Static Caravans

[ineedsun]

We have a campervan which I love but we tend to go to the same place all the time as we have limited annual leave and I love this place. I’m thinking about static caravans but know nothing about it.

Can people talk me through the pros and cons please?

They look very reasonably priced but I assume there are lots of costs on addition to the actual caravan.

The main issue is that the site owners have you over a barrel when it comes to ground rent.

You need to look at costs as well - how many holidays (of whatever description) you could buy for the same amount you'd spend on a van.

Of course you can rent out a static but that defeats the object if you want to use it as an anytime bolt hole.

I looked into it once (same place holidayers here too and at the time we had a dog) and concluded it wouldn't be worth it.

Alot depends on your lease. Obviously annual ground rent, possibly electricity, insurance. Might charge for water.

If you are on a big site they may sort out your gas bottles (delivery, removal) otherwise that's up to you.

Check the site lease regarding condition of the caravan. Some won't allow caravans over a certain age, if already on site as it gets older will want it removed.

Also are there periods you cannot access site, usually Winter months.

Costs in putting caravan on site and removal.
Ensuring caravan is 'put into hibernation mode' e.g draining water/loo, lagging pipes, insulating boiler (but that's a days preparation).

Downside is you are stuck in 1 place. If a large site can reduce relaxation.

Good things it's like a 2nd home. Flushing loo.

Can switch off totally (we don't have Internet and no TV all last year and the children haven't complained once - just done crafts instead).

Easier to cook etc than a touring caravan more storage.

Also statics have been hard to purchase. Covid sales rocketed so supply low.

These are brilliant, thank you!

(I have form for making daft decisions based on a rush of giddiness about an idea so I need to be more balanced!)

And some sites do not allow for you renting out your caravan. So you can't make an income on it to help pay towards caravan but you know whose at the site and hopefully get on with them.

Be careful, they will sell the Static to you at all high price and will offer you a very low price should you decide to sell it back.

Also check the ground rent/maintenance charges, these can be very high, also check what is included,how will the electricity/water used be charged?

Some sites will only allow Statics up to a certain age and then you need to buy a new one (from the site owner, of course) at a vastly inflated price.

If you get bored of it, can you sublet?

We have looked at this over the years and always decided against it.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Yep, do be very careful about sales prices. I am friends with a guy who buys them off people wanting to sell & he's ruthless. The service fees mean people can't just leave it run, if they need to sell.

Why don't you try a seasonal pitch with a tourer first?

Statics depreciate to zero over about 15 years. They're like cars, not houses, in that respect.

Unless you're retired, will spend every spare weekend/holiday there, or can rent it out profitably, they're generally a money pit.

If you have children, they'll be fine when very young, but once they get a bit older they won't want to go to the same place for every holiday.

All brilliant points. Thank you.

We looked at a tourer, hadn’t realised that you can get seasonal pitches so will look into that. I love our camper but it’s hard to see the point in it when we always go to the same place

@Limer

Statics depreciate to zero over about 15 years. They're like cars, not houses, in that respect.

Unless you're retired, will spend every spare weekend/holiday there, or can rent it out profitably, they're generally a money pit.

If you have children, they'll be fine when very young, but once they get a bit older they won't want to go to the same place for every holiday.

Our kids are 16 and 18 and love going to this place every year - it’s our special place and they love it as much as me (but in fairness we do also go to the states occasionally). If we ever go anywhere else, we end up a bit disappointed 😂

Depreciation!

Site fees, ours is in France and lots of uk owners sold up pre pandemic because the euro / Stirling rate made it unaffordable

Will the site make you change your van after x amount of years?

Do you want to rent it out - bear in mind the busiest time for rental will be school holidays so if you have kids / grandkids you may not get the use out of it you want.

All that said we love ours and it was perfect when the kids when they were growing up. Obviously covid has been a bit shite for a van in France!

Thank you all so much for your advice.

In an ideal world we’d just live there but it’s too far from older, poorly relatives and we can’t afford an actual house in the area.

The fantasy is that because we have a growing family of grandkids (not from the youngest two) and love surfing / paddleboarding etc. we tend to go together and it is proper family time. When the mortgage is paid off in a couple of years I want to buy some additional leave and spend more time there. Also want to be able to let the older relatives use it to get away, they have lots of health issues and deserve the break.

But these are the practicalities I need to understand (because my heart usually does rule my head).

Watching with interest, we are also trying to decide about a static but unfortunately all sites in our holiday area have long waiting lists.
The advantage is that most of the sites we are looking at are open 12 months a year, so you can have winter breaks too.

In some sites they have massive statics which looked like two statics stuck together...I think they are called lodges, but eyewateringly expensive unfortunately

You can get 8ft wide, luxury tourers. They keep their value, especially atm, I would think better than a static. As a new owner can just haul them off on sale.

It would be a good first step.

A tourer on a seasonal site is a much better option. You have the added advantage of being able to take it somewhere else if you fancy a weekend/week away somewhere or to resite it altogether if you do become bored of the same place.