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 know a few people who do this. They just move out for the closed weeks and love it.

Honestly OP - go for it. Give it a year and see how it goes. You’be nothing to lose and could always move back to in-laws if it’s not good.

I’d love to live in one and would do it for sure in your circumstances.

I agree with Justnoclue try it you may really like it. PP who have mentioned, damp, cold and freezing pipes newer caravans are very well insulated. My caravan has two bathrooms, a fully fitted kitchen and washing machine/dishwasher.

When the op has to get off the site for the couple of months the site is closed she can move back in with family. Our caravan costs approx £300 per month inclusive of utility bills and gardener.

Ps it’s a holiday home but I could easily live there if I had to.

Sil lives in one on what was a holiday park and is now licensed for permanent use. DH says it's pretty snug but he's really only visited in the summer, and that only a couple of times, though she's been there 5 years. It seems the way to go though. I imagine with housing being in such crisisit would make sense for all those holiday parks to become permanent, and then many who couldn't afford otherwise would be able to buy at a fraction of the cost.

I know a few people who live in one and absolutely love it. I've been in a variety of weathers and it's always been pleasant and very homely.

They are all retired, but all are registers there for council tax, Gp etc so I can't see why schools would be a problem except they might want your son to go to a school nearer.

Do factor in costs for depreciation tho. 2 sets of people I know are both quite anxious about what they'll do when their van needs renewing (both sites have some strict rules about the age and condition of the van) and don't find it that much cheaper than renting when you factor in this to the costs.

I think it will be absolutely miserable for your son to have to do 2 x 50 minute journeys every day. And you don't even know if it wil be "only" 50 minutes.

My sil's permanent park is full of retired or near-retired people. She is one of the youngest there at 60+. It will be hard for your son to 'play out' in the week, at weekends he might be lucky enough to be near some children visiting their gps.

Depreciation is a problem atm. They are more like cars in that as soon as you buy one - brand spanking new - it loses about half its value, and another few years will see a 60K static worth about 10K. I only know this because dh has told me what sil has said, so it's hearsay rather than fact.

I think tiny homes is the way to go for the future though. If I could I'd put something in the garden, get it connected up and put either dh or dd in it (haven't decided which!), leaving me to be blissful in the house alone. Pipe-dreams, castles in the air - where would I be without them?!

We lived on one full time just after we were married, long before the modern ones with double glazing, heating etc., it was freezing, literally, in winter! If you can't use it for 8 weeks that I assume that's during winter, you would need to drain all the systems to prevent freezing, not a problem we had as there was no running water and our water carriers froze, the damp was terrible. We were glad to leave it after a couple of years, but modern units are so much better, you should be very comfortable.

Back in 2006 my uncle died. My aunt didnt want to live alone so she mived in to a holiday park. It was one they stayed in many times a year and got to know a lot of people. 2 yrs later she bought a really posh caravan and loved it! A lot of people in similar circumstances live there and for the 10 weeks its closed they all go to Marbella! Perfect!

She has a caravan a Big Fat Gypsy would be proud of (minus that awful plastic covering on the seats!)

Go for it!

It's true about depreciation - it always has been, the car analogy is accurate, though the value doesn't decrease quite as quickly as Jux says. (I used to help run a holiday caravan site).

Otherwise, lots of static caravans are designed for year round living - double glazing, insulation etc - and so long as don't need lots of room, many people live quite happily in them. We used to be closed for a 5 week period but other than that the site was essentially probably 60% of people's permanent home, even though it wasn't meant to be.

(the other expense you'll need to meet is ground rent - this could be about £1500 a year, even if you own the caravan)

oh yes, and site fees, which vary.

Give it a go and see if you like it. The world won’t end if you decide it’s not for you. I have family members that have raised a gorgeous family in a static caravan because they’ve been building their own home themselves. It’s taken years but definitely hasn’t stopped them being happy.

We have a holiday park near us by the beach and this is open all year. They also have lodges. There is a quiet road to the site with a wild life pond on the same side as the site and the beach on the other. Very popular spot.

I am sure that some people live there all year round. Most of the caravans have central heating and there are laundry rooms on site. Far better than living in a crowded small flat in a city.

We did this. Not on a park but on our own land. It was fine in winter and we live up North. The caravan had insulation, double glazing, central heating, etc. As for council tax, school catchments, etc, it's the same as any other address.
My friend's mum stayed on a holiday park for ten months of the year (like you are suggesting) and she loved it.
The only word of caution I have is around your DS. There's a lot of stigma about living on a caravan park or in a caravan. People don't understand and are bigoted. Children get bullied. So although I think you'll have no problems with the practicalities. Emotionally, I'd be considering your DS.

My in laws did it. They originally used to stay on the site with a touring caravan but they loved it so much they got a static, sold their house then when it was required for them to be off site they would book hotels. They made a lovely little garden and had decking and the caravan was palatial BUT it was freezing in winter despite central heating and double glazing. They lived there for a few years though before Ill health drove them into sheltered accommodation.

I lived in one for 4 years in my late twenties. I decided I wasn't going to be cold so I just used the heat as needed and it wasn't cold. It was an old static and had no insulation. I enjoyed it but I was single then so space wasn't a concern.

I did though get quite keen on the idea of having bricks and mortar round me again and I wouldn't go back. However at the time I enjoyed it.

Surely the money spent on the caravan would have been better spent paying off your debts or as a house deposit or money so you could rent some where. It may be a lovely thing to have. But it's not a great investment in the long term. If you've got spare cash it's fine. But sounds like you haven't.

The thing that's stopping me from seriously considering it for my old age is space for my books. And my piano. And my other stuff....

But otherwise I would just do it.

I think you should just do it! If the worst comes to the worst, you go back to where you are now and start saving again....

My in laws sold their house and bought their 'van 15 years ago. They had to be off site for 4 weeks so they rented a cottage for that time. It never seemed tedious having to leave because they saw it as part of the deal of living there.
We bought the 'van from them 10 years ago when they were offered sheltered housing.
The fees have more than doubled in that time, and the park is now open 12 months of the year, BUT we all have to promise not to stay the full 12 months. It's now £3000 annually. In advance, all in one payment.
It's our UK home and we love it! Even when the Beast from the East hit. Our water went off for 2 days, but the heating stayed on.
As for depreciation, true you'll never get what you've paid for it, but alot depends on the caravan and the upkeep to the price you'll achieve when you sell.
Ours still holds it's own with the newer caravans, the boiler and fridge freezer have been replaced, and I think the oven needs an upgrade this year. I'm hankering after a new sofa set too - ours is free standing but it's 15 years old now! I changed the beds with a king size and double (2 bedrooms) from Ikea 2 summers ago- and by myself too. A determined woman can do whatever she puts her mind to The caravan has 1 ensuite and a full bathroom along with the home comforts. It certainly doesn't feel like a caravan.
In the cold winter months, we use 1 bottle of gas a week - £72. The electric is metered and paid quarterly. The highest it's been is £80 - lots of use of the tumble dryer.
Our site allows us to receive mail so it opens the door to school and Drs registration. I know not all sites do though so you'd need to check with the site. Our site doesn't have an age limit on the caravans, they need to be tidy and clean.
I also echo what others have said about buying a secondhand caravan AND try the site first as they prefer you to buy from them first, they often discount siting and fees if you do.
When we're leaving, I put a few of those humidifier things from Asda out to keep any damp away, as yet no patches have come up.
Good luck, I hope it all works out for you.

The £3000 is the ground rent and water charge.

@DubaiismyBlackpool - Thanks for your response, sounds positive.

We already own the Caravan and have been on the park since April, the Caravan itself is only 2 years old, we have electric panel heating which are pointless so we have oil filled electric heaters which are so good. 20 years is the age of the caravans they like them to be, however, if your caravan is in good condition they are happy for you to keep it on they're longer.

Of course I really want to do it but my main concern is my 7 yr old DS having to endure early morning getups as we are approx a 50 minute drive from School/Work. I wouldn't change his school as some suggested because I'd be working where I work and my Son will be in a school local to the caravan park which isn't ideal if he was to become ill and had to be picked up - Our solution is to stay at the in-laws (where we live now) for two days a week to reduce the pressure of 5x early morning get-ups and I will reduce my hours 2x days a week so we are back at the park at a reasonable time. DH will also change his hrs 1 day a week too to start later so DS will only have to endure 2x early morning get-ups.

We also would have to vacate mid-december until mid-feb so then we had the worry of where do we go, however, we know for certain we can come back to where we are living now - Our solution is to come back to where we live now for 7 weeks.

Then we had the worry of not having a legal residency where we pay council tax. We currently pay council and tax and rent in the house we live in with our in-laws and because we are not wanting to live in our caravan to save money, we have decided we will continue to pay the rent and council which means we are not doing anything illegal and its still classed as our permanent residency.

In terms of washing/drying - I do our own washing anyway which is about 4-6 loads each week, of course we know that launderettes aren't cheap so the two days a week we go back to in-laws I'll do our washing then.

We currently pay an amount each month towards bills so we'd still continue to pay some money towards the cost of us staying over 2x a week and using the washer/dryer...we only intend to reduce this amount by £50-£70 so they are not losing out really.

We've also looked at insulation for the van which we will invest in.

So basically, we'll be living in our caravan for 5x nights and staying at the in-laws (or our 2nd home) 2x nights. We currently spend 2x nights at the caravan and 5x nights at home but having 6x adults and 2x children is becoming quite depressing and stressful.

Plenty of people do, particularly in the US. You have a proper house at your disposal if the winter proves too cold. The key to compact living arrangements is making sure there's a designated place for everything and you keep it clean, an awning or covered porch is also handy to be able to remove wet things before entering. Check whether you need to register for council tax etc there, as it's not year round I'm not sure iof the rules. Give it a go and report back!

I lived in a static year round for three years (and not a modern one with double glazing and central heating I might add!) and it was perfectly fine, it was home. Me, ex and our dog in a three bed and it never felt cramped.
My brother also lived in one for probably 5 years and is now in a log cabin. Him, his DP and their two children. He doesnt see the point in a proper house.
We’re not travellers, but we are all farmers

Thanks for your replies.

We wouldn't be charged Council Tax on the site as its not a residential park so is closed for 7 weeks but we'd continue paying the council tax at the house we currently live in to ensure we are not doing anything that is illegal.

I have thought about DS maybe being bullied in high school but he can always say he still lives at our current house or he could just say we live half the week at our holiday home and half the week at our normal home because in high school he'll be going to "normal home" anyway until we get back from work, I think it would be very different if we literally lived there full time and had no "normal home" to go back too.

We could rent a house and we'd still be able to afford the caravan (at a push) but whats the point in renting a house when we can live in our own caravan and still go back to the house we live in now.