July

Intro

July being the height of summer, we had rather a lot going on and so did not even manage one visit to the caravan. Fortunately, our friends and family were on hand to help out and, between them, paid several visits to the unit. We are got some excellent feedback from them, which you can read in the visitor’s blog section.

If – like us – you won’t be using your caravan much during this period, you may find this a good time to do some subletting. You certainly won’t be short of potential candidates!

Visits

Our friends had a lovely time in the traditional seaside town of Sandown, visiting the pier and having the occasional game of pitch and putt at Browns’ golf course.

They followed this with a cream tea, which was blissful, apparently!
This area boasts some of the finest beaches found anywhere on the island, and is a must visit location.

Ownership

Not surprisingly, everyone and their dog wants to use the caravan when it is vacant during peak season, so we kept ourselves busy by booking in friends and family for the next few months.

We decided to buy a diary and get some extra keys cut to keep on top of the logistics of subletting, and these guests weren’t even paying!

We had some great chats with our neighbours over cups of tea. They gave us some valuable information on all aspects of the ownership, including several things we had never even thought of! For example, we now remember to save up our plastic bags and bring them to the caravan as they fit the bin perfectly. We also bought a mini Dyson cleaner to give the carpets a more thorough clean.

The park also gave us some useful contacts for nearby contract cleaners that could come in and clean up after people have stayed if necessary. However, most close friends and family could be trusted to clean up before they left.

We have prepared some great meals in the kitchen of our caravan, and are impressed with its usability. It is well laid out with plenty of space and a big oven and microwave. The local Morrison’s in nearby Newport also offers good choice and value.

The caravan tends to get hot at this time of year, particularly when you are out and the caravan is all locked up. However, we found that it cools down quickly when you open all the windows and air it out.

I’ve also noticed that some owners have jet skis – now there’s an idea!

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