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AIBU?

Static Caravans

21 replies

mumofblueeyes · 26/04/2016 20:54

Would I be unreasonable to spend savings on a static caravan for holidays, weekends etc. We have two boys, aged 3 and 10. I would appreciate any thoughts on them. The park is very simple, by the beach with just a shop and a launderette. We are outdoor folk and that suits our needs. Does anyone have happy times in such a place or did the novelty wear off and you ended up paying for something you rarely used? Am posting in AIBU for traffic but thoughts welcome x

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Littlefluffyclouds81 · 26/04/2016 20:56

I lived in one for 5 years. It was fine, even though it was an old, crap one.

Pinkheart5915 · 26/04/2016 21:00

If you can afford to use your savings yanbu
Some sites let you let out the caravan when your not staying in it could you look in to this?
When I was little grandma and grandad had a caravan at the seaside and when we weren't being taken round Europe Ke American with mum and dad we use to go away with grand parents they are some of my best memories!

Fizzielove · 26/04/2016 21:02

I spent every summer in ours! 2 months solid cos my DF was a teacher. I have very fond memories! I've inherited it and will be using it with my DC. Definitely get one if you can afford to.

Dragonglass · 26/04/2016 21:08

I would love to have a static caravan but we just can't afford it. Make sure you know exactly how much the site fees are each year and if you can afford it, go for it!

monkeywithacowface · 26/04/2016 21:09

To be honest they are very expensive, depreciate in value quite quickly and some sites have rules about not allowing caravans over a certain age to remain on site so I would advise you to think long and hard about how much use you think you will get out of it.

Is there enough to do in the local area to keep you wanting to go back several times a year?

I do know a couple of families who bought very expensive static caravans only to find after a couple of years that the kids (particularly young teens) didn't want to go anymore

Birdsgottafly · 26/04/2016 21:09

My cousin had one, inherited, but her children were into hobbies that sometimes had stuff happening over the weekend, or they were missing out on Birthday parties etc.

With their working hours, they thought they could hire one for the amount of time they were spending in it, because of the ground fees and maintenance. So they sold it.

I love camping, if I won the lottery, I'd have Caravans across the country. I like the flexibility of visiting different sites, even though I go to Anglesey, mostly.

It could build happy family memories. As my children became teenagers, I could leave them with my Mum, if they didn't want to go. I even started a thread on this.

Homework builds up, does it have reliable WIFI?

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 26/04/2016 21:11

Give it two years and your eldest will be refusing to come and you won't use it. You will lose money as they depreciate like mad. You'd be better off buying a tourer.

WhoTheFuckIsSimon · 26/04/2016 21:13

My friend had an static, wanted it sell it. Site had a rule that only they were allowed to advertise it. She couldn't anywhere.

So a 30k static being advertised in the reception of the site only. Oddly enough it didn't sell. After a couple of months the site gave her 12k for it and no doubt flogged it to someone for 30k soon after.

AliceInUnderpants · 26/04/2016 21:15

I would love one. My kids love them and Craig Tara in Ayr is their 'happy place'. We currently get DLA for the eldest and if we g get granted for the youngest, a static caravan is a real consideration

Shesaysso · 26/04/2016 21:15

I was talking to someone the other day who had bought one for £52,000, sold 3 years later for £12,000! That's not taking into account site fees. Think you would probably better off just renting one when you want to go.

gingerdad · 26/04/2016 21:16

Don't forget site fees we worked we'd need to go at least 15 weekends a year to break even. Didn't bother and had 4/5 weekends away in a hotel instead

monkeywithacowface · 26/04/2016 21:17

Good point about the sites policy on reselling too. Assume any money you put in you are unlikely to see again.

dolkapots · 26/04/2016 21:19

I have very happy memories of staying in my grandparents' static and would have loved one myself. They are expensive unless you will get a lot of use out of it. For me I couldn't justify it as my dc had compulsory school sporting every Saturday and other hobbies on Sundays, so it would have only been school hols. My ds said he wouldn't be seen dead in one though

The site my dgp's had theirs in was very middle class, quiet, nice play park in etc. I went back to visit it a few years ago (so about 20 years later) and it was full of kids flying around on mini mopeds, parents drinking diamond white whilst singing karaoke on the decking, so do make sure you know the site well!

lessthanBeau · 26/04/2016 21:41

Get a nice big tourer and put it on a seasonal pitch, its much cheaper, you can move it if you fancy a change, you can pull it off for a year or two if you're not using it, and you can sell it when you've finished with it. You can try different seasonal pitches each year if you want, we love our tourer, and have sited it for six months at a local site, when we got bored of it we hauled it off again, even if you don't have a car capable of towing, you can always hire someone to move it for you, it costs around 4k to move a static!

2rebecca · 26/04/2016 21:47

I had happy memories of 3 successive summer holidays in one. I'm not sure I'd want to be tied in to one place though. I'd be more inclined to just rent one.

QueenofLouisiana · 26/04/2016 21:47

We share one with my parents. They use it several months of the year, we use it every summer. DS is 10 so I think we have a couple of years before he loses interest. He enjoys the freedom of the site, the pool and the bike riding; we enjoy the local vineyards and markets.

TimeToMuskUp · 26/04/2016 21:55

We have one in Wales, it's gorgeous and the beach is less than half a mile's walk away. We have DCs 10 and 5 and they adore it there. We chuck their bikes on the back of the car on a Friday when they finish school and drive home in pj's Sunday evening. Come rain or shine we're there as soon as the DCs rugby season finishes.

Site fees are £2,000 p/a so we save each month so it's never a case of not having the cash to pay (you get penalised if you pay late). We don't rent it out yet but that's mainly because we use it so much (I work in a school so spend most of the summer there with the DCs once we've had our 'proper' summer holiday with DH and he's back at work0. The dog comes, too, and loves it there.

The DCs haven't shown any signs of boredom yet, and since we're always off out when we're there I'm not sure they will for a while yet.

exLtEveDallas · 26/04/2016 21:55

I disagree with most of the posts here!

We bought our first static for £7K 10 years ago. It was a little run down, but I spent about £500 on the interior and it turned out lovely. 5 years ago we decided to upgrade and bought a newer one for £9.5K on the same site.

Our site fees are £2.5K a year, insurance is £140 and Electric about £200. Gas bottles are £35 each and we get through maybe 6 a year.

We go down every half term, Easter and for 3 weeks in the summer holidays. We do most bank holidays and a quick weekend every couple of months.

Our site is an hour and a half from home, 5 mins walk from a beach and is in an area with lots of pubs, clubs, fair etc - a holiday resort with loads to do. We wouldn't be happy in a quieter place.

DD was a newborn when we bought the first one. She's now 11 and still loves it there. She has a whole gang of mates that she sees every time we go down and tbh we barely see her! She can invite friends if she wants, but so far has only asked to once.

ratspeaker · 26/04/2016 21:56

Check the site fees. This includes rent of the pitch, maintainance fees, close down fees, winter storage fees, cleaning fees, sanitation, heating, electric supply..
If its a holiday park see when the season is, some don't really like anyone onsite off season ie after October which is a bummer if you want to be there Christmas or New Year.
Others only close for one month usually February.. Unless they have year round licence they have to close for a certain time during the year.

Double check there will be no council tax.
See if you can rent it out to offset fees. If so what percentage the site will take.

If it has gas ask if you have to buy your canisters through the site.
Check how they charge for electric.

Some holiday sites insist on you upgrading caravan every so often.

When you have an idea of the annual costs see if you can afford it.
If so go for it

unlucky83 · 26/04/2016 21:56

Like monkeyface said really - I looked at getting one quite locally up to 1.5 hrs drive away so we could disappear off for the weekend. (Like others have happy memories of doing similar as a child) but it really didn't make sense...
One place -which was typical - you had to buy the van off them -the cost included a pitch lease for 15yrs (if you bought a new one) at the end you had to buy a new van, sell it to them (if they wanted to buy it) or you could remove it and try and find somewhere else to put it. If you wanted to sell it where it was you could (within your 15 yrs) but they took a cut and pre-approved the buyers. They wouldn't let you hire it out (although they have some they do rent out) and the site is closed for a couple of months in winter. Every year you had maintenance costs etc of almost £3k. A new van costs about £40k - so it costs about £6k per year...and at the end you are stuck with expensive removal costs or taking what (if anything) they offer you...
I actually thought you'd be better buying a small flat/cottage, that you could maybe rent out and then at least at the end you'd have something to show for your money.

SlatternIsTrying · 26/04/2016 22:12

My Parents took us away in a touring caravan throughout our childhood. I have fabulous memories of these times.

My DBro didn't feel the need to recreate this for his family and he uses hotels. But my own family love it. We have our own tourer and try to get away as much as possible.

The best thing about it is keeping my kids away from tech and getting them outside to play.

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