To want to live in a caravan throughout the year?

[whosiwhatsit]

It's just me, my DH and our two cats. We own a small house but not in the area where we work. We need to sell the house before buying where we live but in the meantime we're in rented and paying a fortune. It occurred to me that maybe we could save money by buying a cheap static caravan and living in it on a caravan site full time? Has anyone done this? Is it possible? Even fun? We're in the Northwest of England. Thanks.

[ratspeaker]

I've known people who are happy to live on residential parks.
They view it as similar to living in a village.
There are quite a few about but prices to buy vary depending on area, also ground rent varies too.
Residential parks are open all year round, you have to pay council tax ( usually cheapest band though ) and ground rent.


The homes can be comfortable and warm. Some are double glazed with central heating either oil fired or bottled gas. Some use panel electric radiators or wood burners.
Insulation can vary, the ones i know about have bricked in the underside and have added deeper, insulated roofs and cladding.
Again depending on park rues you can alter the inside to your own taste without needing planning permission.
The park may have rules on how big a shed, porch, deck or size of fence

Residential parks often have regulations about who can live there laid down by the landlord, it may be over 50s or over 25s.
They may want proof of employment or income .
They may want proof you will live there full time ie not use it as a holiday home
You may only be able to get electric supply through them by card meter.
The landlord often charges a fee up to 10% when a static caravan is sold on site.


Holiday parks close for upwards of one month of the year, usually February.
Some holiday parks have restrictions on the age and style of static caravan forcing you to upgrade every few years
Most holiday parks seem to have the bare, uncladded caravans.
Some residential parks have similar regulations, others only want the value of the static to be above a certain level.

[whosiwhatsit]

Thanks, all. After reading your responses I've been put off the idea. I think it would end up being too cold, too expensive, and to difficult to convince my DH to give it a go.

No raisah thanks for asking but we aren't renting out our house because we feel having tenants in it may make it more difficult to sell, and we do need to sell in order to release the equity in the house for a deposit on a new house. Plus we just don't want the stress of being landlords.

[raisah]

Are you renting out your own home to cover the mortgage? So atleast you are not paying rent & mortgage costs. Would it be possible to convert to a buy to let mortgage & keep your own property as a safety net for the future? Is it possible to buy/ rent nr work while keeping your home.

Static caravans have ventilation shafts on the floor/walls so they get very cold. It wont be warm now and certainly not in the winter.

[bobbybear1606]

I work in the office of a caravan park that has a residential area with twenty all year round sites There are quite a lot of regulations about the type of caravan you can live in all year (put down by the Local Council and various other governing bodies) and a cheap caravan would not meet those regulations of double glazing, central heating etc, our Council even lists the "brands and types" of caravans that are acceptable. The cheapest residential one I am aware of is in the region of £40,000.00. Different Councils however may have different regulations but most sites are controlled by BH&HPA and have relatively the same rulings.

[VerySmallSqueak]

Living on a static caravan isn't always what it's cracked up to be and isn't as cheap as you think either.

But,as for,living in a caravan,as such,perfectly do-able and perfectly comfortable.

[jacks365]

Full year round sites are few and far between so check that aspect carefully but yes I've known people who have done it. My friend lived in a static with child for 3 years while they built their house.

[LikeTheStuffYouHangUp]

Most holiday sites spring. However where I live and where pil live (100 miles away) they are all 12 month places.

[LikeTheStuffYouHangUp]

Make sure you look round it properly.

[springlamb]

Most static caravan sites have 11 month licences so you'd have to leave for a month anyway. Ground rents can run to £4,000 a year in some areas. You still have your bills and council tax to account for (although the council tax is sometimes included in the ground rent).
Park home sites have permanent residency but the ground rent can be very high and the initial outlay is much more than a static.

[LikeTheStuffYouHangUp]

Some people enjoy it, others don't. Have you ever holidayed in a static?
A cheep one would be a nightmare tho! You'd need heating throughout as they get very cold, even in the summer. It's just like buying a house really, l

[KittensoftPuppydog]

Sounds like a great idea. We plan to live in our camper while travelling when we retire. Make sure it's big enough for you both to be in if the weather is bad.

[Areyoumadorisitme]

It's possible,people do but I wouldn't imagine it'd be fun.