Buying a Holiday Caravan or Lodge

The advantages of owning a caravan holiday home are:

Caravan holiday homes represent excellent value for money, compared with other types of holiday accommodation.

A caravan holiday home comes fully furnished and equipped and will not require substantial sums for furniture and fittings.

No time-consuming gardening or odd jobs and maintenance required.

Caravan holiday homes can be self-financing if you decide to sub-let. Many parks will do this on your behalf.

Owning a caravan holiday home truly represents freedom, and a chance to 'escape' whenever the fancy takes you.

Choosing a holiday caravan

The right size for your family: Although most holiday homes are 10' wide, there's a greater sense of space in a 12' wide model.

Buy the biggest caravan you can afford - 35' long at least.

Make sure it has enough bedrooms for the whole family, preferably without some having to sleep in the lounge.

To extend the comfortable use of your holiday home into the Autumn/Spring, a good heating system is important.

If buying used, choose the newest caravan you can afford. Some parks have a limit on the age of caravan they will accommodate.

Example of annual running costs

Annual pitch fee £850
Water and sewerage £70
Rates £150
Gas (bottled LPG) £35
Electricity £45
Insurance £350
TOTAL £1,490

Some questions to ask

These area the main questions you should ask the park owner if you are about to purchase a caravan on site:

* What months is the park open
* What is the specification of the caravan
* Are there optional extras and are they included with the caravan
* What is the annual plot rental
* Are there any extra costs beyond the annual plot rental
* What facilities and services are available on site
* Is the park a member of the NCC or the BH&HPA or similar professional organisation
* How long has the park's licence still to run
* Are there any development plans in process
* Can I have a 'right to move' written into our contract?
* If we have an urgent need to sell, do you have a guaranteed 'buy back price'
* Is there a maximum age of caravans allowed on site
* Are children and pets allowed (how many pets per van)