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

Why not rent out your house and then rent near your PIL?
Also I see a lot of people say "I can't afford to work before the DCs go to school". You will be much better off in the long run even if you (that's you, and your DH) have to pay for childcare now, than waiting till your younger one starts school, you will lose far more than 3 years income by waiting to go back to work then.

Are you talking about what in the USA is called a Trailer and is effectively a house? Do you have a link to show us what you are referring to so we are on the same page? Thanks.

Do it.
What’s the worse that can happen ?

I did this for 10 weeks with two small children whilst our extension was built it and it was bloody awful, caravans are to cold in winter and to hot in summer, and it might not be cheap/easy safely ventilate a wood burner? there are all kinds of regulations around wood burners.

It’s not a caravan though is it? Like a small, travelling one? It’s a mobile home!

I’d build a pergola type thing with a roof too- so you can spread out a bit even when it’s raining.

But I’d do it in a heartbeat.

and we had access to mains sewage for the toilet, mains electricity / water and washing machine, still wouldn't do it again.

Seems an awful lot of people and animals in a small space. No-one on this thread who has done this living has spoken about that many living creatures in one small space. Hope your dog is small.

Unless its in your PIL garden and can be considered an annexe of their house, ie you share services/facilities with the house..

Then I think you won't be able to do this. Sorry... I've been checking it out recently for myself, and if its on land that is not the garden of a property your family live in, you will need planning, and its highly unlikely you'd get it.

Only with correct planning permission…

Check the planning regs first as you can't just stick a static caravan on some land. If you are allowed to, consider getting two statics. You could buy a cheap second one for storage and for the kids to use as a playroom. Statics do get very cold in the winter though. It's doable for up to a year. Beyond that I think that you might start to go slightly mad.

Why in the name if god have tou sold your house when you can't afford to buy another house?

Some family members did this. But it was bigger than a mobile home, or came on three trucks and all connected.

Someone has been living in it continuously for the last 15 years. It is not on the mains of anything, has a generator and a tank and water comes out of tanks. You have to bring in proper drinking water (or risk the stream which I’ve always been ok with)

Logistically it’s a nightmare. If something breaks it’s a real issue to get sorted. I remember having to get a fire on to have a hot shower as the generator broke (or was out of fuel can’t remember).

I would happily do it, but there is no way my partner would and I don’t think our marriage would survive.

I would

I’d certainly consider it (and have more pets than you!). You’d have to look into planning permission (definitely needed). I’d also want a damned good wood burner that can keep smouldering all night and keep the caravan warm at night.

You'll need planning permission - definitely

It sounds like a fantastic adventure. Do it!

To echo others, you will need planning permission. If it was that easy to set up a static on a relatives land, don't you think you'd see them all the time? It would be impossible in an a.o.n.b. or a conservation area, and virtually impossible anywhere else. Sounds like a pipe dream to me.

Log Cabin. There's a MNetter who has an amazing log cabin co that has been on TV

I am a teacher in a coastal area. A number of the kids I teach have static caravans as their permanent homes. All very happy.

I think you will run into the same problems with the local parish and county councils that travellers find when they try to build static homes on land that they own but which is not designated for housing.

That sounds like a really fun thing to do, especially for children, like big long holiday. If it's only for limited time, why not. I would.

Due to the levels of hysterical prejudice against travellers, planning laws on this are very strict.

You won't be able to live there long term unless you have planning permission.

OP. So was that the intention when you sold your house. I don't understand why you sold when you had no plan on where to live. I wouldn't sell my property unless I could afford something else or had a plan in mind.

@SickOfNorthernExile you've got the joy of offgrid spot on!