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

We did it whilst building. I wouldn't recommend it or do it again. The practicalities ie heating, electricity, sewerage, water, etc are fine.
But space becomes an issue and it is beyond wearing having to explain over and over and over again why you live in a caravan, yes it does have heating, yes it does have double glazing, yes it does have internet, yes we do pay council tax, etc, etc.

I lived in a static for years with two small children, it wasn’t desperately cold in winter nor particularly damp, even with just a gas heater.

If I remember it cost something like £250 and the onion septic tank cost about £1000 to buy and bury.

We lived in it for four years and then moved into a park home - which came on the back of two lorries and was a bastard to clack together. That cost £17,000 and it is awesome. With a wood stove it needs no other heating.

I don’t know the ins and outs of planning, but my house was complained about to the National Park who sent out an officer. They took a brief look and were happy that it wasn’t breaking regulations. There has been a caravan of some sort on this site for over 12 years. The guy I bought the park home from was adamant there would be no problem, but as he was trying to sell it to me I was somewhat skeptical!

Also they retain their value quite well.

Not trying to do the hard sell, but from my experience it works and has unlooked for benefits.

Look on YouTube and Pinterest for tiny home it might give you an idea on what it like to live in a tiny space

Yes do it. Just make sure you have ample heating for the winter.

We've done this in between houses. Was absolutely fine! As long as the heating it good.

you absolutely need planning permission for that. You CAN live in temporary accommodation (yurt/static/log cabin) whilst building on the land IF you have planning permission for that - you also will need to look at the legalities regarding being 'gifted' a field, because that indicates dividing up a title deed into a new plot of land, which must have access etc - unless of course they are simply just allowing you to use it.
But they could get into a very sticky situation very quickly, and you could find yourselves turfed out and having to find somewhere to live superfast.
you can stay overnight 28 days of the year. Thats it.
Or you can strip the kitchen out of it, eat your meals with your family, and use it for sleeping in only 'incidental to the home' but then it has to be in the curtilage of the home, so basically the back garden

omg yes

this is myideal living situation (not even kidding and i own a house)!
do it!

get the land in your name, look into building a house on it. Lots of land for dogs/chickens whatever - kids!

perfect!

Absolutely do it!
Elsan loos can be a bit stinky, so maybe dig a composting loo.
I have used them in forestry commission places and they don't smell if made/maintained correctly.
It's the urine that smells, not the poo in a badly maintained one.
{thankfully never used a nasty one!}

I’d deffo do it

Sounds like a great idea. Good luck!

Oh I’d definitely do it!

*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"

I knew some ''New Age travellers'' years ago, and they said ''Your sitting room is bloody freezing-get a stove''....
The bloke helped me choose one {Antique French one} and it has been a faithful friend for 20 years..Stays ''In'' all night {Homefire ovals''} and you soon get to know their likes and dislikes.
{Mine dislikes a North Easterly wind, and loves a Sou wester {for lighting it} No more chilly room in winter.

oakleaf I'm sure you've got a decent carbon monoxide monitor. Even if not, the OP ABSOLUTELYT needs to get one. For a couple of pounds, they are life-savers.

This sounds fine, I'd go for it. You've thought of the main issues, seem to have electricity etc., and you've been offered the land. Sounds all good to me.

My friends spent 6 months living in a static caravan in their own front garden after their house had been flooded.

It was hell. Although it was plumbed in to the mains drainage, it was a very cold winter and the waste pipes froze solid. Their calor gas froze, too, so they had no heating, cooking or hot water for some time (they came and stayed with us). They had mains electricity though, which was a positive.

Their daughter was 17/18, so doing her a-levels, and had no space to work (a disadvantage when one of them is art). She also had nowhere to spend time with her friends, as the second bedroom was tiny.

They put on loads of weight, because they weren't going up and down stairs several times a day, and because they were quite limited in what they could cook. If you used the oven or grill, the gas pressure to the burners was so low it took an hour to boil potatoes. It was really hard to keep tidy, because storage space was so limited, and they all got on each other's nerves.

It was a really grim, distressing and frustrating time. However, they were in their early fifties, so perhaps less adaptable than a younger couple, and they were already very stressed because of being flooded out and losing almost everything from the ground floor of their house, and all the hassle with the insurers etc. I think it may well be easier for a younger couple who are doing it for a reason.

Two youngsters in a confined space would be a challenge imo!

Is there a reason you are thinking this now after finding a buyer for your current property? Have you exchanged yet? Can you pull out and spend the next couple of years over paying the mortgage? Kids are young enough to enjoy free fun, libraries, parks, bike rides, baking etc so could save on expensive days out too.
Or alternatively could you buy a stop gap house in the right area say a 2 bed instead of a 3 kids can share, spend a bit to make it fab and sell on again in 3 years, you will then benefit from property rises and in a cheaper house you can either over pay the mortgage or save up separately if you're in the right area for schools I'd do this even in a smaller house it would be much easier than a caravan for so long.

Not allowed to. You need planning permission unless you're building a new house or doing renovations. You'll either need to leave for 6 weeks every year or somehow prove that you're working on the land for example security or felling trees to produce charcoal.

OP - you can't just do that though, you need planning.

I would be very reluctant to sell your house. At the moment it is increasing in value as are the properties that you would like to buy, so is keeping pace with them proportionately. Once you go off the property ladder that will stop. Could you rent out your house? I realise that your lender would have to agree and might not do so.

My friend did it with her husband and three young boys while they built their house. It was a bit cramped even though it was a large enough caravan and OK in good weather. But we had a couple of really bad storms over the winter, her did rushed into getting some room done so they could sleep in the house at night and only use the caravan in the day. That thing rocked and swayed in the storms and was so noisy, no one got any sleep.

Terrible idea
You need planning permission.
It won’t be the adventure everyone is imagining it to be.
2 young children, pets all in a small caravan? Imagine in winter when you can use all the land and are stuck indoors.

Someone I know did it and I only visited once because it was awful. Then they got chucked off by the Council.

Yeah, all these randoms going oh I’d do it, it’s such an adventure.

Not one of them is rushing to sell up, or stop their rental agreement and pitch up and live in a caravan in a field for three years. They are tucking their kids up in bed and climbing into their own, in their rental or owned houses.

Op, I’m not sure if you’re coming back but the fact you’ve sold your home and your in-laws have said you can pitch a caravan on some land indicates there is a much bigger financial issue here you’re not talking about that’s caused this.

Hopefully whatever it is, gets itself resolved for you and the time in the caravan enables you to get on your feet.

Totally agree, Bluntness!

You could pick a static with central heating & freestanding furniture up for £10-£15k, factor in getting a solid base to site it on, delivery putting your own stuff in storage as well.

I think your 4yo will think its a tremendous adventure, and your 1yo won't be bothered.
But in 7 years time I suspect your 11yo will find it embarrassing and your 8yo will be asking why you don't have a "normal house like everyone else".