Quote: Originally posted by Colin21 on 24/7/2022
That is very true, but the big difference is that with a touring caravan if the site owner asks you to leave you can just hitch it up and go. I would imagine that anyone living in a touring caravan through choice, does so because they like moving around rather than being stuck in one place anyway.
I doubt whether councils do much checking either, until something goes wrong. Then they can come down like a ton of bricks!
Then there's the possibility of another pandemic and the site closing and turning everyone off. If it's happened once it can happen again, and probably will. As the statics on the site are just officially holiday homes they have every right to "send everybody home". They have no responsibility towards them.
Many people live in touring caravan to try and save towards a deposit on a home for their family whether they are single, a couple or have children. Many sites owners turn a blind eye as they now have a regular income from that pitch.
Some people that we knew continued to live on sites in their touring caravans during the pandemic as the owners understood that they had no permanent homes plus it kept the park viable as the park still had income, however some sites completely closed shop and we saw caravans and motorhomes parked up in lay byes. A pandemic happens once in a lifetime.
If people already own a home I would not recommend that they sell it to live permanently in a caravan or motorhome. If they cannot afford to tour permanently unless they sell their home, then maybe they should not consider it all. Also we all get old at some point and may not be able to continue touring.
It is a great life though living in a small like minded community with a lot of stress removed and free to do whatever you wish to do within reason obviously.
We sold our house last year and the intention was to move into a new build. However, it wasn't ready by the time we were due to move out and our buyer needed to move in so we said we can live in our static for 4 weeks. 17 months later we are still here as the new build ran into a lot of delays around legal stuff and drains etc.
So where does this leave us ? we haven't got a permanent address.
Look into residential parks rather than Holiday Parks.
I bought a used 40 foot "Donnington Castle" on Walney Island in the mid 80's, it was far better suited than the static holiday types and all year round use. I've just checked and the ground rent is currently around £145-£240 per month depending on size/location. The holiday home pitch fee in Norfolk is £4000 per year, that's if you own the unit, rentals I don't know but there are residential park homes to let.
------------- Knowledge is recognising that a tomato is a fruit: experience is not putting it in a fruit salad.
This piqued my interest and just noted that one of the major park owners mentions that there can be a legal maximum of consecutive days occupancy. They mention 60 days and state that this is usually a council decree. So many things to be careful about
Quote: Originally posted by Laney748 on 18/10/2023
We sold our house last year and the intention was to move into a new build. However, it wasn't ready by the time we were due to move out and our buyer needed to move in so we said we can live in our static for 4 weeks. 17 months later we are still here as the new build ran into a lot of delays around legal stuff and drains etc.
So where does this leave us ? we haven't got a permanent address.
I have made several assumptions - that the new build is either bricks&mortar OR a residential park home, being sold off-plan, and that you have paid a deposit and signed a contract to purchase. I have also assumed that you are a cash buyer, or that if bricks&mortar a mortgage offer that has been extended.
Did you use your own solicitor for the purchase?
If so, they need to be seriously chivvied to get some definite answers.
If you did not use your own solicitor, then it may be a good idea to find one with experience in the type of property that you are purchasing.
It is very common for new builds to overrun, sometimes by quite a large margin - but this is more often due to supply shortages, bad weather etc.
The reasons you mention (legal stuff, drains, etc) suggest that the homes were being sold before the seller had made proper checks on the intended site.
The solicitor acting for your purchase should have made sure that the contract had clauses to protect you in the event of excessive delays - 17 months and ongoing seems excessive to me, and it is unreasonable to expect you to stay in a holiday static with no idea when you can move to a real home.
If it was me, I would be looking for a full refund of any moneys already paid and a full penalty-free release from the contract to enable me to look elsewhere.
In the current market (all types of property) you would now be in a very strong position to negotiate a good price on something that is ready for you to move into now.
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: Living on a holiday park
via mobile 18/10/2023 at 2:05pm
