Static Caravan holiday home buying advice

[Mohican]

Mrs Mo and I have had cursory look buying a caravan in Great Yarmouth(would get me an insane amount of brownie points) and wondered if any Blondes had experience of this? What should I expect to pay on top of the costs of the van(site fees etc) and how does renting it out work? Any advice appreciated as I've no idea how this works. Might even pop up there for a look and to get the numbers squared away.

[booder]

I have no idea of the relative prices, nor which local amenities you wish to use but have you considered Hemsby ?

Very popular,lots of caravan sites  and personally i prefer it to Yarmouth.

http://www.tournorfolk.co.uk/hemsby.html

[Nakor]

Mo the below link is as good a place to start as any.

http://www.haven.com/parks/norfolk/seashore/holiday-home-ownership.aspx?gclid=CLzT_JW54MoCFQPgGwodSB8N7Q

Ring them up or go and see them - all the sites are set up the same its just the costs that vary - if you don't buy they will chase you continuously for a year, the PPI guys have nothing on these boys, as soon as they have your name its hard sell all the way.

The biggest "issue" is generally your agreement as to the quality of the Caravan you have to maintain.  Basically the better the site/pitch the better your Van will have to be.  For Example a seafront pitch at Seashore in Yarmo will come with a clause that your Van cannot be more then 3 years old or similar, must be a certain minimum size, must be well maintained etc - further back in the site it can be older - In Hemsby it can be a tin can

If you would consider Hemsby, Richardsons has just been sold to Park resorts and they are selling off loads of Pitch's and Challets and pumping loads of money into the sites, but basically only two site owners in the game now around here Park and Haven (One independent site left in Yarmo Vauxhall but not sure they do owned pitch's anymore).

Will be interested to know how you get on as I am in a similar position (serious browny points on offer if we took the plunge) but I live close enough that I can pop onto Haven of a weekend and grab the numbers from owners windows and sort private lets at quite short notice so have always resisted - worth bearing in mind you can pick up some good income renting it out weekends/weeks you are not going to be in-situ.

Good luck.

[RED-DOG]

So if you buy a new caravan, you have to buy another after 3 years?

[Nakor]

So if you buy a new caravan, you have to buy another after 3 years?

On certain sites/pitch's yes.
Most of the smaller sites on North Norfolk coast have a 10 year rule.

Demand for these sites is currently very high, guess it guarantees some turnover.

[Mohican]

So if you buy a new caravan, you have to buy another after 3 years?

On certain sites/pitch's yes.
Most of the smaller sites on North Norfolk coast have a 10 year rule.

Demand for these sites is currently very high, guess it guarantees some turnover.

Wasn't aware of this.  Certainly means that costs in the long term aren't as cheap as I thought.  Could mean I finish paying off the caravan and then have to start paying for another. Something to bear in mind. Tx people.

[RED-DOG]

So if you buy a new caravan, you have to buy another after 3 years?

On certain sites/pitch's yes.
Most of the smaller sites on North Norfolk coast have a 10 year rule.

Demand for these sites is currently very high, guess it guarantees some turnover.

Wasn't aware of this.  Certainly means that costs in the long term aren't as cheap as I thought.  Could mean I finish paying off the caravan and then have to start paying for another. Something to bear in mind. Tx people.

So I'm assuming the site owners 'organise' the sale of your old caravan and the purchase of a new one? 


Pffft! I should coco.

[RED-DOG]

Buy a nice camper van, Go where you like, stay where you like, keep it as long as you like.

[Redsgirl]

So if you buy a new caravan, you have to buy another after 3 years?

On certain sites/pitch's yes.
Most of the smaller sites on North Norfolk coast have a 10 year rule.

Demand for these sites is currently very high, guess it guarantees some turnover.

Wasn't aware of this.  Certainly means that costs in the long term aren't as cheap as I thought.  Could mean I finish paying off the caravan and then have to start paying for another. Something to bear in mind. Tx people.

So I'm assuming the site owners 'organise' the sale of your old caravan and the purchase of a new one? 


Pffft! I should coco.

Worse than that even sometimes.
I spoke to a lady at Skeggy who's parents bought a caravan on a park for an extortionate price and spent ten years paying for it only to be told then it had to be replaced with a new one, and that they would be charged £1000 for the removal and 'disposal' of their old one!

[Mohican]

So if you buy a new caravan, you have to buy another after 3 years?

On certain sites/pitch's yes.
Most of the smaller sites on North Norfolk coast have a 10 year rule.

Demand for these sites is currently very high, guess it guarantees some turnover.

Wasn't aware of this.  Certainly means that costs in the long term aren't as cheap as I thought.  Could mean I finish paying off the caravan and then have to start paying for another. Something to bear in mind. Tx people.

So I'm assuming the site owners 'organise' the sale of your old caravan and the purchase of a new one? 


Pffft! I should coco.

Worse than that even sometimes.
I spoke to a lady at Skeggy who's parents bought a caravan on a park for an extortionate price and spent ten years paying for it only to be told then it had to be replaced with a new one, and that they would be charged £1000 for the removal and 'disposal' of their old one!

I'm sure even if I was to buy a new caravan that it would be more that habitable in ten years time. As for a motor home type thing, it just doesn't appeal to me. Deffo a hotel/villa/self catering type person. 

[Graham C]

Are there no independent caravan sites that would be much cheaper and less fussy?  My mate's parent's used to have one in Devon many moons ago and it was great to pop down on a Friday night for the weekend.  The site was only caravans, no entertainment, swimming or other facilities although there was  a toilet and shower block.  Most of the vans there must have been pretty old.

[Omm]

Plenty of great locations you could find a nice place for yourself. Really depends what you want, Haven and Park Resorts will be the biggest operators and their parks will usually have plenty to do but will probably be really commercialised. I spent the best part of my younger life into adulthood on one of these sites as my parents bought one when I was about 8yrs and I was still going most weekends and holidays when I was 19. In fact I'm still friends with the people I met to this day nearly 20 years later.

Nowadays my in laws own a nice van on this site.   http://www.fellstead.com/locations/carlton-meres-country-park/  A world apart from the bigger sites. Has some good facilities, Clubhouse, Gym, Pool, Tennis Court, Fishing Lakes if that's your thing, really quiet and relaxing but within distance of some great places and beaches. As with most places they sell either second hand vans or brand new lodges so anything from £15k to £150k.

I would really recommend doing a lot of research as there is so much choice from independent operators with no facilities to the big boys with golf courses included.

Has the potential to be some of the best years of your kids life and yours of course. Good luck and keep us updated.

[EvilPie]

My mum has one of these at a site near Scarborough and she absolutely loves it. Her, my sister and the two nieces spend loads of time there and she says it's the best thing she's ever bought.

It's a Haven site and comes with all the facilities you'd expect including a 9 hole golf course. For that she pays £3,700 per year site fee but that is discounted because she purchased the caravan through them.

She says that they have a 10 year max age for the caravans but it isn't strictly enforced. As long as your caravan is in keeping with the high standards they expect then thy won't make you change it. It seems like the rule is there just to give them the option if you don't look after it and it's bringing down the standards of the park. Mainly aimed at stopping people buying one, renting it out all year as an investment and not caring that it makes the park look shabby. Seems like a perfectly reasonable rule to me as long as you're fully aware of it beforehand.

Regarding renting there's the option of letting the park sort that for you obviously for a fee. My mum doesn't bother renting as the best time to get a good return is when they want to be using it which is weekends and school holidays. They spent the entire 6 week summer holiday there last year.

She bought her first one about 3 years ago and loves it that much that she upgraded it at the end of last year ready for this year. She recommended that you spend that little bit extra if at all possible and get central heating and double glazing. Although her last one was usable in the colder months it was apparently not ideal especially with her being 70 and the kids being 2 and 6. She reckons the extra warmth means that they'll be able to use the new one for the entire March to November season.

I haven't been myself for anything more than a couple of hours but from what I know I can echo what Omm says. Best years of yours and your kids lives.