Static Caravan as a home?

[ladybird0718]

Hi All, I'm a long time lurker but first time posting and just wanted some advice. Me and my DH live with my husbands parents, have done for 6 years, its been great, they are lovely people. We decided to move in as I wasn't happy where we were living, it was rented house and not only was it helping us when we moved in it also helped them. We are in a debt plan so a mortgage is off the cards. Anyway, it has been lovely being here. This year we purchased our own Static Caravan on a holiday park, we talked about it for a long time and decided to just do it...Best thing we ever did, we go every weekend and spend as much of the school holidays as we can there, our DS loves it. We are now thinking of moving into this permanently (well almost as it closes for 8 weeks during winter), this is the nearest we will get to owning our own home without paying huge rent bills and when we are there we just feel so less stressed, relaxed, calm and happier in general. It has everything on site for us and DS. Its not a far commute from where we work (around 50 minutes), however, we appreciate there could be traffic in the mornings/evenings but we will get through this somehow. I just wondered if anyone else has lived in a static caravan or knows people who do. I suppose my only issue is how cold it could get in the colder months but we've been looking at insulation. We have double glazing and oil heaters. Our caravan is only 2 years old. During the closure of the park we would come back to DH's parents house which is not a problem.

I’m pretty sure you can’t reside permanently on a caravan site.

My nearest neighbours live in a static caravan on their croft and the wind seems to howl through it and it gets very damp on the inside, but we live in the highlands, so maybe further south and in a sheltered location it would be better?

I have never done it, but there is a holiday site near my parents with holiday homes which are very naice. They are only supposed to be lived in 10 months of the year.they ended up with people living there, and taking a month's holiday elsewhere in the summer and a month's holiday elsewhere when the park was closed in December. At some point the local council sued one of the residents, I can't remember how or why, I think it was due to council tax or schools or something, but they did it in order to stop the park being used as permanent homes. After that you could no longer use an address on the site as an address on a school application, and lots of things were tightened changed.

I now 2 couples who do this but they are retired/semi retired. One stays with one of her 3 DC for 2 weeks each and then goes only holiday for 2 weeks and the other just goes to Spain for 8 weeks while it's shut. They love it and say it's the best thing they ever did, not sure about the practicalities of it with school age kids though. What if they want friends to stay over and things?

I'm wondering how cold and damp it would be in winter? Have you stayed in it over winter?

Although some of these "caravans"now are nicer than some flats, with ensuing etc, so I may be wrong!

Why do you think it might not be a good idea?

*with en suites

I think holiday sites are generally very hot on not being used as residential sites, and thw residential caravan parks I know have an under-25s ban. Could you speak to management/owner at your park and informally ask them whether they'd be likely to have any problem with you living there 10 months a year?

This is mine +dh's future plan op!! Site fees may be expensive, and some sites have in the t&c's that you have to upgrade your caravan every few years to maintain the image of the site.

How big is it though and how much storage do you have, we have had holidays in caravans and they can be quite cramped, having lived in a two bed. flat with two children and not much storage , it can become an issue quickly.

I lived in a static caravan on a site for a year or so. It was fine. Winter wasn't a problem at all, modern caravans are designed to cope with cold. I agree with you about the relaxed aspect; it felt more relaxing than a house but I'm not sure why.

I used to live in a static with work, I loved it as I had to totally de-clutter and lived a very streamline life. Yes it gets cold, even in the best insulated vans. Electric blankets are your friend, as are fleece pjs and bathrobes. I kept a washing machine and small chest freezer in a plastic keter store outside but a walk in shed would have been much easier. We fitted electric panel heaters to the walls in the bedrooms.....just as a tip if you do it, make the hole to screw the plastic wall plug in and then use some of that expanding foam to fill the hollow gap and then add the plug. It will stay in very securely and takes the edge of the cold. You will also need to run a dehumidifier to prevent damp and in turn, mold.

If you read the Ts and a s for the park, you’ll almost certainly find that this can’t be your primary residence. You can spend 10 months a year there, but you must have another permanent address elsewhere (where council tax is paid). This means you wouldn’t be able to use this address for school application purposes. This would probably be the biggest fly in the ointment I imagine.

*Ts and Cs

we lived in a static caravan for a year. honestly it was miserable. it made me so depressed. it's cold and damp and cramped and uncomfortable, and my kids friends took the piss out of them. we were short on options at the time so i'm grateful we had any roof over our heads, but life in a static caravan is a very different thing to holidaying in one. now i won't even consider staying in one on holiday. it was just grim.

Thanks all for your responses. We've already spoke to the site mgr and its fine for us to resident there whilst the park is open, it closes mid-December and reopens mid-February. Its a big caravan, 3x bedrooms, plenty of storage. Having lived at my Parents-in-laws we've already learnt to declutter so that is not an issue. The only things we currently own are the things in our bedrooms haha! The site fees are a reasonable price, the cost of living in the caravan will save us about £1500 a year compared to where we live now so we're not really thinking of doing it "to save money". We just feel so much happier being on our own plus I didn't mention earlier that my DH's sister, her partner and they're DD moved in with us in July and its becoming quite stressful for me too being all under one roof! We only got it in April and the obviously the weather has just started to turn and even though we haven't yet moved in we still plan to go every weekend until the season ends as its like our little home...It really feels like home. In terms of practicality for DS, he's never had friends over anyway and with me and DH working full time its not something we could have had happen anyway so I dont think that will be an issue. Our works, DS's school will all remain where they are now and DS will continue to do his after-school clubs etc and be picked up by grandparents.

I have never done this but absolutely will be doing when I can afford to! Good luck 😊

Sounds like a good plan to me.

@ladybird0718 sounds good then, although the money saving might go in petrol costs.

Things I would worry about?

Parties or play dates for DS, are you too far away for them?

Is DS infant or junior, will moving out of area effect moving to the juniors you want? Same with senior school.

Where would you stay for the two months you can't be one site?

Although some of those issues would be the same if you moved to a house out of area.

You should start a blog op.

If you can legally live there- with no issues with council tax or school reg- then I’d be moving in like a flash myself. I’d prioritise having my own space over any amount of home comforts personally. Plus, a newish caravan is probably nicer than plenty of flats I’ve lived in.

As a renter this is something we’ve considered as well it’s just shit isn’t it!! My concern would be the school finding out your not a local resident anymore? What would you do for the 8 weeks over Christmas, new year etc.

So would your DS’s journey to school be 50 minutes or is that just your work commute?

I’d prioritise having my own space over any amount of home comforts personally couldn’t agree more