Mobile homes

A few years ago we lived in a popular holiday destination and there was a ‘park homes’ site nearby. We actually went to have a look at one before buying in the area and were quite taken with that kind of living arrangement. However, on making further enquiries we realised there was a downside. The park was designated as holiday homes so we would have been required to vacate for a month each year - not all park homes have this requirement, but popular holiday destinations tend to, and there are requirements for people to provide evidence of a permanent residence. A lot also depends on the management - you have to look out for things like utility charges as it seems the management can pretty much charge what they like, and there are charges for the maintenance of the grounds etc. We considered renting one for a while after we sold, but found the house we wanted so it didn’t come to anything. I would imagine you’d need a good solicitor if you were to buy one, as the contract would need to be property scrutinised.

I think the only thing that can be said about the different designations and liabilities is to check very carefully - they vary with different sites, management and local authorities.

I wanted to add that my friends find the sites friendly and pleasant, with folk looking out for each other.

On a site where they're designated holiday homes you are required to provide details of a permanent address; a council tax and utilities bill.

In terms of what they are like to live in, my friends like them. Theirs are well insulated, so cosy and they don't have high bills. They are in quiet places, so don't get much noise from outside anyway - but inside the walls are thin.
My friends don't 'take up a lot of room'! By which I mean that they don't normally cook for a crowd, their hobbies are knitting & crochet - not the kind of thing that takes over space. So a small home suits them. They both (they don't know each other and live in separate places) tend, if they want to 'entertain' to do so in the summer when everyone can be outside.
The best comparison would be holiday 'lodges' or 'chalets'. Does that help?

Not all Park estates are designated as holiday homes. In the area I live in, there are a number of Park estates, including one in my village, and the residents live there all year round.

The ones with restrictions are usually in popular tourist area like Norfolk, Devon, Cornwall. Go elsewhere they are just treated like any other home and you can live there all year.

Most limit themselves to over 55s. The big danger is the lease you sign up to, it is rather like living on a retirement home complex, you may need to repalce the mobile home every 20 or 30 years, the owner may take a share of any profit you make.

But it is like any other house purchase. Read the contract with a fine tooth comb and make sure your solicitor does as well.

Our sister-in-law and her daughter moved into a park home in Torquay just before Christmas. It is a small development of 24 homes for over 55’s. We haven’t visited yet but it is a development of only 24 homes set in nice grounds which you enter through wrought iron gates. There are no communal facilities which tend to cost a lot of money, there is just a monthly fee for maintaining the grounds which are lovely with a wooded area and a small lake, the neighbours seem very welcoming and friendly. The only down side is that unlike traditional homes they tend to depreciate in value over time. Space is a bit limited but enough for the two of them - two quite spacious bedrooms, a lounge/dining room, small kitchen and a shower room. There is a parking area, a small fenced off garden with a shed and residents are allowed up to two pets. My sister-in-law lived in a similar development in Canada so it reminds her of happy times living there before her husband died. Our niece’s previous home was a three storey house so she is finding her new home much easier to manage and get about in as she suffers from ME. They can live there all year round. Perhaps it would be an idea to rent something for a short time to see how you would adapt to that way of life.

Thank you Nannarose. I've heard about the possible high leasehold fees and that some are designated holiday homes that have to be vacated for a month or so. I will look into these issues further.

What I would like to know is what are they like to live in, particularly in the winter months when the weather is bad. I love the idea of living near a nature reserve but we have a cat and I don't know if a pet would be allowed.

I don't, but have 2 friends who live in 'park homes' nearby. They seem to be cosy & easy to keep.
Both live in places that are havens for wildlife and get a lot of pleasure from the animals and birds. The neighbours seem pleasant and look out for one another.

The downside - which they both embrace - is that as they are designated 'holiday homes' they have to leave for a month each year. One goes to her daughter (who loves at some distance so that is their time together); the other goes abroad.
I should be clear that is s specific condition of these homes - not all 'mobile homes' have the same.

The other downside is that I gather some management / leasehold fees can be high, and subject to change; that is something to check out.

I also have some acquaintance who live in a 'mobile home' which is permanent (so they don't have to move out for a month every year!) and have heard them discuss whether the property holds its value or not. I think that is variable and also needs looking at.