Holiday Home anyone?

[Cubist]

There's every chance I will have to retire in the next few weeks, and intend to spend a lot of time in N Yorkshire between now and Mrs C's retirement date in a couple of years. Thoughts have turned to a basic static type holiday home as a pied a terre so I can spend time up there during the week researching a business idea and she can join me at weekends for fun and house hunting for when we move up wholesale.

Thing is I know very little about static caravans or holiday lodges other than the ones we stayed in in France etc. I know of a couple of potential sites with used homes at what seem reasonable prices. Site fees vary between 2 and 3 grand for March to January, but what sort of money should I be looking to spaff on a used static? Is a twenty grand used van going to be a nightmare compared with a forty grand one? Are they upgradeable/refittable? How much is a new one? How much do they depreciate by?

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Not a clue on your questions but good luck with the plans and enjoy life off the treadmill.

 

[GM]

It's not fair, everyone's retiring

Good Luck anyway!

 

[Drago]

Retirement sucks. Its so boring I went and got a part time job

Cubist, if it's mainly for just you have you thought about a camper van? Yore not tied to any one site, and when Mrs Cubist retires you can sell it and, if you've cared for it, recoup most of your outlay.

 

[ColinJ]

I thought about selling my house and buying a quality static caravan. I was looking at one site in Scotland and another in Wales. Both sites stipulated that they could only be occupied for 11 months of the year, which didn't sound like a major problem. The restriction which DID put me off was a clause about the age of the caravan. I think that they had to be less than 10 years old, which meant a used caravan would have to be replaced a few years later.

 

[Dave7]

Dont buy new unless a) you are going to keep it for many years or b) you can afford to take a BIG HIT.
We had two (same site) for approx 10 years and have mixed thoughts......have you got 2 hours to read my thoughts . The 1st one cost £5K. We loved it and after 3 years spent £40K on a super duper one. 7 years later we had had enough. Unless you are minted.....once you spend that plus your annual fees you really cant go elsewhere for your hols.
So.....spend say £8k (depending on your situation) and BE CERTAIN its for you before spending big bucks.
If you want to pm me feel free.

 

[Stephen Piper]

I run a static caravan park so can give some pointers on prices. Parks can vary a lot in the prices and conditions of tenure. PM me for specific info.

 

[Pale Rider]

I think @Pale Rider's got one?

I do, and in north Yorkshire.

As others are saying, statics depreciate like a car.

Site rules about age is a complicating factor, once the static is 10-years-old no one is going to pay much for it on a site with, say, a 15 year age restriction.

The site will also want commission and to effectively vet your buyer, so to coin Princess Diana, matters are complicated by there being three people in the transaction.

Selling it off-site is an option, but the market is small, the existing site will still want to charge you for removing it, and there's transport costs.

What to pay is again like buying a car.

I've seen some decent spec used statics which have had little use, so would represent a decent buy - provided they are not too old.

It is possible to renovate and refurb.

Buying a good spec one helps here, mine has domestic quality - and more importantly size and spec - fixtures and fittings.

The fridge, freezer, cooker, toilets, sinks, etc could all be replaced with stuff from B&Q.

Some cheaper statics have weird spec fittings - three burner cookers, boilers no one has ever heard of - which work fine, but it can be hard to source spares and replacements.

Another point I would raise is statics are not very cosy.

Mine has double glazing, fitted carpets and central heating, but it's hard work keeping any heat in it in cold weather.

You only have to look at the thickness of the walls - a couple of inches - the caravan cannot be cosy no matter what they are made of.

Not too bad if there's an overnight frost, but minus a few degrees throughout the day makes it difficult to get comfortable.

The other point there is the mains water supply won't be deeply buried and has to enter the van somewhere, so that will freeze in anything but the lightest of frosts.

Not much fun having no water, and even less fun having burst pipes after it thaws.

Some sites are now open 11 or 12 months of the year, but realistically you wouldn't want to be in the van in the colder months.

Of course, all my experience is based on north Yorkshire, a static on the south coast would be habitable for longer.

 

[Stephen Piper]

It's not just a matter of depreciation, many parks sell caravans at a premium but only buy back at trade prices. A touring caravan kept on a seasonal plot may be a better option for a trial run as you are not obliged to buy and sell from the park.

 

[Cubist]

Retirement sucks. Its so boring I went and got a part time job

Cubist, if it's mainly for just you have you thought about a camper van? Yore not tied to any one site, and when Mrs Cubist retires you can sell it and, if you've cared for it, recoup most of your outlay.

Part of the issue is that a friend and I are exploring a business opportunity so I need something stable ish and I'll probably have the dog with me. The business opportunity also involves the rifles, so security becomes an issue. Might work in the immediate though.

 

[Cubist]

Dont buy new unless a) you are going to keep it for many years or b) you can afford to take a BIG HIT.
We had two (same site) for approx 10 years and have mixed thoughts......have you got 2 hours to read my thoughts . The 1st one cost £5K. We loved it and after 3 years spent £40K on a super duper one. 7 years later we had had enough. Unless you are minted.....once you spend that plus your annual fees you really cant go elsewhere for your hols.
So.....spend say £8k (depending on your situation) and BE CERTAIN its for you before spending big bucks.
If you want to pm me feel free.

Cheers, I might well take you up on a PM, and invite @Stephen Piper into the conversation.

I don't need it to be permanent. I can afford the greater outlay, but only if means I can gain revenue through letting and be able to recoup a significant percentage after three years. Moon on a stick perhaps, but I know nothing g about the game, hence my questions. There are other options, for example a used van on private land potentially, which would work out significantly cheaper, but that isn't going to cater for Mrs Cube on a weekend.

 

[Dave 123]

Ask @robjh about spending the working week in a camper van. He knows you know.

 

[Dave7]

If you buy new you will lose serious money overnight. Keep in mind.....the site owner has absolute control over your van e.g. if he decides he wants to move your van from the lake view to a view of the pigsty he can do it. If you buy used he can decide to guaranty maybe just 5 years before forcing you to buy a new one or go.....with nothing.
And......if (big if) you are allowed to sell it privately....he will take a minimum of 10%.
You could have many many happy years there.... but there are many potential problems.

 

[robjh]

Ask @robjh about spending the working week in a camper van. He knows you know.

'Tis true, I do. It's great for mobility but a lot smaller than the sort of static caravan the OP was talking about. You have to be happy living in a very small space, with very direct access to the world outside.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Nah - don't buy a holiday home. Rent. Then you can move about as the mood takes you. Nothing to maintain then