Hi everyone, my partner was recently diagnosed with an illness and has had to retire at 54, he is really depressed and to cut a long story short we are wanting to buy a willerby static home and live in it and try have a more relaxed life than we currently have. We have no clue where to start, a friend told us to get a caravan on a 11/12 month site and go on holiday/breakaway every 60 days. But I've also been told to buy on a residential park. We have a budget of £80-90k. Can anyone offer any advice? I'd be so grateful.
I am so sorry to hear about your partner, it must be a difficult time.
I would suggest not to rush in to anything at all - both of you (not just your partner) will be feeling very down and probably not in the right frame of mind to make major decisions about where you will live.
As far as buying a static - the friend who suggested an 11.5 month site and going away every 60 days has given you very poor advice; what happens if one of you is not well enough to travel?
There are numerous threads on this forum and elsewhere with warnings of the risks of trying to use a holiday static as a permanent residence, and numerous newspaper reports about people being made homeless when either the site changes hands, or when the local council crack down on people living illegally (which is what it is) on a holiday site.
A proper residential park home on a properly licenced site will give you full security of tenure and you will not have to leave unless you want to. But depending whereabouts in the country you want to live, you may struggle to find something you like within your budget.
Why not start a lot of research but on both options - the good and the bad - and also consider staying where you are but using the money for home luxuries and holidays.
Please - do not rush into any decision; it is a big step to take and after consideration you may decide to do something completely different.
As said buying a static is a minefield with many horror stories. If you spend £80k on a static today and then want to sell 5 years later you will be very lucky to sell for £20k.
I strongly suggest that as there is an illness in the family you try and stay in a brick and mortar place. I fell ill while living in our caravan and due to medical hassles and access to site, we decided to go back to bricks and mortar. We struggled to get a decent home. Be very, very careful.
We live on a residential park home site, we bought it for £62,000 and it is now worth over £100,000. It all depends on the state of the home and whether you can 'do it up'.
We do have to pay £251 a month ground rent. I believe the 11-12 month ones are more expensive as you may have to pay for all the amenities.
ALL residential sites are 12 month sites, as they are legally your main/only home.
I would strongly suggest that the OP carries out a lot of research, as trying to use a holiday static as your only home is a recipe for disaster, and residential parks do not suit everybody - not least because of the pitch fee (as mentioned above) which will (almost certainly) increase each year by CPI (again, as laid down in law).
Whereabouts in the country are you looking?
I believe that there are residential sites in Hythe, Kent which have homes for about £80k-90K, and there is an older park in Clacton, Essex which often has homes for about £35-55k. These will all be private resales, older homes, and usually one-bedroom. There will be other parks in other areas that have similar, but again they are likely to be older homes (nothing wrong with that as long as they have been well maintained). Residential Park homes do not have any age limit.
I attach a link to the official Gov.Uk website and Age Uk which gives a bit more information about residential park homes. https://www.gov.uk/park-mobile-homes https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6130ae40d3bf7f037c3882bf/Park_Homes........ https://www.ageuk.org.uk/globalassets/age-uk/documents/factsheets/fs71_park_homes_fcs.pdf
A friend had a residential static but had to remove it as it was getting too old, they sold it and the new owners removed it, our friend bought a residential chalet on the same site, this has to be painted the sites colours but has no age limit or other restrictions.
Quote: Originally posted by Paul_B on 09/10/2024
A friend had a residential static but had to remove it as it was getting too old, they sold it and the new owners removed it, our friend bought a residential chalet on the same site, this has to be painted the sites colours but has no age limit or other restrictions.
Mmm. Something very wrong there, as if your friend had a home on a site that was genuinely residential then they would not have to remove or replace because of it's age. I suspect they are on a site that does not have a residential licence, is not a Protected Site under the meaning of the Act, and the site owners are simply turning a blind eye to people living there. So if the site changes management, they could end up with a similar problem.
Quote: Originally posted by Danielle5060 on 09/10/2024
I really appreciate all the advice, thank you! Does anyone know of any residential parks? I'm happy to move within 30 miles of leeds
This may be a start - Leeds Council register of licensed residential parks.
You'll have to try contacting the parks individually, or use a search engine such as Rightmove to find what sales they have. https://www.leeds.gov.uk/licensing/other-licences/caravan-and-camping-site-licence
But PLEASE carry out a lot of research - park homes do not suit everybody, they have their downsides just like anything else.
Quote: Originally posted by Virsec on 09/10/2024
We live on a residential park home site, we bought it for £62,000 and it is now worth over £100,000. It all depends on the state of the home and whether you can 'do it up'.
We do have to pay £251 a month ground rent. I believe the 11-12 month ones are more expensive as you may have to pay for all the amenities.
Good luck in your venture.
There is a big difference between a Park Home and a static and I think the OP wants to buy a static according to their first post?
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Help Please
via mobile 07/10/2024 at 10:19am
