If you’re a seasoned veteran when it comes to British holidays you may have considered making your holiday home a little more permanent. Who hasn’t gone on holiday and dreamed of a cottage by the sea, or even a static caravan or motor home for something more affordable and practical?
Whatever you decide, there are things to consider before you part with the cash and we hope our guide to buying a holiday home or motor home will be of help.
Wheels or No Wheels
The first decision to make is whether you want your own static caravan type holiday home, or whether you’d like to be a little more mobile with a motor home. Both come with benefits and pitfalls, and all things should be considered before you make a decision.
While a static caravan is practical and hassle free, with no storage required and nothing to tow, it does mean that you are in one place and there’s no travelling around.
If you do want to explore a little more then you may consider a motor home, it’s good advice to consider renting one before you part with the cash so you can ensure you enjoy driving it and make sure it’s got enough room for your needs. There are many rental firms around and trying one out for a holiday is the perfect way to get a feel for what you want.
New or Not
While a second hand static caravan or motor home can look good value, it’s important to check everything thoroughly before you make a decision. It’s easy to romanticise a dream and that means you can overlook potential issues. If your potential purchase has any issues or repairs needed, check what they will cost before you make a decision. For instance, a new gas fridge in a motor home will cost double what a full size fridge for your kitchen will. Doing your homework could save you a pretty penny.
If you decide to buy new there are some great finance schemes about if you can’t afford to buy outright, but remember whatever your budget you must include fees to site the van if you decide on a static holiday home.
Try Before you Buy
We’ve said it before but it’s so important to try before you buy. Book a static caravan holiday, hire a motor home for a week, and get a feel for the kind of holiday you want. If you’re buying a static caravan, consider where it will be parked up, this won’t just be your holiday home for a week but for years and years, and you’ll want to ensure you’ve made the right decision from the start.
Don’t Sign on Holiday!
Whatever you do, do not sign on the dotted line while on holiday. We know how tempting it is, you’ve had a lovely week away, it’s been idyllic, you’ve been daydreaming all week about owning one of the static vans for sale on the park and now you’ve spotted the sales office. Don’t do it!
While it’s really tempting, you really shouldn’t make a big financial decision while you have the big holiday buzz. Take the literature, go home, put it to one side for a couple of weeks and then look at it again, you may well see things differently once you’ve had some time to think.
Don’t Buy Blind
Often people look countrywide for both static vans and motor homes, and it makes sense to cast your net for a good deal. However, it can be a pain travelling up and down the country to view holiday homes and so it can be tempting, especially with the Internet to look at pictures and then ‘buy blind’. It’s really not a great idea, whatever you’re buying and can lead to all sorts of unknown problems.
Potential Income
If you are buying a static caravan, think about potential income, this can be particularly good if you’ve decided on a new van and a finance package. Many holiday parks around the UK do deals where you can rent your caravan out when you’re not using it, turning your holiday home into something that could pay for itself!
Get Insured!
When you do decide on your motor home or holiday home, the very first thing to do is insure it, and the contents too! It’s amazing how much stuff you amass when you holiday regularly and sometimes, particularly with motor home insurance, and holiday contents will need a separate policy. Should disaster strike, you want to make sure you’re fully covered!
By: Kath Cross
