Choosing The Right Park For Your Static Caravan

With an estimated 365,000 caravan holiday homes spread across more than 6,000-holiday parks in the UK, choosing the perfect location for your static caravan can be overwhelming. You need to think about park size, location, and popularity, and you need to consider onsite facilities, local attractions, and accessibility to make sure it is right for your family. And this is before you even start looking at caravan holiday homes.

To help you make the right decision, we’ve compiled this useful guide to choosing a caravan holiday park in Great Britain, based on our experiences in the industry and customer feedback that we have received over the years. Are you looking for a beachside getaway? A rural retreat? Let’s find out.

First Things First – Location

Before you start looking at static caravan parks in the UK, you should choose a location. It can be anywhere you like, but the closer it is to home, the more likely you will use it for weekend getaways, last-minute breaks and you will get the most out of your investment.

Experience tells us that most caravan owners prefer to invest in a holiday park within 1 to 3 hours driving distance from their home, but of course, there are no rules. If you live in the Midlands and you dream of owning a holiday home on the Cornish coast, there is no reason why you shouldn’t have it, especially if you intend to take long stay holidays during school holidays or because retirement allows, but you should bear travelling times and petrol expenses in mind.

Which Caravan Holiday Park Is Right For You?

Now you have decided on a location for your static caravan, you can start looking at holiday parks in that region, but before you do so, you should consider the following:

Busy vs Quiet: Are you looking for a family-focused holiday park with multiple facilities to keep the children entertained, or would you prefer something quiet and peaceful with limited amenities? They both have their advantages, but it’s all about deciding what is right for your family.

Large vs Small: UK caravan parks come in all shapes and sizes, and the one you choose will have an impact on your holiday experience. Larger parks in popular locations offer a wide selection of on-site facilities, bars, restaurants, and activities, making them well-suited to families. As we all know the weather in the UK can be “changeable” and parks with great facilities such as indoor pool complexes mean everyone stays entertained. It is also interesting that many owners say that having good facilities also means they can relax and stay on the park for longer periods rather than having to leave to go shopping or visit the pub!

Larger parks with facilities can tend to feel busy especially in peak travel periods.

Smaller caravan parks with low or no facilities tend to have a more homely and community feel, however, you may need to drive to the nearest town to buy what you need or to entertain the family.

Beachside vs Rural: You may have narrowed this down when choosing the location for your static caravan, but you’ll find both beachside and rural holiday parks in many regions of the UK. If your idea of the perfect holiday includes hiking in the woods, kayaking in lakes, and enjoying the great outdoors, an inland caravan park surrounded by forests and natural beauty could be the perfect choice for you. If, on the other hand, you love to feel sand between your toes, walking along windswept coastlines, and enjoying afternoon tea in seaside villages, a park within walking distance of the beach should be your number #1 choice.

It is worth considering in many UK locations you will have easy access to rural countryside and beaches within a short drive so you get the best of both worlds!

Eco-Friendly Caravan Parks: By choosing to buy a static caravan in the UK you may well be reducing your carbon footprint by reducing the number of flights you take per year. If you care about the environment and remain committed to reducing your carbon footprint, you should consider an eco-friendly caravan park that combines ecological, environmental, and conservation-based activities with responsible recycling practices.

Dotted throughout the UK, these parks offer eco-focused caravans with low-energy lightbulbs, improved insulation to reduce energy consumption, and dual-flush toilets to save water. As a static caravan owner, you are already reducing your emissions by not flying to overseas destinations; an eco-friendly caravan will make your family holidays even more environmentally-friendly.

Disabled Static Caravans: Most parks offer disabled caravans and wheelchair-adapted caravans, although you may have to purchase a new model to get the modifications you need. The location of your pitch will play an essential role in accessibility, so consider this carefully when you go to visit the holiday parks on your shortlist. Can you park right outside your caravan? Is there a wheelchair-friendly ramp?

Pet-Friendly Caravans: We’re animal-lovers here in the United Kingdom. According to Statista, 41 per cent of UK households own a pet in 2020, with 23% of us owning dogs and a further 16% owning cats and, if you are one of them, chances are, you are looking for a pet-friendly caravan park. You’ll be pleased to know that there are hundreds of them across the country, so you can take your four-legged friends with you wherever you go, but not all parks accept pets, so check this before adding them to your shortlist.

12-Month Caravan Parks: Most UK holiday parks close between 1- and 4-months during winter for essential maintenance and repairs, and during this time, overnight stays are not allowed. However, some caravan parks operate all-year-round and, if you would like a holiday home that you can visit throughout the seasons, you should look for those that open 12-months of the year. Bear in mind, that you cannot live on a holiday park full-time, and that you will need a caravan with double-glazing and central heating if you intend to use it in winter.

Top Tips For Viewing Static Caravan Holiday Parks

By now you should have a clear indication of the type of holiday park that you are looking for, and you can set up visits with those on your shortlist. We recommend contacting the park directly to arrange this so that someone is available to show you around and explain the options available.

Here are our top tips for viewing static caravan holiday parks:

• Make a shortlist of parks of interest

• Research online!

• Make an appointment before you go

• Before you drive into the park, explore the surrounding areas for attractions, services, etc.

• On arrival, check parking facilities and general accessibility

• During your site inspection, check if the park clean and well-maintained

• Ask to see all onsite facilities

• Ask about accessibility to local beaches and attractions

• Look at different pitch locations throughout the park to decide which one is right for you

• If possible, try to speak to current owners for impartial feedback

• Ask for a complete breakdown of site fees, running costs etc.

• Visit the park multiple times, if possible, at different times of the day

How Often Will You Be Able To Use It?

How often will you be able to use your static caravan? Weekly? Monthly? Twice per year? To capitalise on your investment, you should be able to use it as often as possible, with some owners suggesting that you should use it at least ten times per year to make it a viable holiday option. Of course, you don’t have to use it yourself; you can give it to friends and family, or even rent it out to cover some of your annual fees. But the whole concept of this type of holiday home is that you use it regularly for weekend breaks, family holidays, or even as your out-of-office office.

Most UK caravan parks are open 8 – 10 months per year, although some operate all year-round which extends your available time, and whilst you cannot live in a static caravan permanently as your primary residence, you can visit it as often as time allows and take extended holidays such as during the summer school holidays. Choosing the right location is essential. If you can access your static caravan in just 1 or 2 hours, you are far more likely to use it than if it is at the other end of the country, so consider this when browsing holiday parks.

Will You Be Able To Share It With Family & Friends Or Rent It Out?

One of the benefits of owning a static caravan is that you can share it with family, friends, loved ones, or even work colleagues when you are not using it. It allows smaller families and support-bubbles to holiday together, couples to escape with their friends and endless opportunities for last-minute breaks. Much of your essentials will already be at the caravan so packing should be a breeze.

If you have a large family and friends’ network, a caravan holiday home could be a perfect investment. If not, you should consider the option of renting it out when you are not using it, either independently or via your holiday park’s rental scheme, to ensure maximum financial returns to offset your running costs.

Many parks will manage the rental processes in return for a commission on the rental charges or you can choose to do this yourself. From our experience managing bookings, key handovers and cleaning can be intensive so consider these options carefully based on your own circumstance.

Also remember subletting reduces your own time using the caravan and can lead to increased wear and tear.

Is It Affordable?

Perhaps the biggest consideration of all is affordability. Most of us love the idea of buying a caravan or holiday home in the UK, but they come at a price, and if you cannot commit to the ongoing running costs, it might not be the right choice for you. When budgeting for a static caravan, you should consider:

• Initial Sales Price: This can be anywhere from £10,000 to £500,000 plus depending on the size and location of your caravan. This can be paid in full from savings or alternatively many owners choose to pay a deposit and then finance the purchase cost paying a monthly payment.

• Annual Site Fees: These range from £2,000 to £10,000 per year, with averages around £3,000 to £5,000. Some parks offer the option to pay side fees via a monthly payment. This payment covers the fee to use the pitch, maintenance and free use of parks facilities for your family and guests.

• Gas & Electricity: Most holiday parks work on meter systems, so you’ll only pay for what you use, but if you intend to stay in your static caravan in winter or over the Christmas and New Year period, you will inevitably have higher heating costs. You will also have to factor in a annual boiler service.

• Rates, Water & Drainage: Influenced by the size, facilities, and location of the holiday park, these fees range between £300 and £1,500 per year.

• Caravan Insurance: Just like your home, you’ll need to insure your static caravan against risks such as fire, theft, and flood damage; this is essential and required by all UK holiday parks. Fully comprehensive caravan insurance packages range from £125 to £475 per year.

• Cleaning: This is an optional service offered by most caravan parks and costs around £25 per clean.

• Winterisation: This is an annual service designed to keep your static caravan in perfect condition throughout winter when your holiday park may close. It includes draining down the water system and reconnecting, and other essential maintenance. Some insurance companies insist you do this, others don’t, so check your policy carefully. It costs around £70 per year.

Have You Weighed Up The Pros & Cons?

Static caravans are a luxury lifestyle investment that allows you to escape everyday life without the hassle of overseas travel. They are suitable for young families, older couples, and everyone in between, and they are ideal for those who love to get away at the weekends and take impromptu trips. But they are not for everyone.

Take time to consider the pros and cons and the advantages and disadvantages of buying a holiday home in the UK before you commit. If you can afford it, use it regularly, and see a future of holidays for you and your loved ones, caravan ownership will add value to your life. If not, explore all options available before committing, and only sign on the dotted line if you are sure that it is the right choice for you.