Buying a Static Caravan | Advice and Tips
March 19, 2019
Our Top Tips to help you buy the perfect Holiday Home
At West Country Park Homes we understand that buying a static caravan is far from a small decision, and with more choice available than ever before it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
We want all of our holiday home owners to enjoy their time with us for years to come so we’ve compiled this list of advice and tips to help you at the start of this exciting journey;
1. Consider your lifestyle and how often you will be using your holiday home
If you favour weekend breaks rather than longer, less regular getaways, a caravan park within a couple of hours travelling time from your home is probably the sensible option. However, if you plan to visit for several weeks at a time, a couple of times a year, you may be willing to travel further.
Remember to check the length of the parks season, our parks vary from 9 – 12 months of the year.
2. Think about how you enjoy spending your leisure time
If you have a young family you may prefer a park with enough facilities and events to keep everyone entertained. However, if you are hoping to enjoy a peaceful retirement, peace and quiet with like-minded people may be more important.
Consider the pitch location; would you prefer a quiet pitch away from the main facilities or are you the kind of person who would you rather be in the middle of things?
We strongly recommend that you visit any potential park before making a purchase. If you can spend a couple of nights there that’s even better!
3. Set a budget
Static caravans come in a wide range of specifications; from basic entry-level models to highly luxurious. It can be easy to get carried away when looking at lovely glossy photos of brand-new units, but in our experience the model that you choose will depend on your budget.
Remember that in addition to your initial purchase you will also be responsible for site-fees, gas, electricity, insurance and general maintenance costs.
4. New or pre-owned?
Many pre-owned units can be purchased in ‘like new’ condition for a fraction of the price of a new unit, however, in the event of any issues a brand-new unit usually comes with a manufactures warranty. You may also find that the heating system is more efficient in new units. If you decide to purchase a pre-owned unit remember to ask the current owner for any available paperwork.
At West Country Parks we don’t impose strict age limits on our static caravans, however most parks do. Older models may be removed from site, so always ask for clarification from any park that you are considering.
5. Choose the right model and layout
Static caravans come in an almost infinite variety of styles and layouts. It’s important to consider how you will use your new holiday home; How many beds will you need? Is it more important to have a spacious kitchen or will you spend more time in the living area? Do you need an en-suite, bath or just a shower? Does anyone in your family have accessibility needs?
These are all really important questions so don’t be afraid to spend a bit of time having a look around and investigating what is available.
6. Finally, ask for a copy of the park rules
Every park has its own set of rules and it’s important to familiarise yourselves with them before committing to a purchase; Is the park pet-friendly? Are there restrictions on car-parking? Are the park facilities free or will you have to pay extra? Are there restrictions for having sheds, storage boxes etc?
These may seem like small points, but they are all things that you will wish you had checked once you take ownership of your holiday home!
So, in summary, it is important to look at the bigger picture. Purchasing a holiday home is a big decision and we hope that you will enjoy the experience for years to come. Take your time and don’t be afraid to ask questions - but remember to be realistic about your expectations!
Static Caravans and Holiday Lodges for sale at our parks
Location: Edithmead Leisure and Park Homes. Coming soon . . .
Location: Edithmead Leisure and Park Homes. A spacious home presented in excellent condition
Location: Edithmead Leisure and Park Homes. Open-plan living with a contemporary colour scheme
At West Country Parks we offer a superb range of new and pre-owned holiday homes from the top manufacturers. With 6 unique holiday parks all located in beautiful Somerset we are confident that you will find your perfect holiday home. Please contact us for more information.
Latest News
Following our annual Mystery Guest visits by a professional inspector this April, each park has been re-assessed under a set of quality standards agreed between the AA and the UK Tourist Authorities. The inspection included an assessment of each parks; Location and Access Sustainability/Green Credentials Customer Care Cleanliness/Maintenance across the park Toilets (quality, cleanliness and maintenance) Other Site Facilities Pitches Grounds All three parks scored an impressive 91% overall (an increase on last year) - with Coombes and Rose Farm both achieving full marks for 'customer care' and Riverside’s impressive facilities and cleanliness/maintenance across the park bagging them the top score. Additionally, each park was again awarded a Gold Award, placing them amongst the best sites in their star category. When visiting Four Star Parks, customers can expect an extremely high standard in all areas, with well-maintained facilities, very good customer care and additional facilites compared to lower rated establishments. David Tattersall, Group Manager of West Country Park Homes: "Consistency is so important in our industry and we're extremely proud to have achieved this level of award by such a high-brand Assessor for the second year running. It just confirms that we are continuing to meet the high standards that our visitors expect and deserve."
On another sunny morning this April, volunteers from Riverside Holiday Village, Edithmead Leisure and Park Homes, Fairways Holiday Park and New House Farm headed out on our third 2-mile 'litter pick' along Bridgwater Road in Weston-super-Mare. We managed to collect 14 sacks of litter, plus several broken road signs and a damaged car tyre! As usual, energy drink cans were by far the biggest offender of the day, closely followed by discarded alcohol bottles and fast food takeaway wrappers. We even found a discarded wet floor sign! All waste was collected by our waste management partner, MJ Church. Now the biggest initiative of its kind in the UK, the Million Mile Clean is an annual event, mobilising 1,000,000 million volunteers to clean over 10,000,000 miles of UK landscape between 2021 - 2030. We would like to say a massive 'thank you' to all of our volunteers - we're planning another 'clean' this September - please keep a lookout for more updates about future events!
Last year, 13 volunteers collected 23 sacks of litter over 4 miles as we completed two Million Mile Cleans. And this April, we're doing it all over again!