Consider a caravan - plus five top sites

Don’t diss the static caravan if you’re looking for a seaside holiday home. Reasonably priced and low maintenance, it could be that bolthole you’ve been looking for. By Lesley Gillilan

  Photo: Britain on ViewThe so-called ‘static caravan' is not the most romantic, nor the most stylish, of seaside homes. What springs to mind is a suburban enclave of prefabricated aluminium boxes, cluttering landscapes that would look much prettier without them. They do have wheels, but, like a winged creature that can't fly, they don't go anywhere. This is caravanning without the luxury of travel.

But before you brush them aside, ‘statics' (or, to give them their proper name, ‘caravan holiday homes') have a lot going for them - and never more so than now. You can buy a basic second-hand static for under £10,000, a new one for under £20,000 or a top-of-the-range model - a caravan mansion - for around £70,000. Even in credit-crunch Britain, this represents an affordable seaside bolthole. ‘We are seeing a lot of refugees from the bricks and mortar market,' says Jon Boston of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association. And buyers get a lot for their money. 

All mod cons
Unlike regular caravans, statics come with all mod cons: fitted kitchens with washing machines and fridge-freezers, two, three or even four bedrooms (proper bedrooms, not mean little bunk rooms), central heating, double glazing, gas fires, en-suite bathrooms and flushing loos. Within reason (or the scope of a 12 x 40 feet portable space), they have everything you'd find in a holiday cottage. But how many cottages sit within Frisbee range of the sea? Among the hundreds of static caravan parks scattered around the British coast (there are more than 2,900 of them listed on park-home website www.ukparks.com - some 335,000 caravans in total), many have direct access to private beaches or, at least, sea views.  

Haven Holiday Homes owns 35 parks dotted around the country and all but one is on or near the coast. Park Resorts has 37 sites, all of which are coastal. The parks tend to be fairly high density (anything up to 1,000 pitches) with a resort village atmosphere and communal facilities, but, for many buyers, the pools, club houses and built-in social life merely add value. Gardening and site management are part of the package, so they can be low-maintenance homes as well as low-budget.

The process of buying is easy, too: no stamp duty or solicitors' fees (it's more akin to buying a car than a property), and although statics are unmortgageable, many parks offer finance packages.  

Eco option
The much-maligned static caravan park even has history. Haven's Caister Holiday Park in Norfolk recently celebrated its centenary. And even more surprising, perhaps, are the green credentials. Last year, the David Bellamy Conservation Award scheme recognised 600 parks for their dedication to good environmental practice and well-kept natural settings (look out for high-ranking Gold award winners).

And, according to Keith James of Haven Holidays, they have another less obvious environmental benefit. ‘They provide a supply of holiday homes without putting pressure on local housing or interfering with the property market,' he explains.  

There are, of course, downsides and, in the current climate, it's worth noting that many of those are financial. You may own the caravan but you don't own the land it sits on, so, on top of utility bills, there are site fees to pay, starting at around £3,000 a year (or £250 a month). If you sell up, you will be expected to pay commission to the park owner (up to 15 per cent). And a static caravan is not an appreciating asset. ‘They should be seen as a lifestyle investment rather than financial,' Keith James says.

Also, they are licensed only for holiday occupation, for a maximum of ten months a year. And then there's the question of design. Made mainly by British companies Cosalt, Atlas, Pemberton, Willerby and others, although manufacturers are giving new models a more contemporary interior, they tend to conform to a rectangle of timber-framed aluminium, with PVCu bay windows.  

Cool caravans
For those who prefer a more street-cred alternative in a less sociable environment, simply buy another form of static caravan and find somewhere to put it. Holiday specialist Greg Stevenson of Under the Thatch shows how it can be done with his mini portfolio of ‘wheel estate': two gypsy caravans and four ex-fairground showman's wagons, parked in Welsh countryside and offered as holiday lets. How did he get planning consent? ‘With great difficulty,' Greg says. ‘Most caravan sites were planned more than 30 years ago.'

Another option is to buy an American classic Airstream trailer (left) and find your own park. According to importer Sarah-Jane Magee, (www.american-caravans.co.uk) several of her UK buyers have found semi-permanent sites. Airstreams start at around £10,000 and, unlike modern caravans, don't lose their value.

Nonetheless, the standard static is the easier option. According to Keith James, you can cover some of the costs by renting it out (most parks will do it for you). ‘People like being part of a community,' he adds. They love being by the sea, too, and though these bungaloid caravans are unlikely to win design awards, there's no disputing they win hands down on location.  

For more information

You may find these organisations useful. The British Holiday & Home Parks Association: www.bhhpa.org.uk; Haven Holiday Homes: www.havenholidayhomes.co.uk; UK Parks: www.ukparks.com. 

TOP FIVE COASTAL STATIC CARAVAN SITES

All of these are four- or five-star parks with a David Bellamy Gold award.

Oakdown, Sidmouth, Devon (right)

Family-run park in a Devonshire meadow close to the Jurassic Coast. www.oakdown.co.uk

Talacre Beach, Talacre, Flintshire

Award-winning seaside park on the coast of North Wales. www.talacrebeach.co.uk

Blue Dolphin, Filey, North Yorkshire

On the Cleveland Way coastal path, with views of Filey Bay from a clifftop site. www.havenholidayhomes.co.uk

Tralee Bay Holidays, Benderloch by Oban, Argyll

On a 26-acre site overlooking Ardmucknish Bay on the west coast of Scotland. www.tralee.com

Retreat Caravan Park, Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset

On 17 acres of landscaped park with direct access to the beach. www.retreat.co.uk

Coast's 50 top British seaside breaks: from boutique hotels to campsites

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