• a park home is typically defined as being your normal and permanent place of residence;

• in that sense, it is significantly different to a static caravan which, in insurance terms, is typically seen as being a caravan used for a few weeks each year for recreational and holiday purposes;

• given the very different nature of the usage of a parkhome versus a static caravan, there are significantly different forms of insurance for each;

• it is important not to confuse the two and if you have a parkhome then you will typically need to look for parkhome insurance quotes;

• insurance providers may apply other conditions relating to the definition of a parkhome as opposed to a static caravan, for example, the sites of both parkhomes and static caravans may need to meet certain conditions before insurance will be effective;

• if you are looking for a cheap caravan insurance quote, it may pay to remember that the two forms of cover are not interchangeable and you cannot choose to use one policy type based upon whichever appears to be the lower cost;

• the owner of your site may have the right to require that you have adequate insurance (typically relating to third party liability cover) but they may not have the right to insist that you purchase it from them – you may find that your own insurance options prove to be more cost-effective;

• your quotation may be affected by a number of factors including things such as the value of your contents, the value of your property itself and the nature of your site – if your park home is located somewhere with a known vulnerability to flooding then you may find that your premium is higher as a result (you may also find that the policy is subject to special conditions and/or exclusions);

• occasionally, some types of situation fall into what may be called a grey area between the definitions of static caravan versus parkhome – if you feel that is the case with you, we would be happy to offer assistance in helping you decide whether you need to look for parkhome insurance quotes.

What is parkhome insurance?

Park homes are a form of dwelling place that are typically located on a formally constituted and local authority approved parkhome site.

Typically occupied on a permanent basis as your normal place of residence, such sites are commonly located in rural areas and the local authority approval is important because it must grant permission for the site to be used for permanent occupation.

Some parkhome owners have lived in the property for many years and have it furnished and decorated to a very high standard.

It is therefore understandable if they seek to protect their investment and their contents through the appropriate: form of insurance – which may be park home insurance.

Sourcing the cover

Some park homes site owners may suggest that it is mandatory to take their insurance.  In fact, that may typically not be the case and you may be better advised to look around for your own cover, which may be better suited to your needs and more cost-effective.

Some site owners may require an additional administration charge if you use your own insurance but it may still prove to be a more cost-attractive deal for you if you source your own.

You may, of course, simply contact individual insurance providers to obtain a lengthy series of your own quotations and then compare these in detail against each other.

You may find though, that parkhome insurance brokers offer a slightly more efficient route.

These organisations are typically specialists in the insurance marketplace and they may be able to speedily and efficiently match your requirements against a number of potential insurance providers.

That may not only save you money in terms of connecting you with suitable policy providers but it may also save you a considerable amount of time that you may otherwise spend in trying to obtain quotations from sources that are unlikely to be suitable for your situation.

Parkhome insurance brokers might be a source of information and a resource that means you spend less of your precious time involved in some of the complexities of trying to compare insurance policies.

The following points may define elements of cover that you may wish to think about:

• to qualify as a parkhome, your residence may need to be defined as your normal place of permanent domicile and located on a site that the local authorities have designated as being suitable and authorised for parkhome occupation;

• some caravan insurance providers may also require that your site and property is fully connected to mains services and that there is some form of 24×7 site supervision and security presence;

• some companies may decline to offer you a parkhome insurance quote if your site is located in an area where there is a predisposition to flooding or exposure to serious geological risk (e.g. cliff top sites where erosion is commonplace) – if you do find cover for such locations, you may find that your policy will be subject to special terms and exclusions;

• residential home insurance is potentially different to other forms of caravan insurance cover in that your insurer may need to make allowances for the fact that your contents and fittings may be to a higher and more expensive standard – but they may also require that certain categories of item are excluded from cover (perhaps high-value items of jewellery etc);

• typical parkhome insurance may not cover you in situations where you have let out your property for the purposes of income generation and if this is something you are contemplating, it may be advisable to seek our advice and guidance before you do so – as well as checking with the site owner as to whether you can actually let out your residential caravan, as some sites do not allow this;

• if you have items external to your property, possibly including things such as awnings, satellite dishes and garden furniture, it may be advisable to read your policy carefully, as some of these may not be covered;

• remember that you cannot presume that your parkhome insurance quote will automatically cover any form of caravan located on any site, that you decide to move into as your permanent home – if that is your intention, once again you may require specialist advice regarding the insurance implications.

• a parkhome is a form of residence that is located on a special site that has been designated by the local authorities as being suitable for permanent occupation;

• it is typically your normal home and permanent place of residence – for example, all of your possessions may be stored within it and you may be on the local register of electors etc;

• typically, the term parkhome defines a location and the way you use the property as your permanent place of domicile – parkhome insurance policies may not necessarily specify anything relating to the nature of the structure of the property itself, although some policies may require that it is permanently fixed into a location rather than on wheels and mobile;

• if you would like to know the answer to the question, what does parkhome insurance cover, a good starting place may be an online caravan insurance quote that applies to park homes;

• you may find that cover is relatively familiar, including things such as property and contents cover plus possibly third party liability protection;

• some residential caravan insurance policies may include cover for some external items, such as awnings, although there may be significant variation between policies on this subject;

• as you may perhaps expect, this form of insurance may bring with it specific terms and conditions, which will need to be complied with to avoid putting your cover at risk – examples might include the need to use specific security systems and to fully drain down water and heating systems if you are away on holiday etc;

• worthy of note is the fact that this form of caravan cover is separate and distinct from static caravan insurance – if you decide to start living permanently in a static caravan on private property or a static caravan park, it may not be safe to assume that parkhome insurance will necessarily be applicable;

• when seeking an answer to your question, what does parkhome insurance cover, if you feel your situation falls into a grey area, please do not be shy about getting in touch with us! We will be only too happy to offer our services to assist you in understanding what insurance may be appropriate.

Park home insurance

Although individual insurers may use different specific definitions, in principle, a park home is a dwelling place that is situated on a site licensed by the local authorities as being suitable for permanent occupation.

It is typically your permanent place of residence, as evidenced by things such as you being eligible for various forms of local taxation.

Some insurance policies may require that the site is fully connected to services and is under some form of permanent supervision and attendance.

Park home – what it is not

A park home is typically very distinct from a static caravan, in that a static caravan is typically occupied for just a few weeks each year while you and your family are on holiday etc.

There are typically distinct forms of insurance for both types of structure i.e. park home insurance and static caravan insurance.

Park home and static caravan insurances

Different forms of policy are required due to the fact that the risk profiles may be significantly different.

For example, a park home may have more expensive furnishings and fittings, given that it is your normal place of permanent residence, than a static caravan.

Cheap park home insurance

Many things may vary from one park home insurance policy to another, including of course, the price.

Although cheap park home insurance may be available, it is important to recognise that what may be more important to you in the event of a claim, is what the caravan insurance policy covers rather than price.

When looking at an online caravan insurance quote, it is very important to sit back and objectively review the cover a policy is providing before becoming too preoccupied with its price.  What may prove to be cheap to another caravanner may not prove to be cheap to you – and that is not something that you may wish to discover when you are trying to make claim.

The differences

Comparing carefully two park home insurance policies, may indicate differences between them that you may or may not consider to be factors that influence your assessment of its value for money.

For example:

• some policies may have strict exclusions on certain types of household contents, possibly including PCs, laptops, electronic gadgets or jewellery above a certain value etc;

• some policies may have significantly different terms and conditions relating to new-for-old replacement of your dwelling place should it be totally destroyed due to an insured risk etc.

It is only by studying the detail carefully and considering the advantages of one policy versus another in terms of the cover it provides, that you will be able to put into context any sort of thoughts relating to cheap park home insurance. Alternatively, should you have any questions relating to your park home cover, please feel free to get in touch – we will be more than happy to help.

Well the Christmas shopping is all done bar the food thanks to my very efficient partner, she has organised everything to a military precision and this is because she is better than me at these things!

Whilst the Caravan season is over for the moment and our Renewals Team are working very hard at maintaining this area of the business. If you do have any queries our Team are available on freephone 0800 9707172.

I will be attending Dagenham’s game against Port Vale on Saturday for my Mum’s birthday, she recently went to see Paul McCartney at the O2 as another treat. She has been a fan of his for many years and I gather she really enjoyed herself.

It is also my father in laws birthday on Saturday and I hope he has a great day.

Well back to the grindstone

Mike

• a park home is typically seen by insurers to be a permanent dwelling that is more or less fixed in one permanent location;

• to qualify for cover, the site may need to be formally registered with the local authorities and certified as being suitable for permanent habitation;

• typically, your park home will be your normal permanent residence and you may, for example, be registered there on the local electoral roll – by contrast, static caravans are used occasionally for a few weeks per year for holidays and related purposes;

• park home insurance and mobile caravan insurance cover are not typically interchangeable – it is important to insure caravan for the right form of usage;

• some park home sites are located in very rural areas and some of those may be prone to flooding. If they are, you may find that you’re either paying a little more for your insurance or that your cover is subject to special terms and conditions;

• your park home may have a higher level of furnishings than would typically be the case for some static caravans, therefore, it is important to ensure that your policy offers you appropriate cover – it may also be important to check whether or not the policy requires the site to be supervised or otherwise protected;

• one similarity between the two forms of insurance is that in both cases, you may need to think about notifying your insurers if you plan to rent out your caravan/park home for commercial reasons – such use may not be covered by a typical policy;

• the typical foundation of static caravan insurance cover is based around the idea that your caravan is used for just a few weeks per year for holidays whereas park homes are permanently occupied, however, in the case of park home cover, if you plan to leave your home unoccupied for more than typically 30 consecutive days, you may need to take out some additional cover as insurers may regard an unoccupied property to be at higher risk;

• being careful and obtaining the most suitable park home insurance is only sensible – given the amount of money you may have tied up in your property.

• a park home is typically regarded by insurers as one that is permanently inhabited as your normal place of residence;

• if you only use a caravan for occasional recreational use, then you may find that static caravans insurance may be more appropriate;

• cheap park home insurance policies may require that your site is formally licensed by the local authorities and certified as being legally habitable on a permanent basis;

• policies may also demand that your site meets certain minimum criteria such as having a permanent supervisory presence;

• it may pay to be cautious if you are thinking of a park home located on a site with a predisposition towards flood, as some insurers may impose special conditions in such circumstances or refuse cover in totality – you may typically be able to check the flood risk situation by making enquiries at the local town hall, through local press and media sources or through the environment agency (some insurers may also be able to assist);

• don’t overlook the fact that what may be cheap park home insurance for somebody else may not work out as such for you, if the cover provided does not give the protection you require or need;

• residential caravan insurance, as per all insurance, may come with certain exclusions such as the flood risk cover mentioned above, however, there may also be similar restrictions and they are worth noting carefully – an example might be those policies that exclude claims unless certain minimum security precautions are taken such as using deadlocks etc;

• policies may also vary in the extent to which they provide cover for external areas (e.g. awnings etc) so again, checking this area may be a good idea;

• given that your park home may be your permanent place of residence, you may have contents of higher average values than may be the norm in some other types of caravan. It may therefore be worthwhile checking things such as the maximum cover value in total or the maximum cover for individual items etc;

• if you are away from your park home for a period of more than typically 30 consecutive days, you may need to investigate whether or not you will require unoccupied insurance cover – something that is worth keeping in mind if you are thinking about cheap park home insurance and which may arise in a number of circumstances (such as extended holidays, lengthy overseas business trips etc).

• don’t confuse park home insurance with static caravan cover – static caravan insurance typically only applies in situations where you occupy your caravan for a few weeks per year for recreational purposes (in passing, remember that not all static caravan insurance will include cover if you’re renting your static out to others);

• it may not be uncommon for a park home policy to require that your dwelling is connected to all mains services and is on a formally registered and approved (by the local authorities) site suitable for permanent occupation – if your site isn’t, it may be advisable to urgently review your insurance position;

• some policies may also make a distinction between a park home being a fixed dwelling and mobile caravans that are permanently parked on a park home site and used as your place of domicile – there is no firm answer to this other than to read your policy carefully and decide what cover it is offering and based upon what definitions (for example, you may see some cover described as mobile caravan insurance but this might refer to tourers or theoretically mobile caravans on a permanent site – you’ll have to read the cover to be sure);

• you may be able to avoid certain additional premium components if you select a park home site that is not located in a flood-prone area (you may be able to check with the local press, local council, some insurers or the local environment agency, to check the actual position of a site you’re considering);

• some sites may be located in rural or relatively isolated areas and as a result, be a little more vulnerable to the attentions of thieves and vandals – you may, therefore, be able to obtain more cost-attractive cover options if you fit burglar alarms and security bolts or if your site has 24×7 supervision (some policies may make that a condition of cover);

• the residential home insurance marketplace is typically very competitive – it may only make sense to shop around for your park home insurance rather than accept the first quotation you see.

What is the difference between residential park home insurance and static caravan insurance?

There may, of course, be significant differences between the structure of a custom-build park home and a static caravan.

However, the more significant difference from an insurance viewpoint is that a static caravan is not typically considered by insurers to be your normal place of permanent residence. It is seen as somewhere you may spend a few weeks per annum for the purposes of holidays etc.

By contrast, a park home is typically defined as being your normal and permanent place of domicile.

That may also have a knock-on effect on things such as the level and value of contents and furnishings you may have (and therefore need to protect) in your home as opposed to a holiday caravan.

That is why residential park home insurance exists.

Does that mean that a caravan cannot be considered to be a park home?

No it does not, however, it’s typically advisable to read the definitions sections of your policy carefully to see how it states the requirements of a park home.

Some may have strict requirements meaning that a park home is incapable of being towed – that may naturally preclude some caravan types.

Residential caravan insurance may, for example, demand that your dwelling is located on a site formally licensed by local authorities for the purposes of permanent occupation.  They may also require that it be connected to various forms of main services.

In the case of such policies, a static caravan permanently occupied and parked in, say, a private field, may not meet the definitions of being a park home.

Equally, some static caravan insurance may not cover permanent occupation of the caravan.

I’ve seen mention of flood clauses – what does that mean?

It is not unusual for park home sites to be located in rural areas close to water sources such as rivers, lakes or in some cases, the sea.

Some sites may have a documented history of flooding and as such, some residential caravan insurance may contain special conditions that relate to caravans so sited.

In some cases, the insurance providers may not cover flood risk if you choose such a site or they may apply special conditions and payout limitations.

It’s typically advisable to check carefully and that entails finding the time to read a residential park home insurance policy very carefully before you decide to purchase it.