Hi all we are looking to buy a static caravan, our first one and it will be new.
We have been to look at a few and have discussed the prices with the dealers and it seems that they all want to charge us the " list " price without any hint of a negotiation on the price. I have asked and they just laugh at us as if to say we are mad to expect it.
Is this normal ? Can you get a reduction on the price with these people or is it something we will have to endure ?
I've never paid the list price before, apart from Mars bars etc.
Info and advice gladly received.
Hi there, I'm Tom and I work on a small privately owned site on the kent coast.
Just wanted to clarify, are you going to the actual manufacturers? e.g Willerby, Atlas e.t.c
Or do you mean an actual dealer?
In most cases it's easier to buy on the park you've chosen, because even if you do get a fantastic deal from a dealer/manufacturer by the time most sites add on all the costs you'll be paying the same if not more than if you had bought on site and with a much bigger headache!
As for bartering, it all depends on the park, some places don't even put prices on the statics, just to see how high you'll go, some places price them fairly and then don't really deal on price, all depends on the park.
I realise Haven are doing the big move for free thing at the moment but don't be suprised if the pitches aren't exactly outstanding, they're free to move onto for a reason.
Statics are one of those things you either love or hate, it is easy to get ripped off and if you decide to sell up after a year or two you will lose money, simply because they devalue just as much as your car. But if you're going to be using it for the next 15 years or so then you'll definately get your moneys worth out of a static.
The list price of a grananda is about £10 000 cheaper than the price of it sited on Hoburne. What do you intend to do with it once you have bought it ?
------------- Good friends are hard to find, difficult to leave and impossible to forget.
Hi all,thank you for the advice,we intend buying and keeping it on site for the 15 years.
I know that site owners get %5 discount when buying and i was hoping that we might get the same.
Again,many thanks for the replies.
Would think long and hard before buying, we had 3 all new at the same time we lost a arm and 2 legs when we sold. Enjoyed them when we had them but the money loss is massive. All the other costs water rates, insurance tv licence etc.
Tsk such negativity... we own a 2007 3 bedroom static in France. Yes the numbers look big at first cut but once you've thought about them they can stack up.
We like the site (Siblu in Normandy), we like the mangement. In three years rentals we've only had one issue with damage and that was sorted out in under an hour. The rentals pay for the site fees plus or minus €100 so all we have to finance is the er.. finance and getting there. Which means my holidays cost about £300 a week - which is nice. We did sublet Friends and Family one year but they did not care about the caravan leaving it not cleaned and "horrors" failed to replace the wine they'd drunk.
You have to like the site, the area etc... but if you do then it's a lot of fun. There is no Council tax on Statics in France either.
It is always a better idea to get the caravan from the park, if your buying new then any decent park will be able to get any caravan you want. It will work out cheaper this way when you add the costs up. Your 5% estimate is way off the mark, but then when your buying multiple vans at a time every year it should be.
Our site fees include all rates and tv license, cant say about other parks. You should not have to pay council tax on a holiday caravan either.
A caravan is a longer term investment, it works very much like a car. However if used regularly it will be a pleasure for yourself and your family.
Jasmin Park - I agree completely with your comments.
For those that moan about the cost........you must expect a heavy depreciation in the 1st 3 years of a new Holiday Home - this is exactly like buying a new car!
Where the benefits are to be enjoyed is the long term use of the caravan home - and of course the facilities that the park offers its guests (swimming pools, golfing, restaurant, coffee shops, nature trail walks, childrens adventure playground etc etc).
Unless you have a large, bottomless pit of money you wish to fritter away, don't buy a static caravan.
I speak from personal experience. My parents owned 3, the last of which cost them dearly. The site owners have you exactly where they want you, the site fees can increase drastically, without explanation, and you often have to sell your van back to the site owner, who can offer you literally peanuts for it. If you are obliged to sell to them, why would they give you a good price? There are also usually limits on how long the van can be sited, after which time (often 10 years) you will, again, need to sell your old van back to the site for next to nothing or take it off site to somewhere else (almsot impossible to arrange as no one willl accept it). My parents were offered less than a quarter of the real value of their van (which was proved less than 2 weeks later when someone they knew bought it from the site owner and told us how much they had paid).
You may buy a van on a "good" site with reasonable terms and conditions, then the site is sold and the new owners can impose what terms they want. The whole thing is a minefield.
You may be considering renting out the van to try to recoup your costs...also not a good idea as you will find that even people you consider to be friends may not treat your property as you would want them to. If you allow the site to rent out your van for you, then the van is even more likely to be damaged and left dirty.
Sorry to be such a downer, but I do speak from bitter experience .. my advice for what it's worth is to think long and hard before parting with your cash and to double check the small print in your contract with the site.
If you plan to use your caravan regularly then I wouldn't worry about the depreciating value and I would not worry about not being able to get a discount. If you find a nice caravan park which sells the type of caravan you want then go for it.
Are you planning on buying it up front or through finance? If you are looking to buy it with finance then make sure you shop around and compare finance agreements, this could have a much bigger bearing on how much you pay than just the list price.
------------- Consider different types of caravan finance with IM Financial Services Leisure
You might want to take a look at this guide. I'm not suggesting the park would be of interest to you but the guide really does cover some interesting points about the pros and cons of holiday home ownership. Well worth a read
Tsk such negativity... we own a 2007 3 bedroom static in France. Yes the numbers look big at first cut but once you've thought about them they can stack up.
We like the site (Siblu in Normandy), we like the mangement. In three years rentals we've only had one issue with damage and that was sorted out in under an hour. The rentals pay for the site fees plus or minus €100 so all we have to finance is the er.. finance and getting there. Which means my holidays cost about £300 a week - which is nice. We did sublet Friends and Family one year but they did not care about the caravan leaving it not cleaned and "horrors" failed to replace the wine they'd drunk.
You have to like the site, the area etc... but if you do then it's a lot of fun. There is no Council tax on Statics in France either.
we also own a static in france - we got a great second hand one - 5 years old, shipped it out (after finding the site) and its worth more now that we paid for it inc shipping as its sited! site fees are only 2000 euros a year and there is no age restriction, some vans are over 25 years old! spread your search area to the vendee LOL
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Buying a new static - advice needed.
