Holiday Home anyone?

[ClichéGuevara]

It could be wrong, but someone said to get around the age restriction on the caravans on site, and give an option for the month or so that you can't stay on site, a top notch touring caravan can get a better option than a static.

 

[Pale Rider]

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.

After spending best part of £40K on my static I concluded I would have more consumer rights buying a four hundred quid washing machine from Currys.

As a static owner, you are completely at the whim of the site owner - if your face fits, fine, but there's only one winner if you lock horns and the site management takes against you.

More by luck than judgment, it has worked out OK for me.

Site maintenance has not been to the standard I expected, but the owner has largely left me alone to get on with it.

The site I'm on is privately owned, which is good and bad.

No big company rules to abide by, but there's no rules to rely on if there is a dispute.

My static is approaching 10 years old, there are no published age rules for the site and there are still statics there which are older than mine, so it looks like I shouldn't have any worries for a few years.

I have what might be termed a premium pitch beside a river.

The first sign of bother will probably be if I'm shunted off that and plonked somewhere less desirable.

 

[Dave7]

After spending best part of £40K on my static I concluded I would have more consumer rights buying a four hundred quid washing machine from Currys.

As a static owner, you are completely at the whim of the site owner - if your face fits, fine, but there's only one winner if you lock horns and the site management takes against you.

More by luck than judgment, it has worked out OK for me.

Site maintenance has not been to the standard I expected, but the owner has largely left me alone to get on with it.

The site I'm on is privately owned, which is good and bad.

No big company rules to abide by, but there's no rules to rely on if there is a dispute.

My static is approaching 10 years old, there are no published age rules for the site and there are still statics there which are older than mine, so it looks like I shouldn't have any worries for a few years.

I have what might be termed a premium pitch beside a river.

The first sign of bother will probably be if I'm shunted off that and plonked somewhere less desirable.

Our 2nd was was a touch over £40K and on a beautiful spot with views. Also a private site owned by one (wealthy) man.
When I asked about a contract he said "there is no point.....not worth anything"
We got on well and never had any problems but I knew several people in thier early 70s with 15 year old vans who were told "buy new (off him) or leave"........at that age they left .
Dont get me wrong......them was the rules......but he was hard.

 

[bigjim]

My daughter had a very nice 10yr old Static on a small site in the village of Pilling, Lancs. She offered it to me for nothing as all I had to do was pay the exes. I worked out that with site rent, insurance, maintenance etc I would be looking at 5k a year. I rode up once on the bike and spent a couple of days alone there. I was bored out of my mind! Not for me. 5k buys me some good cycling holidays, here and abroad with no responsibilty or commitment. I'd rent some bricks on a 3 month lease or something or maybe rent a static on the same basis.

 

[Andy_R]

Wait until Mrs has retired then get a Yurt in the south of France

 

[Beebo]

I wouldnt buy one, do the maths over 10 years and it could cost well over £80,000 in purchase costs and site fees. You can go on a lot of static caravan holidays all over the country for that sort of money, especially if you go out of school holidays.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

I'd like to retire to a narrowboat and tour the canals of England & Wales, largely to get the ability to cruise about off-season. But financially. like all boat/mobile home/holiday home ownership, it doesn't seem to me to stack up.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

It doesn't really.

We have a share in a narrowboat, as part of a syndicate. The overall costs are about £1,000 a year - and for that we get four weeks use a year. You also have to add into that fuel / pump out / cleaning, so another c. £100 for each week of use.

That's still cheaper than renting - but only just.

Live aboard and the balance does change. But how much you can save depends on how much comfort you want.

To live on one, I'd want a fair degree of comfort, for instance decent insulation and heating, a hip bath at least and a good kitchen with 240 volt appliances you can buy in John Lewis. Not TV though. Radio will do. I intend to read a lot. And a custom cupboard for a pair of Bromptons. (Because I saw one once on someones tip top spec custombuilt 70 ft boat and thought "that's genius!"

 

[perplexed]

For a custom build you need to budget about £1,500 per foot length as a minimum - so a 60' four berth would set you back about £90,000 minimum.

Bloody hell, it's a good job they don't sell underpants by that method...

 

[Markymark]

Bloody hell, it's a good job they don't sell underpants by that method...

...especially when I'd need another £2k's worth for when I get a boner.

 

[MarkF]

I have 2 friends who live in statics permanently, another rents one, all on the same site looking out towards Ilkley moor. The renter pays about £120 a week (can't remember exactly) inclusive of all utilities, that seems great value to me.

I'd happily live there, a village with all amenities on the door step, mins from Ilkley and the train to Leeds, I spend a lot of time cycling in the Dale but wouldn't want to live in them.

 

[Turdus philomelos]

As I type I'm sitting in my static caravan here in bike friendly East Lothian.

For such short time period definitely don't buy. Statics depreciate in value at a criminal rate.

Helpful folk here

 

[Cubist]

Thanks for all your thought. I've decided a tourer is the way to go. Friends have a tourer on a site in Bedale for 1100 p/a, which would suit me just fine.

 

[fossyant]

20k would get a very good second hand one. Budget £400 for insurance about £150 for electric, site fees about £3k. Two gas bottles cost £120 and you are likely to use 4 a year.

 

[fossyant]

Some sites have stupid rules like Dave says. Check them out first.