Lots of potential holiday homeowners will naturally ask the question – ‘is it possible to live in my caravan all year round?’
When you are buying your new holiday home, it’s definitely important to check out the length of the season your chosen holiday or caravan park has – and find out if it closes at a specific time each year.
Each park generally will have its own rules and regulations that need to be kept to.
Some parks do actually run a 12-month season. If the park is open all year-round, can you really live permanently in your static caravan?
Why Live On A Caravan Park?
Living in a caravan is an appealing prospect for some, considering how, for many, house prices are proving a lot less affordable.
Added to this, the living standard and comfort level of most static homes has vastly improved over recent years. For example, it has become pretty normal to expect your modern caravan to come with double glazing, and to have a central heating system installed. These days, caravans are definitely built to live in all year round!
With all this in mind, is it actually a realistic option to live full-time on a park?
Find out as we explain in a little more detail the general guidelines and rules around this.
Related: Static Caravans For Sale
The Legal Bit – Can You Legally Live On A Holiday Park?
In short, the answer is no, you cannot legally ‘live’ in your holiday home all year round on a ‘holiday park’.
The law says that you must have a permanent residence, which must be known as your ‘main address’, and this cannot be your holiday home. The law recognises basically that a ‘holiday home’ is generally used for leisure and holiday purposes only.
It’s necessary that you check with the ownership management team when in the buying process what the park rules are; this is normally stated as part of the contract and the licence. In a nutshell, if you try to stay permanently on a park you will be in breach of the licence.
It’s also worth noting if you normally live outside of the United Kingdom, you will more than likely be asked to supply proof of main residency’ when buying your caravan.
Can You Live In A Static Caravan On A Residential Park?
Some people ask if it’s possible to buy a static home on a residential park.
A park like this is designed for people living in a ‘park home’ which are designed and built for permanent living.
Naturally, park homes are much more expensive than a holiday park home. They last longer, and site fees are much higher than on a holiday park.
In conclusion, while you could technically live in a static home on a residential park, it’s unlikely the park will site one nowadays. Also, some local councils in some areas have banned this from being allowed.
Park Opening, Closing & Seasons
Generally speaking, most holiday parks typically close when it’s winter, or during the colder months in the UK. This is normally for a 6 week period during the winter.
As mentioned earlier, there are some parks that are open all year round – this means you could stagger your long trips to a few months at a time. This is fantastic news – it means you could take advantage of even staying over the holiday periods like Christmas and New Year.
On a park that is open all year round you might find that there may be a ruling on staying for a certain number of consecutive days before you can return to the park. Again, check this before making plans or indeed purchasing the caravan.
What we can be sure of, is that in today’s marketplace, with such a wide range of manufacturers supplying and fitting static caravans to such a high residential specification, it’s guaranteed you can enjoy staying in your caravan during any of the four seasons!
If you are considering buying a static caravan and would like to find out more, please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.