The classic caravan holiday is something that many of us grew up with. There is something distinctly British about spending a couple of weeks at the seaside or in the middle of nowhere at a caravan holiday park. Perhaps you enjoy those kinds of holidays so much you’ve been considering the prospect of investing in your own static caravan. Is it really a good idea?
While it would be impossible to really make that decision for you, as the right answer is different from person to person, couple to couple and family to family, we can highlight some of the advantages and disadvantages.
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What are the Advantages of Buying a Static Caravan in the UK?
Let’s start with the positives. There are several huge benefits you can gain from investing in your own static caravan, such as:
Cheaper Holidays
Do you enjoy taking self-catering holidays? Owning your static caravan can help you save money on these kinds of holidays that may often cost a small fortune, depending on your destination. If you are staying on a caravan site that is a holiday resort, you are normally entitled to use the amenities on offer, including the shops, entertainment facilities and if you don’t fancy cooking, the on-site restaurants and takeaways.
Flexibility to Holiday When You Want
Further to the fact that you can enjoy cheaper holidays when you own your own static caravan, you don’t need to worry about trying to book a holiday. As you will be the only occupant of your static caravan you can use it as and when you choose, without even needing to tell the site owner. So, whether you are looking to have 2 weeks at the height of summertime or looking for one of those hard-to-book autumnal breaks, you can when you own your own static caravan.
Booking Holidays is No Longer a Stressful Experience
Following on nicely from the above advantages, there is the overarching freedom from the stress and anxiety associated with booking holidays. You don’t need to worry about where you are going to go when you are going to go, whether you are going to have enough space for all travellers and affording activities while you are there, because you will already know all those details.
What are the Disadvantages of buying a Static Caravan in the UK?
As nothing is completely good or completely bad, it’s important to look at the disadvantages, and sadly there are some, of owning a static caravan on a site in the UK.
Required to Pay Ground Rent
Although you own the caravan and it is yours, because it is located on a caravan site, you need to pay ground rent to the owner of the site. This can vary from site to site and while it may not break the bank, it is still one of the costs you may not be aware of, that you need to consider before deciding if it’s right for you or not.
Required to Upgrade Your Caravan
When you buy a caravan from a caravan site, as part of your purchase agreement there will be stipulations about upgrades you need to make. As this is part of the contract, you will need to make those upgrades and pay for them as and when the caravan site owner requires it, whether you actually want to or not. Again, this may not be an issue at any point during the time you own the caravan, it is still one of those expenses and inconveniences you need to be aware of before you sign any contracts.
The Caravan Is Yours…But Not When You Are Not Using It
There are some ownership contracts offered by caravan sites that allow the site owner to rent out your caravan to other occupants and holidaymakers when you are not using it. Not all do this, but it is still something you need to be cautious about if you don’t like the idea of other people using your holiday home while you are not there.
Holiday Sites Are Not Open Permanently
Most caravan sites in the UK operate as holiday resorts and because of this, they are not open as a permanent residency all year round. If you are only interested in a static caravan as a holiday home, this will not really affect you, other than restricting you from using your caravan for the number of weeks the site is closed.
However, if you are interested in living full-time in your static caravan, this could be a real problem as you would need to find alternative accommodation for the period the site is closed.
Site Ownership Could Change Hands Without You Knowing
This may not sound like a big issue. As site ownership can (and does) regularly change hands without you knowing, contracts can also change. That means the terms that you originally agreed to when you bought your caravan could change with a new owner, without you have any say in it whatsoever.
There you go, folks. Don’t be dismayed or put off if it appears there is a lot more written about the disadvantages. We just wanted you to have the fullest picture of the good and bad, and very often the good is very obvious, whereas a lot of the downsides are subtle and things you may not think about.
One thing we can say for sure is that the decision to invest in a static caravan of your own is not one you should make lightly. Take some time and consider your own situation, holiday and secondary home needs. There are way too many great caravan sites up and down the country to list right here, but we have highlighted some of the best for various areas elsewhere on this website.
Even if it does not help you make the decision, we sincerely hope it helps you along in the right direction towards making one.