anyone own a static caravan?

stufisher

@Kittyfrisk don't spoil it lad ... shoorly we wanna keep all of this space and freedom for ourselves?

VimFuego

I am deeply envious of you guys who live in the nicer parts of the country (although of course it's wasted on you northern heathens). I could do my job in the NW or NE, mebbe I could sell up more up that way. I'm sure southerners coming up north and buying up all the properties are welcomed with open arms. 

Kittyfrisk

VimFuego said:

I am deeply envious of you guys who live in the nicer parts of the country (although of course it's wasted on you northern heathens). I could do my job in the NW or NE, mebbe I could sell up more up that way. I'm sure southerners coming up north and buying up all the properties are welcomed with open arms. 

Funnily enough, over the last 20 odd years almost all the new people that have moved to the village are not North Easterners, much less 'local'. Mind you, I wasn't born here, so everybody's got to be someplace I guess... 

stufisher

I moved South ... to the North East of England  

Kittyfrisk

stufisher said:

I moved South ... to the North East of England  

Aah, ya bassah!
Most of us were of border reiver families, so we just expanded North & South to suit :-D

Snap

VimFuego said:

I am deeply envious of you guys who live in the nicer parts of the country (although of course it's wasted on you northern heathens). I could do my job in the NW or NE, mebbe I could sell up more up that way. I'm sure southerners coming up north and buying up all the properties are welcomed with open arms. 

The only problem with the NW is it really does rain a lot. No denying that. I'm only a few miles as the crow flies over the hills from Manc and those pennines make a difference when it comes to rain - often dry here when wet there. You go over the Snake Pass summit and it's not that unusual for the rain to start. 
Hence why the NW has the Lakes!

stufisher

@Kittyfrisk ... in between your nocturnal cattle rustling activities you might enjoy reading this  

https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20200504-the-tiny-country-between-england-and-scotland

I was born and bred in Dumfries so I'm well acquainted with the area and all that it offers. Tough to beat if you like dog-walking, fishing, nature trails, photography, camping, etc. I frequently visit and still return to spots that I enjoyed as a bairn 50+ years ago  

Rob1742

sinbaadi said:

Rob1742 said:

sinbaadi said:

They are exactly what you expect. 

My parents have always had one somewhere or other.  For a time in Wales, then the Vendée, then Wales again.  They're great for a free holiday if you know someone that has one, but as an ownership prospect I think they're absolute madness. 

If you love somewhere enough to want to holiday there exclusively then do that it takes to buy an actual property.   The outlay for a static is huge.  If you can't stretch to a property then just find somewhere that will do you a deal for regular stays.

All the mobile alternatives have drawbacks, but at least are not stuck somewhere.

My folks lost a fortune over the years on them.  Could easily have bought a modest cottage in Wales.  The site owners rub their hands together when someone walks in to potentially buy.  They've just got you in this trap.  You can't sell the thing because you'll be in negative equity immediately unless you were mad enough to buy it outright, so you are stuck paying site fees or a massive fee to move the thing. 

You also HAVE to make it your only holiday destination, which is also madness unless you love the place enough to find a way to buy an actual property.

Do they enjoy it though? 

A good question! 

Yes, they did.  Certainly enough for it to have been worth buying an actual cottage as an appreciating asset rather than multiple occasions of a ridiculously depreciating liability.  But perhaps it's more the commitment that would have merited that, rather than the actual enjoyment of it.

To be fair they still are very good at not thinking about the bigger picture!

I’ve just committed to a lodge, where the initial outlay is high, the annual site fees are about £6k and at the end of the license I have nothing.

Sometimes though it’s not about money, I am aware what I’ll lose financially, but I’m prepared to give it a go to see if I can create a really nice situation for our family.

I’ve done the sums, I know that my son’s inheritance has taken a hit, but I won’t be able to do it when I’m dead so I am very happy about what I have done.

If it doesn’t work out I’ll sell it and make a loss, but I know that and so it won’t be a bother. I have tried the bricks and mortar option at the coast previously. If I had kept that one I’d have made a fortune in years to come, but the hassle with plumbers, gardeners and electricians etc just meant it wasn’t a pleasure going there. On a  site you get the help you need if you need it and it all seems a much easier and comfortable way of enjoying your time away. 

EricTheWeary

Rob1742 said:

sinbaadi said:

Rob1742 said:

sinbaadi said:

They are exactly what you expect. 

My parents have always had one somewhere or other.  For a time in Wales, then the Vendée, then Wales again.  They're great for a free holiday if you know someone that has one, but as an ownership prospect I think they're absolute madness. 

If you love somewhere enough to want to holiday there exclusively then do that it takes to buy an actual property.   The outlay for a static is huge.  If you can't stretch to a property then just find somewhere that will do you a deal for regular stays.

All the mobile alternatives have drawbacks, but at least are not stuck somewhere.

My folks lost a fortune over the years on them.  Could easily have bought a modest cottage in Wales.  The site owners rub their hands together when someone walks in to potentially buy.  They've just got you in this trap.  You can't sell the thing because you'll be in negative equity immediately unless you were mad enough to buy it outright, so you are stuck paying site fees or a massive fee to move the thing. 

You also HAVE to make it your only holiday destination, which is also madness unless you love the place enough to find a way to buy an actual property.

Do they enjoy it though? 

A good question! 

Yes, they did.  Certainly enough for it to have been worth buying an actual cottage as an appreciating asset rather than multiple occasions of a ridiculously depreciating liability.  But perhaps it's more the commitment that would have merited that, rather than the actual enjoyment of it.

To be fair they still are very good at not thinking about the bigger picture!

I’ve just committed to a lodge, where the initial outlay is high, the annual site fees are about £6k and at the end of the license I have nothing.

Sometimes though it’s not about money, I am aware what I’ll lose financially, but I’m prepared to give it a go to see if I can create a really nice situation for our family.

I’ve done the sums, I know that my son’s inheritance has taken a hit, but I won’t be able to do it when I’m dead so I am very happy about what I have done.

If it doesn’t work out I’ll sell it and make a loss, but I know that and so it won’t be a bother. I have tried the bricks and mortar option at the coast previously. If I had kept that one I’d have made a fortune in years to come, but the hassle with plumbers, gardeners and electricians etc just meant it wasn’t a pleasure going there. On a  site you get the help you need if you need it and it all seems a much easier and comfortable way of enjoying your time away. 

My argument against a lot of the options (caravan, etc, and at one point - pre Brexit - a small gite in France seemed a possibility) over the years was that it seemed like we were just buying another set of chores/hassle. Which is probably okay if it's an investment (a caravan to rent out or whatever) but not if it's meant to be a pleasurable experience. If you don't get to use it much then the hassle starts to outweigh the benefits so what's the point. 
Bit like being in a band, at what point does the annoyance factor become greater than the level of enjoyment. 

stufisher

Good point @Rob1742 ... that was threaded in to our decision to upgrade our static last year.

The site we've been using for the last 15 years or so is now owned by a private investment group rather than a couple, so there has been much improvement and investment in infrastructure and facilities.

Critically, ownership contracts have been re-formulated, so there is no fixed end-point for a static van's life and therefore removal from site. Consequently, we'll have our van for the rest of our lives. It's located on our preferred pitch, it's residential spec (so warmer, more robust, galvanised, mains water/gas/electricity) and only 1.5 hours away.

Our son and his family will be using the van for family holidays for years to come and ultimately will inherit. I have lads weekends there once/twice a year ... my wife and her friends have weekends there  ... and what's left of my family live 10 miles away so I have regular contact with them.

All of the above factors played a part in the decision to sink money into a major purchase but ultimately, to us, it was a no brainer because of the fulfilment we and our family are fortunate to enjoy.

As you say, when you're deid it matters not ... so we are getting on with living and caring less about price with each passing year.

I'm certainly not rich but I know my life is