Top 10 Tips to Buying a Static Caravan

As a director of cover4caravans, I have probably spent more time looking at different static and touring caravans online and at trade shows than most. It is, however, only recently that I have been in the position both financially and at home to consider buying my own touring or static caravan.

To set the scene, I have two children, one who is 7 and the other 3; both are lively and fun. My wife dislikes the hassle involved in foreign holidays and we have two dogs (toffee and honey) who are very much part of our lives.

Our only experience of staying on a static caravan was last year. Some close friends asked if we would like spend the weekend with them at their parents static caravan on Mersea Island. We had a great time and the kids just loved it. From that moment we realised that this was perfect for our lifestyle.

My top ten tips:

1. Is the static caravan site right for your family?

We visited a number of different static sites to make sure. Some were static caravan only whilst others allowed touring caravans as well. The first static caravan site, Carlton Meres, was in Suffolk near to Saxmundham. On paper it was ideal; it has a large fishing lake, swimming pool, beautiful grounds, new gymnasium and tennis courts. My wife commented on how peaceful it was and to be honest that was the biggest issue for me. My kids run and shout (quite a lot in fact) and I would worry constantly that we were upsetting our neighbours. The fishing lake would also make me constantly nervous when our kids were out of sight.

The park we eventually settled on was Coopers Beach in East Mersea. The static caravan site we originally stayed on! Peaceful but with enough for the kids to do and to be honest if they are not amused during the day, however quiet the place is we will not get any peace!

2. If buying a static caravan, is the number of bedrooms more important to you or the living space?

There is a massive difference between a 12’ wide static caravan and 10’ in the living space. With our budget we could either afford a 2 bed 12’ or 3 bed 10’. We opted for the 3 bed as it gives us flexibility with the dogs.

3. Does the site allows static caravans of any age?

We were quite surprised that a number of the static caravan sites we looked at made you renew your caravan after 10 or 15 years, whatever the condition! We are buying a second hand static caravan and this would really limit us. Beware!

4. Are you able to comfortably afford the static caravan site fees and do the amenities available or the location of the park justify the cost?
The fees from static caravan site to static caravan site vary quite dramatically. Being a nosey individual, I also spoke to people at most of the static caravan sites we visited to see how much the fees had increased over the past few years. At one site the cost had gone up from £1600 to £4000 in 2 years and the static caravan owners were ‘up in arms’. The facilities were being improved but this was small consolation. The site we finally chose had increased its fees by £60 the year before and that seemed reasonable.

5. Does the static caravan site allow dogs and if there is a beach does this privilege extend to it?

Whilst if the static caravan site allows dogs on the beach it is a massive advantage to us, it may also put others off. It is worth checking.

6. Will the distance from your home restrict your use of the static or touring caravan site at short notice?

This is an important one for me. The reason is that I work very hard selling touring, motorhome and static caravan insurance (bit of a ‘plug’ there), and want to use the static caravan as a weekend retreat, not just for annual holidays. The static caravan site which was furthest away was a 2 hour drive and this really would be too much on a regular basis. We ended up 1 hour away from static caravan site to home which is perfect for my family.

7. On a static caravan park is there a plot that you are happy with?

In the same way that you have different roads in a town, static caravan parks have different areas. Some suit you more than others. We opted for a plot near the back of the static caravan park that was away from the clubhouse and sea so that we could remove ourselves from the ‘hussle and bussle’ whenever we wanted to. We also (and unsurprisingly) had a chat with some of our potential neighbours to get to know the people we would be living near us on the static caravan park as well.

8. Are you happy with holidaying to the same location?

This seems obvious but I have a lot of friends who would really not be happy with visiting the same place every year. For my family and I it is perfect as we like to have the minimum of fuss before we go and relax straight away knowing that the static caravan park caters for everything you need.

9. Have you stayed at the static caravan park before?

If the answer is no then you really should stay on the static caravan site for a few days. If you are cheeky and ask the static caravan site owner, they will usually let you stay for a night or two for free to try it out. Remember, this is a big commitment and if the static caravan site owner is not willing to offer you this, you should ask yourself why!

10. Make sure you can afford the static caravan insurance!
Most caravan sites offer static caravan insurance cover and will attempt to persuade all potential buyer to purchase their static caravan insurance from their associated partner. Please remember, most of the Sales Representatives earn commission, so make sure you search the market before you commit to any static caravan insurance policy – maybe you could give us a try!

Yes I know that this is a shameless ‘plug’ but I have a vested interested in doing so!

I hope that this is at least a bit thought provoking. Good luck!

Nick Blunden
Director – Cover4Caravans