AIBU to move family into caravan?

[mumofbeagles]

DH and I currently own a 3 bedroom House in the south east. This has recently been sold STC etc and we currently can not afford to buy in the area we want to. Fab schools, loads of green space. It's the country life we want.
Would it be ludicrous to buy a 3 bedroom caravan and move us, our two children, dog and two cats into it?
We will get a reasonable amount out of our house for a deposit, but until youngest Is in school etc I am limited hours I can work etc.
So after much discussion PIL have offered to gift us 1 acre of land for us to put caravan on. It's in the area we want to live etc.
Getting the caravan would mean we would be able to double if not treble our savings potential. So that we can find our dream home and not be mortgaged up to the eyeballs. It would likely be short term 2-3 years. Until my earning potential goes up and so does the deposit.
What are you thoughts, those that have lived 'off grid' what advise would you give
TIA

I think it sounds great and really exciting! A great opportunity to build up savings whilst you look for somewhere to live. However where I live my house has risen 25% over the last 4 years I have been living in it. I don't think the savings I could make on my puny salary could match that. So something to think about and calculate before you go for it. Good Luck!

Sounds a wonderful solution to me!

Oyf I were you I'd rent my house out. You are then insulated against falls and rises in local property market.

The rental money you receive will offset caravan costs and the surplus can be put towards your deposit for new house??

If living in caravan proved too difficult you can move back into your home.

Is there a possibility you could build a house on the site? Might be cheaper than buying a house in the area, and you wouldn't have to be in the caravan too long.

I went to school with a girl whose family lived in 2 statics on the local caravan site, which belonged to her uncle. Aged 11, she was happy enough with her home that she made it the subject of her class presentation. We were all really jealous.

I’d do it in your situation, but consider having a second caravan as a playroom and, as others have said, a shed for storage.

I'd consider it but proximity to in laws/their land would also be a massive issue for me!

I’ve always fancied living in a static full time so I’d do it in a heartbeat. What a bloody great idea and since you’ve got the land that’s the hard part dotted too.

This is the kind of question you need to ask close friends and family who know YOU and YOUR FAMILY

I couldn’t possibly do it
Others would thrive

We lived in one for five years whilst we built our home.

We had a child there for the last three.

They were the best days of our lives! We had oil heating so every room was warm..

Ours had a shower and bath and a massive cupboard where we kept towels and spare blankets etc.

The bedroom was big enough for a wardrobe and drawers and dds cot.

We had a small wooden she's outside for bikes etc

I'd say go for it!!

*sorted not dotted

Look into composting toilets. They don't need a water source but require electricity to run a fan that removes odour. Not as cheap as porcelain sanitary ware but will save the cost and bother of a septic tank.

We have one on our liveaboard boat and honestly at point of use it smells far less than a w c.

My folks had a static caravan and when I took the kids down in November it was absolutely freezing overnight - lost all its heat.i had to take ds into bed beside me to reward him- he was very cool.
That was in Scotland so maybe you’re in a warmer part of the country

Do the PIL have planning permission for a 12 month of the year occupancy?

@GiddapGreyWaynesKeat

Don’t you need planning permission to live permanently in a caravan when it is not sited on land which is being used to build a house?

Yes you do.

I would buy a yurt and live in it permanently. Look on Pinterest!

You need to be clear on the risks. What is the plan for your earning potential to go up? How will you make this a reality in this time period?

Secondly you’re banking on saving more than properties increase.

Why have you sold your home with no proper plan of where to live? Because you’re also loosing equity potentially in this three years.

Is there a financial issue now that’s caused you to sell and look at living in a caravan?

And all these folks saying they would do it, yet not one of them is or even attempting to.

Planning permission.
You can't just do that. Else the countryside would be full of them. Instead they are all in neat lines in residential parks.

Sounds a nightmare.

Why are you selling your house?

Will you have a washing machine?

Bloody cold in winter.

You need to check if you can actually do this, planning permission is likely needed. It will be extremely cold in the winter, wood burner or not and likely muddy outside

If you really want to do it ok, but it’s not for me

could you buy the land and build on it?

Be careful as I thought there was a limit to the amount of time you could spend in a holiday home? Presumably it comes under that title?

I think PP meant rent your current house to someone else and then live on the caravan.

I’d do it in a heartbeat!

We’re stuck with negative equity in ours, and the kids are too old now. Otherwise I’d be gone.

I think your kids are the perfect age for it, you can use PIL’s address for school admissions etc.

Honestly, it’s a no brainer to me! My only concern would be that we’d eat into the money!

There’s a page on Instagram of a designer here in Cork who put a mobile home at the bottom of her parents’ land and refurbed it.

It. Is. Stunning. And look at all those tiny house people!

I’d do it. 100%.

You need planning permission. Depending on the Council area, this could be quite tricky. I would ring the planning department well before starting any plans. If it is any area of natural beauty or other designated area it is unlikely you’d get permission. Even if it is an area of high value properties, there might be designations to prevent you. If you were building on the land, having gained permission, it would be different.