30 October 2017
Looking for a park with a longer season?
Owning a static caravan holiday home comes with a wide range of benefits, from being able to enjoy a home away from home lifestyle and enjoying family holidays time and time again. However this time of year is when you begin to see parks closing down for a few months, even up to 5 months! However, there are parks out there who offer longer seasons; from 10 to 12 months holiday seasons and of which are still open over the winter and Christmas holiday period.
Why choose a park with a longer season?
There are so many benefits which come from owning a static caravan holiday home on a park with a longer season. These include;
- Being able to get away to your home from home over the Christmas and New Year period.
- Having the potential to earn some useful income by subletting your holiday home during the busy season, and still having time for you to enjoy your holiday home during the quieter months.
- Getting as much use out of your holiday home… this gives you great value for money from your investment in ownership.
- If you’re on a 12 month park, there is no need to winterise your holiday home, as it will be in continual use. You can continue to check on and use your holiday home, running the heating and water and minimising the damage caused by the cold winter weather. If your season length is any shorter (10 months or less), it would be advisable to carry out the winterisation to preserve the longevity of your holiday home.
Using your holiday home in the Winter period?
If you’re looking to use your holiday home over a longer period it is vital to keep in mind that it can get pretty cold in the winter. Therefore, it is recommended that your holiday home be equipped with double glazing and central heating, to ensure you're kept cosy in even the chilliest of winters. Nowadays the latest holiday homes are well equipped to be used all year round, with double glazing, central heating and extra insulation included in the standard specification. Some manufacturers also offer an additional warmer pack, to keep you even toastier during the winter months.
However when an older holiday home is used in the cooler months, you should expect a higher level of condensation, both visible and unseen, which could affect its life and future value, if not properly treated. Have you thought about adding double glazing to your holiday home? Not only would this help to keep you warm and cosy during the winter months, but it would also increase the perceived value of your holiday home and making it more attractive to potential buyers than a holiday home without it!
Why does a park shut for a couple of months?
The length of the season is initially determined by the local authority, who set the maximum period the park is permitted to be open for business each year. However, it is then up to the park themselves to decide, within that period, which dates the holiday park will be open to its customers.
The majority of holiday parks close for 2 to 4 months of the year, for practical reasons. This closing time allows essential maintenance to take place at the park, completing repairs where necessary, the clearing of the grounds and the refurbishment of the communal park facilities.
In this closed period you the holiday home owner will be able to make trips back to your holiday home to collect any belongings, however you will not be permitted to stay overnight or have access to site facilities, as they will not be open during this time.
Season length can also be determined by the area the holiday park is situated. Take a holiday park on a seaside resort, for example. A seaside resort tends to be extremely busy in the summer months, but less so over the winter period. Parks in these types of areas, then determine their season length from this, as the area may be considerably less busy due to the lack of facilities available at this time and therefore the park might consider their viability of being open.
Can you live in your static caravan holiday home?
It’s important to stress, that even if your holiday park offers a 12 month season, you CANNOT live within your holiday home. Under UK law, citizens residing in the UK must be registered to pay council tax and most holiday parks will check you can provide proof of a permanent address on an annual basis. If you had planned to live in your holiday home permanently, this would be a breach of the planning permission and site licence of your park and result in serious legal consequences. If you’re looking to live with your holiday home, you should look at residential park home sites.
Are there any pitfalls to a longer season?
Whilst there are so many benefits of owning a static caravan holiday home on a longer season holiday park, there are also some cons. Expect your site fees to be slightly higher, as the park needs to cover the costs associated with running the park and keeping it open for longer. Parks however, do normally have a choice of two season lengths, meaning if the lengthier season is too pricey for your budget, you can still enjoy the park and its facilities for a shorter season length.
Bear in mind…
Even if your park of choice has a shorter season length, chances are that the park is still open for business, with the sales office being open all year round. The season length just determines the length of time which owners are able to stay overnight in their holiday home.
Looking for a park with available plots?
Use our Park Finder tool to help you find the perfect park for you! From location, season length, to site fees, the easiest way to find the park which suits you most!
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