Confused about buying a static caravan.

A question about : Confused about buying a static caravan.

Hi I'm considering buying a static caravan but im confused about a couple of things. I would like to buy one to have at a holiday park to use for personal use and possibly rent out for a couple of weeks during the high season. The ones I see for sale from holiday parks seem really expensive,I've had a look at other sites and can see 2nd hand cheaper ones that don't include a pitch. Is it possible to buy one and move it to the holiday park and just buy/rent a pitch from them? Or does it need to be one from there that I buy? Another thing I've seen online is that age is really important when it comes to caravans,15 seems to be an important number. If I bought one that was 15 or older would it not be allowed in the park,assuming that I can bring one from the outside in. I'm really confused about everything,can anyone help?

Thanks

Best answers:

• the holiday park site owners each make their own rules so you'd need to ask them individually. Many sites impose limits on age, size etc, and some insist you buy the 'van from them thus providing a second profit centre for the site owner. Demand often outstrips supply so the sites have the upper hand, at least this is how it was a few years ago.
• You're not just paying for a caravan, you're paying for a caravan and a pitch. For example if a brand new caravan at a big site is Ј50k, the cost of the caravan itself may be less than Ј30k.
  This kind of answers your question about buying a cheap caravan somewhere else and moving it on to the site. There's no way they'll let you bring your own caravan on-site and miss out on a Ј50k sale.
  If after a year or two you change your mind about owning a caravan and ask the park to buy back your van. They'll offer you what they think the van is worth (they already own the pitch) minus depreciation and a sales markup. You'd be lucky to get Ј20k back on your Ј50k investment!
• A friend bought one and had it moved to a site. The site charged a percentage of the caravan price as a "premium" and also a fee for clearing the pitch and moving the new one into place. I think it was still slightly cheaper than buying it from the site, but I was shocked at the costs.
• Read the contracts on offer CAREFULLY - even pay a solicitor to explain any parts to you that you're not crystal clear about - as a mistake or misunderstanding can be very expensive for you. Sites can have rules which will force you to spend more money (club membership, only get gas from them, only lease through them, maintenance/grounds fees, have to sell to them, maximum vehicle ages, can only renew through their expensive on-site vendors) so make sure you allow for the total cost (and any costs outside the honeymoon/sweetener period), not just the headline figure. Haggle hard - with serious commissions being made on sales, playing hard to get might pay off for you. Every rep will want a sale for various sales incentives (holidays, cars, etc) so know the ball is in your court.
• Make sure YOUR pitch can sublet also . some sites have certain areas that are owners only . as above all different systems and check everything and ask questions .then make sure what is answered is written in the details . I own a static and a lodge . I can subnlet the lodge but not the static same site.
• As a park manager I would advise you to find the park you like - and then explore options available on that park.
• I have just been involved in trying to sell a static caravan for a client who got into financial difficulties,i have been involved in negotiations with the site owner now for a couple of weeks.
  My conclusions are i would never buy one given the conditions that the site have tried to enforce on us,they have the rights to see the best offer received and then they match it to complete the sale.
  If we want to remove it we have to utilise their crane and transport,estimate Ј2400 plus vat.
  The site have you by the short and curlies.
• Have a look at this thread that I replied to not so long back on the subject:
  https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/...498&highlight=
• Dont do it unless you have a lot of money to lose.... We bough one for 13K and 2 years later we got 1.6k for it.... The site owners have you over a barrel once you buy it... Trying to sell is a nightmare, they do everything to hinder your sale, we ended up having to sell to a trader..