.