Static caravan advice required
Discussion
We're looking at a couple of sites on Lough Erne in NI and checked availability
For used vans, there are a couple of vans in the 2008 ~ 2010 area
No availability outside of that, other than brand new, and I'm looking at £70k including decking, whereas the other 2 used vans are £27.5k to £35k. Both in good condition though.
The £27.5k van is a Willerby Winchester.
The £35k van is a Willerby vogue. Noticeably thicker walls so much better insulation and at 40ft, is a bit more spacious, as well as a much larger deck, both front and side
Site says we can get a minimum of 8 years out of both before an 'age limit' review
I'm thinking after 8 years, it's just pocket change in terms of residual value? Whereas if we buy new, we probably still lose £30k but at least we've had a new van for that time plus you get a better site with a new van
Any thoughts on which is best choice of the used vans? Or should I just go new due to their age?
For used vans, there are a couple of vans in the 2008 ~ 2010 area
No availability outside of that, other than brand new, and I'm looking at £70k including decking, whereas the other 2 used vans are £27.5k to £35k. Both in good condition though.
The £27.5k van is a Willerby Winchester.
The £35k van is a Willerby vogue. Noticeably thicker walls so much better insulation and at 40ft, is a bit more spacious, as well as a much larger deck, both front and side
Site says we can get a minimum of 8 years out of both before an 'age limit' review
I'm thinking after 8 years, it's just pocket change in terms of residual value? Whereas if we buy new, we probably still lose £30k but at least we've had a new van for that time plus you get a better site with a new van
Any thoughts on which is best choice of the used vans? Or should I just go new due to their age?
I’m not in any way an expert on this but I did come across a site in north wales whos terms shocked me. It was something like you are only renting the plot/site for X years and at the end of the period you have to vacate (or buy a new van) and dispose of the old one. How much it is to dispose of a van I’ve no clue
Doesn’t seem cheap to me - site fees annually, £30k for a van, disposal costs and after 8 years you have nothing
Have I missed something?
Doesn’t seem cheap to me - site fees annually, £30k for a van, disposal costs and after 8 years you have nothing
Have I missed something?
elanfan said:
I’m not in any way an expert on this but I did come across a site in north wales whos terms shocked me. It was something like you are only renting the plot/site for X years and at the end of the period you have to vacate (or buy a new van) and dispose of the old one. How much it is to dispose of a van I’ve no clue
Doesn’t seem cheap to me - site fees annually, £30k for a van, disposal costs and after 8 years you have nothing
Have I missed something?
Nope, I don't think you've missed anything!Doesn’t seem cheap to me - site fees annually, £30k for a van, disposal costs and after 8 years you have nothing
Have I missed something?
It's dead money, no question
We did look at buying a house instead, which you can air bnb too, and that makes the most financial sense, especially when you can get a decent house for not much money in that area.
This plot is enormous and a fairly big house, and only 2 miles from the caravan site:
We could use caravan money as a deposit and mortgage wouldn't be much more than caravan site fees, however it's a completely different proposition.
We've got a boat and the park comes with a mooring. You're right at the waters edge and paddleboarding, kayaking, boating is done on a whim.
So weighing the options up, it's investment versus lifestyle. And I think we're going the lifestyle route and basically setting a chunk of cash on fire in the process!
I've been through the maths on this and I cannot seem to make it work.
'Lodge' £50-55k depending on extras like balcony etc.
Rent of £3K per year
After 10 years it has to go.
So an average of £8000 per year for a static admittedly with a beautiful lochside location. Or £2000 per week of great weather we get every year
We've instead bought a boat and put it in a Marina. After 10 years at least we will have a boat still worth something even if it has cost a similar amount in Marina fees and maintenance
'Lodge' £50-55k depending on extras like balcony etc.
Rent of £3K per year
After 10 years it has to go.
So an average of £8000 per year for a static admittedly with a beautiful lochside location. Or £2000 per week of great weather we get every year
We've instead bought a boat and put it in a Marina. After 10 years at least we will have a boat still worth something even if it has cost a similar amount in Marina fees and maintenance
We've had 3 van and now a lodge and it works for us.
Every time we change I run though the costs. Purchase price divided by number or years on the lease plus yearly ground rent/insurance etc divided by the number of days we use it. You can then decide if the daily figure is worth it to you
On average our costs have been more or less the price of a "good" holiday a year and having taken early retirement we use the thing over 50 days a year.
However ground rents seem to vary massively from area to area and static vans like motorhomes seem to have rocketed in price since lockdown. Whether they will settle down again is anybody's guess
Every time we change I run though the costs. Purchase price divided by number or years on the lease plus yearly ground rent/insurance etc divided by the number of days we use it. You can then decide if the daily figure is worth it to you
On average our costs have been more or less the price of a "good" holiday a year and having taken early retirement we use the thing over 50 days a year.
However ground rents seem to vary massively from area to area and static vans like motorhomes seem to have rocketed in price since lockdown. Whether they will settle down again is anybody's guess
Uggers said:
I've been through the maths on this and I cannot seem to make it work.
'Lodge' £50-55k depending on extras like balcony etc.
Rent of £3K per year
After 10 years it has to go.
So an average of £8000 per year for a static admittedly with a beautiful lochside location. Or £2000 per week of great weather we get every year
We've instead bought a boat and put it in a Marina. After 10 years at least we will have a boat still worth something even if it has cost a similar amount in Marina fees and maintenance
Same, did the maths too and indeed, it doesn't work!'Lodge' £50-55k depending on extras like balcony etc.
Rent of £3K per year
After 10 years it has to go.
So an average of £8000 per year for a static admittedly with a beautiful lochside location. Or £2000 per week of great weather we get every year
We've instead bought a boat and put it in a Marina. After 10 years at least we will have a boat still worth something even if it has cost a similar amount in Marina fees and maintenance
We went ahead and did it anyway, and went for option 2, the Vogue Lodge van.
At £3k per year and £35k to buy, it's £59k for 8 years, or £7.4k per year. Not cheap, not even with man maths.
Outside of the maths (well, sort of) 8 years is about 15% of my adult life and it's an opportunity to do something different, and my kids will be both adults themselves by the time the 8 years is up. So it's kind of now or never to try it out.
It was actually a boat mooring that sent us down this route. We've a boat too and it's an amazing waterway at Lough Erne, as you can see. Our berth is the top right of that part of the Lough:
Lots of little Islands to explore. The intriguing thing is the connected waterways, and you can go from well up north all the way down to the south west of Ireland via the river Shannon, which has many linked Loughs. Not that we would do that anytime soon, as there are far too many other excursions in the nearby area to keep us going for a year or 2.
So the caravan site is more than just the accommodation itself, it's opening up a different lifestyle for how we spend the next few years as a family. It could be an expensive mistake though, but we're going to take the risk as on the other side of that risk, is the possibility it might be some of the best years of our life.
In the end, I think that regretting not doing it could end up making me feel worse than the feeling of losing about £10k to £15k if we gave it up after a year or 2. I just don't want to be kicking myself for not doing it.
I'm kind of fortunate that I work from home a fair bit as well as getting 8 weeks holiday a year and it's fine to take lots of single days around weekends - no pressure to take full weeks or restricted dates so that's a big factor too of course. So when the kids aren't at school, we can be at the caravan, right next to the water where the boat is moored.
Kids already love kayaking and paddleboarding at home here, so it's super convenient to do it when you are living at the waters edge. While it's impossible to get a front row spot (unless someone dies or something) we did pretty good getting 3rd row back with a decent view from inside, and with a wraparound deck, even better views outside so all things considered, it kind of feels good value for money, even though the money is getting burned at a fairly rapid rate. Just like a regular summer holiday burns cash too.
Anyway, to put a wrap on the thread, we went for the Vogue as we were happy with that site, and it's a better put together van, plus wider and longer than the typical van. A bit more research into Lodge spec vans/residential spec were the seals of approval for me. A brand new Lodge spec van of that dimension these days is £100k plus which is pretty crazy.
After viewing 6 vans in total, 3 new, 3 used, we all chose our favourite van and me and the 2 kids picked the Vogue, with the good lady being over ruled with her brand new suggestion, so 3 of us all picked the same favourite van was interesting.
Time will tell if it was a good idea or not but I guess the worst that can happen is that it's an expensive mistake. Overall, I think I can live easier with a mistake rather than regret that we didn't do it and that was a key factor for me in the end.
Looks a great spot and to be able to go on a whim makes a huge difference.
Your kids will love it and it will create great memories.
We have an AirBNB on the coast and the only problem is we need to block out dates when we want to go which means planning ahead especially during summer months.
Your kids will love it and it will create great memories.
We have an AirBNB on the coast and the only problem is we need to block out dates when we want to go which means planning ahead especially during summer months.
cliffords said:
Factor in the point where your kids don't want to do this with you too.
It's sooner than you think . We had mobile caravans until our daughter was about 17 and son 15/16. Then we stopped.
Indeed. My daughter just turned 12 and my son is 16.It's sooner than you think . We had mobile caravans until our daughter was about 17 and son 15/16. Then we stopped.
He's got his RYA license and loves boating (we got a new boat last year and he's skippered it way more than I have) his WhatsApp pic profile is him on the boat and he's a keen astronomer (he's outside with his telescope right now) and he's looking forward to the good light conditions near the holiday park.
He's also heading off on his own to Southampton this summer for a week to crew a large vessel so overall, I'm hoping he maintains this love of being out on the water which will keep his interest on trips to the holiday park.
We specifically went for a 3 bedroom van so that they can bring friends down and he's also talked about going to the van with his pals while we are not there. Permission hasn't been granted yet though!
Things don't always go to plan of course, so we'll just have to see how it pans out but the point you make is a very good one and one that has influenced us the most. It's literally now or never for us.
GreatGranny said:
Looks a great spot and to be able to go on a whim makes a huge difference.
Your kids will love it and it will create great memories.
We have an AirBNB on the coast and the only problem is we need to block out dates when we want to go which means planning ahead especially during summer months.
Coastal properties will never go out of fashion, that's for sure! Your kids will love it and it will create great memories.
We have an AirBNB on the coast and the only problem is we need to block out dates when we want to go which means planning ahead especially during summer months.
Would love that too. Possibly a retirement dream to try and make reality in the future
Whilst those second hand prices horrify me (we paid 26k in 2018 for a good quality two year old van, which had barely been used), I must endorse the lifestyle
We have a static in Scotland. One hour door to door including a ferry. Kids utterly love it, can go on a whim. Since we got it, two of our friends both got vans at the same park as well (it’s a small boutique park, no facilities as such, but very well kept and less than 2k/year). Quite a few old vans but they’ve been under no pressure to upgrade
I thought I would hate it. I was doing it because my wife fancied it. Turned out to be a great move - I find it really relaxing
We thought of buying a holiday home but that’s a different world of hassle and responsibility - van is easy to keep and virtually zero maintenance
Our park is in a Glen, with stunning views, we have other friends who are double the distance/commute but have Loch side parks, with boats, and I must admit to being jealous of that aspect, if not the longer drive they have
We have a static in Scotland. One hour door to door including a ferry. Kids utterly love it, can go on a whim. Since we got it, two of our friends both got vans at the same park as well (it’s a small boutique park, no facilities as such, but very well kept and less than 2k/year). Quite a few old vans but they’ve been under no pressure to upgrade
I thought I would hate it. I was doing it because my wife fancied it. Turned out to be a great move - I find it really relaxing
We thought of buying a holiday home but that’s a different world of hassle and responsibility - van is easy to keep and virtually zero maintenance
Our park is in a Glen, with stunning views, we have other friends who are double the distance/commute but have Loch side parks, with boats, and I must admit to being jealous of that aspect, if not the longer drive they have
nebpor said:
Whilst those second hand prices horrify me (we paid 26k in 2018 for a good quality two year old van, which had barely been used), I must endorse the lifestyle
We have a static in Scotland. One hour door to door including a ferry. Kids utterly love it, can go on a whim. Since we got it, two of our friends both got vans at the same park as well (it’s a small boutique park, no facilities as such, but very well kept and less than 2k/year). Quite a few old vans but they’ve been under no pressure to upgrade
I thought I would hate it. I was doing it because my wife fancied it. Turned out to be a great move - I find it really relaxing
We thought of buying a holiday home but that’s a different world of hassle and responsibility - van is easy to keep and virtually zero maintenance
Our park is in a Glen, with stunning views, we have other friends who are double the distance/commute but have Loch side parks, with boats, and I must admit to being jealous of that aspect, if not the longer drive they have
Would love to see some pics. One of my most favourite drives was taking a wrong turn in Scotland and driving through glens, rolling hills etc. Galloway I think? Was on my way to Stranraer and took a left into the countryside. Beautiful, although I nearly missed the ferry!We have a static in Scotland. One hour door to door including a ferry. Kids utterly love it, can go on a whim. Since we got it, two of our friends both got vans at the same park as well (it’s a small boutique park, no facilities as such, but very well kept and less than 2k/year). Quite a few old vans but they’ve been under no pressure to upgrade
I thought I would hate it. I was doing it because my wife fancied it. Turned out to be a great move - I find it really relaxing
We thought of buying a holiday home but that’s a different world of hassle and responsibility - van is easy to keep and virtually zero maintenance
Our park is in a Glen, with stunning views, we have other friends who are double the distance/commute but have Loch side parks, with boats, and I must admit to being jealous of that aspect, if not the longer drive they have
Scotland has some wonderful scenery.
This pic doesn't do it justice but it was this general Galloway area. Rolling hills and mountains in the distance, big Lochs and virtually empty twisty roads. Incredible drive
Our van is 90 to 110 mins away depending on traffic. Go South of Lough Neagh and it's 90 miles, mostly motorway and dual carriageway or alternatively, north of the Lough or go cross country, through the Sperrin Mountains. Needless to say, I'll be enjoying the scenic route each time so even that in itself will be a pleasure. Twisty roads equally as good, although while the scenery is still nice, not a patch on the Galloway area.
The Sperrins:
But yeah, the £35k price is shocking. The price of entry to get into a park that has moorings and direct access to Lough Erne. They know that they have a compelling offer so they can charge whatever they think they can get away with. The van isn't worth anywhere near that. Its lodge spec and has a large deck and has new mattresses, new carpets and floors, new blinds and curtains everywhere and a new fridge, plus a large shed (big deal to be honest as they don't allow sheds in most pitches)
If this van was in a regular non-descript countryside spot with no other facilities, you're looking at £25k absolute max. So cost of entry seems to be about an extra £10k ish.
Yeah chatting to my pals at the Loch side park they paid similar it seems - they have big sheds attached with washers and dryers in them so they can clean and stow the boating gear in them … we don’t need that (plus their is a small onsite laundry for the longer holidays)!
Our place is between Colintraive and Strachur, in Argyll, so just off Loch Fyne - Argyll is my favourite part of Scotland. Mountains, lochs and islands - heaven! We live in Inverclyde, so a short ferry across the Clyde then a fantastic single track road to the van. I take my 996 turbo over as well as the family car, so I can get out every single day for an unimpeded drive
Our place is between Colintraive and Strachur, in Argyll, so just off Loch Fyne - Argyll is my favourite part of Scotland. Mountains, lochs and islands - heaven! We live in Inverclyde, so a short ferry across the Clyde then a fantastic single track road to the van. I take my 996 turbo over as well as the family car, so I can get out every single day for an unimpeded drive
nebpor said:
Yeah chatting to my pals at the Loch side park they paid similar it seems - they have big sheds attached with washers and dryers in them so they can clean and stow the boating gear in them … we don’t need that (plus their is a small onsite laundry for the longer holidays)!
Our place is between Colintraive and Strachur, in Argyll, so just off Loch Fyne - Argyll is my favourite part of Scotland. Mountains, lochs and islands - heaven! We live in Inverclyde, so a short ferry across the Clyde then a fantastic single track road to the van. I take my 996 turbo over as well as the family car, so I can get out every single day for an unimpeded drive
Just checked out the general area on Google maps 'terrain' view. No shortage of elevation changes in that area, looks amazing!Our place is between Colintraive and Strachur, in Argyll, so just off Loch Fyne - Argyll is my favourite part of Scotland. Mountains, lochs and islands - heaven! We live in Inverclyde, so a short ferry across the Clyde then a fantastic single track road to the van. I take my 996 turbo over as well as the family car, so I can get out every single day for an unimpeded drive
soupdragon1 said:
Uggers said:
I've been through the maths on this and I cannot seem to make it work.
'Lodge' £50-55k depending on extras like balcony etc.
Rent of £3K per year
After 10 years it has to go.
So an average of £8000 per year for a static admittedly with a beautiful lochside location. Or £2000 per week of great weather we get every year
We've instead bought a boat and put it in a Marina. After 10 years at least we will have a boat still worth something even if it has cost a similar amount in Marina fees and maintenance
Same, did the maths too and indeed, it doesn't work!'Lodge' £50-55k depending on extras like balcony etc.
Rent of £3K per year
After 10 years it has to go.
So an average of £8000 per year for a static admittedly with a beautiful lochside location. Or £2000 per week of great weather we get every year
We've instead bought a boat and put it in a Marina. After 10 years at least we will have a boat still worth something even if it has cost a similar amount in Marina fees and maintenance
We went ahead and did it anyway, and went for option 2, the Vogue Lodge van.
At £3k per year and £35k to buy, it's £59k for 8 years, or £7.4k per year. Not cheap, not even with man maths.
Outside of the maths (well, sort of) 8 years is about 15% of my adult life and it's an opportunity to do something different, and my kids will be both adults themselves by the time the 8 years is up. So it's kind of now or never to try it out.
It was actually a boat mooring that sent us down this route. We've a boat too and it's an amazing waterway at Lough Erne, as you can see. Our berth is the top right of that part of the Lough:
Lots of little Islands to explore. The intriguing thing is the connected waterways, and you can go from well up north all the way down to the south west of Ireland via the river Shannon, which has many linked Loughs. Not that we would do that anytime soon, as there are far too many other excursions in the nearby area to keep us going for a year or 2.
So the caravan site is more than just the accommodation itself, it's opening up a different lifestyle for how we spend the next few years as a family. It could be an expensive mistake though, but we're going to take the risk as on the other side of that risk, is the possibility it might be some of the best years of our life.
In the end, I think that regretting not doing it could end up making me feel worse than the feeling of losing about £10k to £15k if we gave it up after a year or 2. I just don't want to be kicking myself for not doing it.
I'm kind of fortunate that I work from home a fair bit as well as getting 8 weeks holiday a year and it's fine to take lots of single days around weekends - no pressure to take full weeks or restricted dates so that's a big factor too of course. So when the kids aren't at school, we can be at the caravan, right next to the water where the boat is moored.
Kids already love kayaking and paddleboarding at home here, so it's super convenient to do it when you are living at the waters edge. While it's impossible to get a front row spot (unless someone dies or something) we did pretty good getting 3rd row back with a decent view from inside, and with a wraparound deck, even better views outside so all things considered, it kind of feels good value for money, even though the money is getting burned at a fairly rapid rate. Just like a regular summer holiday burns cash too.
Anyway, to put a wrap on the thread, we went for the Vogue as we were happy with that site, and it's a better put together van, plus wider and longer than the typical van. A bit more research into Lodge spec vans/residential spec were the seals of approval for me. A brand new Lodge spec van of that dimension these days is £100k plus which is pretty crazy.
After viewing 6 vans in total, 3 new, 3 used, we all chose our favourite van and me and the 2 kids picked the Vogue, with the good lady being over ruled with her brand new suggestion, so 3 of us all picked the same favourite van was interesting.
Time will tell if it was a good idea or not but I guess the worst that can happen is that it's an expensive mistake. Overall, I think I can live easier with a mistake rather than regret that we didn't do it and that was a key factor for me in the end.
soupdragon1 said:
Just checked out the general area on Google maps 'terrain' view. No shortage of elevation changes in that area, looks amazing!
Shhhh ... don't tell everyone, they are busy off polluting/ruining the NC500 route and it's still nice and quiet on the roads around Argyll 
Check out "Argyll's Secret Coast" if you ever fancy making the trip. From there, down to the bottom of the Mull of Kintyre, is simply amazing!
I'd like a static caravan, but I'd want it by the sea, and within 1hr of home. Problem is I live at the southern most point of South Yorks so I'm outside of that criteria seeing as the nearest nice bit of coast is Whitby which is over 2hrs drive. Cleethorpes is the nearest and easiest bit of coast to get to, but I'd rather sleep rough in a shop doorway in Rotherham!
Between parents and ourselves we have had static vans in Worcestershire, Shropshire and West Wales over many years so here are a few things that I would look out for:
When is the site closed? Local planning sometimes requires sites to close 28 day a year. Some site owners do this in February but others close over the whole winter, so if you had plans of Xmas or New Year stays its worth checking.
Do check the site out on a BH weekend to see how busy it is and if that suits you. Especially if you favour peace & quiet and the kids play area is next to your van.
Look at parking too. Some sites like to keep cars and vans apart as it looks nice but its not much fun on a cold rainy Friday night to have to carry all your stuff 100m to your van.
Is the site just for owners? What about owners family or relatives? Who qualifies?
If the site is not just for owners but some vans are rented out then check where they are. Weekly renters are less likely to abide by site rules and a BBQ next to your van at 2am may not be very conducive to sleep. (been there, done that after a site changed owners).
You are at the mercy of the site owners when paying for yearly rent, water, sewerage, electricity and gas. They can charge what they like. Most are good but be warned.
Check out where your WiFi and TV can come from. Some sites provide WiFi but others can be in 3/4/5G/Freeview valley dead zones or have tall trees that stop satellite signals.
Look out for local streams that can not only make it boggy next to your van but can flash flood. (been there, done that. Total write off).
As already noted, some sites have a van age limit. It will cost about £2k to get a static van disconnected from services and removed from site and some site owners will only permit specific contractors to work on their site, so your mate with a lorry and a crane can't do it. (been there, done that too).
Financially I have no doubt that its a waste of money, but I had a quite stressful job and bugging out on a Friday evening to a home from home that needed minimal maintenance for the weekend was a huge factor in managing that stress.
Hope this helps and just enjoy whatever you choose...
When is the site closed? Local planning sometimes requires sites to close 28 day a year. Some site owners do this in February but others close over the whole winter, so if you had plans of Xmas or New Year stays its worth checking.
Do check the site out on a BH weekend to see how busy it is and if that suits you. Especially if you favour peace & quiet and the kids play area is next to your van.
Look at parking too. Some sites like to keep cars and vans apart as it looks nice but its not much fun on a cold rainy Friday night to have to carry all your stuff 100m to your van.
Is the site just for owners? What about owners family or relatives? Who qualifies?
If the site is not just for owners but some vans are rented out then check where they are. Weekly renters are less likely to abide by site rules and a BBQ next to your van at 2am may not be very conducive to sleep. (been there, done that after a site changed owners).
You are at the mercy of the site owners when paying for yearly rent, water, sewerage, electricity and gas. They can charge what they like. Most are good but be warned.
Check out where your WiFi and TV can come from. Some sites provide WiFi but others can be in 3/4/5G/Freeview valley dead zones or have tall trees that stop satellite signals.
Look out for local streams that can not only make it boggy next to your van but can flash flood. (been there, done that. Total write off).
As already noted, some sites have a van age limit. It will cost about £2k to get a static van disconnected from services and removed from site and some site owners will only permit specific contractors to work on their site, so your mate with a lorry and a crane can't do it. (been there, done that too).
Financially I have no doubt that its a waste of money, but I had a quite stressful job and bugging out on a Friday evening to a home from home that needed minimal maintenance for the weekend was a huge factor in managing that stress.
Hope this helps and just enjoy whatever you choose...
lwt said:
Between parents and ourselves we have had static vans in Worcestershire, Shropshire and West Wales over many years so here are a few things that I would look out for:
When is the site closed? Local planning sometimes requires sites to close 28 day a year. Some site owners do this in February but others close over the whole winter, so if you had plans of Xmas or New Year stays its worth checking.
Do check the site out on a BH weekend to see how busy it is and if that suits you. Especially if you favour peace & quiet and the kids play area is next to your van.
Look at parking too. Some sites like to keep cars and vans apart as it looks nice but its not much fun on a cold rainy Friday night to have to carry all your stuff 100m to your van.
Is the site just for owners? What about owners family or relatives? Who qualifies?
If the site is not just for owners but some vans are rented out then check where they are. Weekly renters are less likely to abide by site rules and a BBQ next to your van at 2am may not be very conducive to sleep. (been there, done that after a site changed owners).
You are at the mercy of the site owners when paying for yearly rent, water, sewerage, electricity and gas. They can charge what they like. Most are good but be warned.
Check out where your WiFi and TV can come from. Some sites provide WiFi but others can be in 3/4/5G/Freeview valley dead zones or have tall trees that stop satellite signals.
Look out for local streams that can not only make it boggy next to your van but can flash flood. (been there, done that. Total write off).
As already noted, some sites have a van age limit. It will cost about £2k to get a static van disconnected from services and removed from site and some site owners will only permit specific contractors to work on their site, so your mate with a lorry and a crane can't do it. (been there, done that too).
Financially I have no doubt that its a waste of money, but I had a quite stressful job and bugging out on a Friday evening to a home from home that needed minimal maintenance for the weekend was a huge factor in managing that stress.
Hope this helps and just enjoy whatever you choose...
Thanks for this. It's a really good checklist of things and it's comforting to know that I looked into these type of questions prior to signing up.When is the site closed? Local planning sometimes requires sites to close 28 day a year. Some site owners do this in February but others close over the whole winter, so if you had plans of Xmas or New Year stays its worth checking.
Do check the site out on a BH weekend to see how busy it is and if that suits you. Especially if you favour peace & quiet and the kids play area is next to your van.
Look at parking too. Some sites like to keep cars and vans apart as it looks nice but its not much fun on a cold rainy Friday night to have to carry all your stuff 100m to your van.
Is the site just for owners? What about owners family or relatives? Who qualifies?
If the site is not just for owners but some vans are rented out then check where they are. Weekly renters are less likely to abide by site rules and a BBQ next to your van at 2am may not be very conducive to sleep. (been there, done that after a site changed owners).
You are at the mercy of the site owners when paying for yearly rent, water, sewerage, electricity and gas. They can charge what they like. Most are good but be warned.
Check out where your WiFi and TV can come from. Some sites provide WiFi but others can be in 3/4/5G/Freeview valley dead zones or have tall trees that stop satellite signals.
Look out for local streams that can not only make it boggy next to your van but can flash flood. (been there, done that. Total write off).
As already noted, some sites have a van age limit. It will cost about £2k to get a static van disconnected from services and removed from site and some site owners will only permit specific contractors to work on their site, so your mate with a lorry and a crane can't do it. (been there, done that too).
Financially I have no doubt that its a waste of money, but I had a quite stressful job and bugging out on a Friday evening to a home from home that needed minimal maintenance for the weekend was a huge factor in managing that stress.
Hope this helps and just enjoy whatever you choose...
A key one you mentioned was letting and I was worried about that. Thankfully, that's not allowed and letting family use it is allowed, however, you need to provide car registrations, names, addresses etc so if people do it on the fly then it'll soon become apparent.
Its all year round but obviously no permanent residence allowed due to its holiday park status so you need to provide utility bills and proof of separate residence.
I've went through Facebook posts for the last 3 years with the word association of the park name and that type of thing, Google reviews and even went onto companies house to check out their annual filings. It would make you weep seeing how much money they make but I guess at least that means they'll not go bankrupt and they have plenty of cash to keep amenities in tip top condition.
Gas is simply those big cylinders and you can buy your own if you want, or use theirs for a small premium over Calor Gas Std pricing, with electric metered, again, at a small premium. No water charges exist in NI and £2.3k for annual rent plus £0.8k for my boat mooring. Neither cheap nor expensive l guess.
Site sales manager already told me not to bank on good WiFi when it's busy but 4G is strong so I'll be using that for the most part I would imagine.
There is parking adjacent to the van, room for 2 cars but also quite fortunate that there is a fence behind our pitch, which means a fence height shed is allowed. Normally your only allowed a 'store it out' type large box so quite fortunate to be able to have a large shed.
Our van is a used willerby vogue and we're guaranteed at least 8 years. Back of my mind I'm thinking of a few upgrades to keep it fresh (white windows changed to black) as its got the lodge style exterior already, and along with some interior upgrades, I can have it looking modern quite easily.
If I play my cards right, I can go to them in 4 years to upgrade and when they see my van looking sweet, they'll have no problem getting a buyer and getting their double sales margin (my sale plus my my new purchase)
One of the vans they are currently selling is a 2008 Willerby Winchester and that's not even lodge spec, so it seems that as long as its in good nick, they will let vans stay onsite. That Winchester will be about 25 years old by the time it's new owners come to the end of their agreement.
We'll be staying Easter week so really excited to be trying out our new lifestyle. We're right at the water edge of lough erne but 20 miles west, we also have the Atlantic Ocean in County Donegal. Getting the wetsuits on and the little boogie boards to ride the waves never gets old
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