Living in a Static Caravan

[paulrussell]

Since I live in the South East, and I won't have a high paid job for years, I came up with the idea last night, of buying some land and put a mobile home on it. I've done about an hours research into it, and it seems new mobile homes are more expensive than I thought, so I thought what about static caravans. It seems used ones are much better priced, so I'd be able to gut one out and put an interior I like.

I'm wondering if I could put an interior intended for a home in a static caravan? Also could I buy a more secure door? I won't be in a position to due anything until I get a better paid job next year, so I've got plenty of time to think about it.

[GlenMH]

Think very carefully about ventilation and particularly insulation if you are full-timing in it.

[paulrussell]

GlenMH said:

Think very carefully about ventilation and particularly insulation if you are full-timing in it.

I had thought of putting in insulation and soundproofing, but I hadn't thought about ventilation.

[northwest monkey]

paulrussell said:

I'm wondering if I could put an interior intended for a home in a static caravan? Also could I buy a more secure door?

Yes to both. Some friends of ours bought a big static to live in while they were building their new house in Scotland. Ripped out the interior & put in "proper" furniture - turned it into a 1-bed with loads of living space rather than pokey little bedrooms. They fitted a load of insulation (including underneath) and a combi boiler for heating / HW, but as someone else has said you need to make sure it's properly ventilated. The door they fitted was a UPVC double glazed multipoint locking thing - I think they had to strengthen the frame it was fitting into to stop the flex. I can't remember what they did with the windows but I'm pretty sure they had secondary glazing. Washing machine and tumble dryer went in an insulated shed behind the caravan - washing machines can be very noisy! BT were happy to fit a landline & the builders connected the caravan to the mains water and drains etc.

They spent 18 months in it while they were building their house - I've stayed in it a couple of times with my OH & it's very comfortable indeed!

There are actually some sites you can live on as a resident - you may have to leave for a couple of weeks a year though so it isn't classed as a permanent dwelling but then again you won't have to pay council tax. You will have to pay service charges though.

[Chrisgr31]

You will also need to watch out for planning permission as well. Any static caravan used for living in will require planning permission. In fact I suspect it might need planning permission whether lived in or not.

Not sure how practical it is to buy a caravan and move from campsite to campsite every month or so. Fairly sure some people do this, however can imagine it causes problems with credit history due to having no permament address.

[kev b]

You'll be woken up at dawn by pigeons banging across the roof, ditto for wind and rain, it will be mega-hot in summer and freezing in winter.

In addition it will cost so much in energy trying to keep it warm that you would probably find it cheaper to live in a hotel. If you don't suffocate you will drown in condensation or succumb to mould.

Looking on the bright side though, all those s seem to manage ok so don't let my experience put you off.

[paulrussell]

northwest monkey said:

paulrussell said:

I'm wondering if I could put an interior intended for a home in a static caravan? Also could I buy a more secure door?

Yes to both. Some friends of ours bought a big static to live in while they were building their new house in Scotland. Ripped out the interior & put in "proper" furniture - turned it into a 1-bed with loads of living space rather than pokey little bedrooms. They fitted a load of insulation (including underneath) and a combi boiler for heating / HW, but as someone else has said you need to make sure it's properly ventilated. The door they fitted was a UPVC double glazed multipoint locking thing - I think they had to strengthen the frame it was fitting into to stop the flex. I can't remember what they did with the windows but I'm pretty sure they had secondary glazing. Washing machine and tumble dryer went in an insulated shed behind the caravan - washing machines can be very noisy! BT were happy to fit a landline & the builders connected the caravan to the mains water and drains etc.

They spent 18 months in it while they were building their house - I've stayed in it a couple of times with my OH & it's very comfortable indeed!

There are actually some sites you can live on as a resident - you may have to leave for a couple of weeks a year though so it isn't classed as a permanent dwelling but then again you won't have to pay council tax. You will have to pay service charges though.

Cheers for the reply. In buying land, I would like to put a permanent building on site once I've saved enough money via living in a static caravan. I've done a rough estimate, and it'll cost me around £70,000-£80,000. I don't like the idea of living on a caravan site, as I'd feel hemmed in.

[wildcat45]

My family has one. It did cost 30oddk, but it has gas central heating, double glazing, a shower room that would put a nice house to shame, en suite.

The gas oven is the model above the one fitted in our old house.

It does drink propane though.

I reckon I could happily live in it all year round.

Having said that, it isn't a house. Lightly built but all quite possible to have as a home.

There would be issues with council tax and stuff if you stayed there all year.

[paulrussell]

wildcat45 said:

My family has one. It did cost 30oddk, but it has gas central heating, double glazing, a shower room that would put a nice house to shame, en suite.

The gas oven is the model above the one fitted in our old house.

It does drink propane though.

I reckon I could happily live in it all year round.

Having said that, it isn't a house. Lightly built but all quite possible to have as a home.

There would be issues with council tax and stuff if you stayed there all year.

I'd of thought £15k would be enough to get one in a condition where I'm happy to live in it. I've had a good look at several static caravans, and it seems I can get one in decent condition for £2.5k. I would also interested in having solar panels on the roof of the caravan and an outbuilding, so I can reduce the electricity bill, and perhaps earn a small amount of money by selling any unused electricity.

I'm intrigued by the issue with council tax, as I presumed someone from the council would inspect the property to decide how much I pay.

[MarshPhantom]

wildcat45 said:

I reckon I could happily live in it all year round.
.

Me too, me and the G/f had one on a nice little site in Whitstable for about ten years.

I do regret selling it.

The downside was friends and family wanting to borrow it for free.

[decadent]

My inlawas have a couple of statics on their land and rent them out. He renews them every 5-8 years and the last couple cost £2k each.

The tenants live in them year round, insulation underneath only. The interiors are easy to knock about - simple partitions.

The tenenats seem really happy with them and I reckon I could happily live in one for a few years while building a house.

[decadent]

sorry forgot to add £2k and purchased as old stock from a local caravan park