For those that are looking to buy a luxury mobile home, you’ve likely been searching for tips on how to find a good deal. In this guide, we’ve compiled a list of 4 key things to consider when you are on the journey and how to find the best option for your needs.
Since buying a holiday home is one of the biggest purchases you’ll make in your lifetime, it’s important to ensure you have all the information you need before doing so. With this said, let’s dive in and take a look at the top points to take away with you.
1. Where Should I Be Looking?
While the location of your static home will depend on your personal preferences and desires, there are some things that you should consider when deciding.
Think about travel time
The whole idea of having a static home to go away to for a relaxing break is to RELAX! Unless you have come with a specific reason for choosing to buy a static home that is hours away from your permanent home, we advise going with a location that is 1-2 hours away.
What this means for you is that you won’t have to schedule excessive driving times and it makes the whole holiday far more enjoyable since you’ll have more time to simply chill.
Consider your travelling options
If you don’t have a car, you may think that owning a static holiday home is off-limits. Thankfully today, you can get just about anywhere through means of public transport. Therefore we advise considering areas that you could even reach by train.
You’ll be able to plan your journeys to and from the holiday home well in advance and could even benefit from fewer travel expenses as a result.
What type of location appeals most
Perhaps you reside in a city but love the idea of being close to the sea when you’re on holiday. Carefully think about your interests and the type of location that would appeal most to you when choosing a caravan home.
Though it can be tempting to choose a cheap static home, you likely won’t fully enjoy your time there if there’s nothing for you to do!
2. Take Your Time To Search!
You’re probably eager to snatch up your new luxury holiday home as soon as possible, however, taking the process slowly is certainly advisable. Here are a few points to consider when choosing your new holiday home:
Gather all the information you need
Ask current customers of a caravan park what the owners are like. Have they had a good experience? Have you read up on the local area? Does it have all the amenities you need? Also, do you have all the relevant information on the type of caravan you want to buy and did you know what documentation you should receive on the purchase is complete. Due diligence at this stage of the buying process will make the rest of it a lot easier.
Check out the local area thoroughly
Buying a luxury mobile home is a long term commitment. You’re going to be visiting it a few times a year. Well, you should be! But if you rush into a sale before checking out the local area you might find you’ve purchased a static caravan in a place you don’t really like. Make sure you visit the areas surrounding your caravan site, not just the site itself.
Go to the local towns, spend a few evenings in a B&B or hotel. Do you like the locals, the food, the activities? Tick all these boxes and you can be sure any luxury mobile home you purchase in the area will be visited regularly.
Understand the yearly costs
Once you’ve bought your luxury mobile home there are still ongoing payments you’ll need to make. Site fees, maintenance fees and heating are all things you need to consider. Make sure you shop around to find a good deal and if something sounds too expensive don’t be afraid to haggle.
Make sure the costs you’re told when buying are not introductory offers too. A tactic as old as time but one that could sting you if you’re not careful.
3. The Cost Of Keeping Your Static Home
Cost is an important consideration and is often location dependent. If you are searching for a static home in a sought-after area, you should expect to pay more overall. With this in mind, here are a few things to consider regarding costs and maintenance:
Different location bands
Once you have decided on a location, you should be mindful of the band that the park is in. Every caravan park has its own band which determines overall pricing for things such as water, maintenance, and winter closure periods.
Luxury mobile home insurance
When buying your static home you will also need to buy accompanying insurance to protect your home against theft and any damage. While insurance is not compulsory, it is highly recommended!
Letting your caravan home
When you are not using your static home for personal holidays, it may be possible to rent it out. Many park owners will allow you to rent out your home so long as you do so in a legitimate manner. You can make a considerable amount of money by renting out your static caravan when it’s not in use.
4. Consider your budget carefully
Finally, if you feel that you have carried out all the research regarding location and travel, it’s time to think about your budget – and talk about it too! Before viewing static luxury homes, get an idea of what you want and how you’ll pay for your new holiday home.
Paying with cash
You may have enough money saved to buy a holiday home completely, so looking at how much the caravans for sale cost overall would be the angle to consider. But, this is quite rare.
Some parks won’t take actual cash in notes in excess of £14,000 due to the law requiring large cash transactions to be noted and reported.
Taking out finance
Most people think about borrowing money from friends or family or by taking out a loan through a bank – what is commonly called ‘third party finance‘.
The park would effectively deal with this as a cash transaction, but if this is your intention, considering the third option – ‘specialised holiday home funding’ – might be worth considering.
Getting Your Keys
The most exciting part of all is getting your new keys for your mobile home! The park will be able to show you around the area to familiarise yourself, if you haven’t done so already. All that’s left to do now is decorate your space and make it your own to enjoy.
If you’re interested in purchasing a luxury mobile home you can see all our available properties at our residential and holiday parks or contact us to arrange a booking.
