You’ve made the exciting decision to look at holiday home ownership and you’re now searching for static caravans in your chosen destination, hopefully somewhere you and your family love spending time and exploring.
With over three decades of experience in the UK holiday & leisure industry, and as a trusted & award-winning family operated enterprise, we’d love to offer you some impartial advice to help make this process a little bit easier.
You may have realised there is quite a lot of choice, plus you might be wondering – should I be looking at new, pre-owned or both?
You may be asking yourself, what are the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing a new or pre-owned static caravan holiday home?
Both options have their own set of benefits, and the decision ultimately comes down to your individual preferences and circumstances.
But we’re here to explain how to compare offers between new & pre-owned holiday homes more logically, and help you get the best value from your investment.
When considering purchasing a static caravan, budget is inevitably the most distinguishing factor between the two choices. A pre-owned static caravan will typically be outright cheaper than a brand-new model (but hang on, there’s more to it, so don’t base your decision on that alone ).
A quick note on pricing: remember, whilst you own your static caravan outright, pretty much all holiday parks have a licence term limit (how long you can keep your holiday home on their site, from new). After this period you will need to either move your static caravan to a new location, or you can trade/part-exchange it for an upgrade.
We therefore recommend dividing the purchase price by the number of years remaining on the licence to get a more comparable figure. See our example below:
Static Caravan A – Brand New, price £60,000 for 15 year licence (= £4000/year)
Static Caravan B – Pre-owned, price £25,000 for 5 years remaining (= £5000/year)
Using the example above, whilst Static Caravan B has a cheaper purchase price and may seem like a better deal, it is actually costing you more per year than the brand new Static Caravan A.
It is also worth bearing in mind that the pre-owned market is generally more volatile. Over the past few years we’ve seen prices of pre-owned caravans soaring, with demand far outweighing supply. Trade valuations for static caravans at the end of their licence terms were also particularly high.
This was predominantly the result of a surge in popularity for holiday home ownership as an alternative to foreign travel, and due to so much uncertainty surrounding how the pandemic would unfold.
Meanwhile, a backlog in new holiday home production by manufacturers was being caused by factory closures, staff absenteeism, material shortages and rising costs.
During this period, it was definitely a seller’s market.
Production lines have now caught up and the pre-owned market appears to be more stable, with prices now in favour of buyers, due to increased supply and reduced demand.
When considering whether new or pre-owned is more suitable for you, one of the first questions to ask yourself is what will your static caravan be used for?
Will it be mainly used as a holiday getaway destination for occasional use, or as a second home to be used more frequently by you and your family?
Are you buying to let? If this is the case, then it is vital to check with the park management team if this is permitted – many parks do not allow the sub-letting of caravans to maintain exclusivity for their owners, and to avoid the trouble that can be caused by disturbances and nuisances from temporary visitors.
A new static caravan will be of a higher specification, kitted out with the latest fittings and fixtures and a sparkling brand-new interior that nobody else has used before.
Pre-owned static caravans can vary considerably in terms of interior quality – some are in excellent condition, whereas others may be more dated in terms of aesthetics.
Viewings and a thorough inspection are always recommended when considering a pre-owned caravan – like when purchasing a house or a car, you’re entering an agreement to pay a sum for the caravan in its current state.
When it comes to choice, there is generally a greater selection of pre-owned static caravans than brand new ones, making it better for those shopping on a budget. The shopping experience for a new model, however, is generally much easier and smoother, plus you can often add various upgrades and customisations if you’re ordering a caravan ahead of its production date.
Another key factor, often overlooked, is that New static caravans come with a warranty, providing peace of mind for a longer period of time – it is always a good idea to check exactly what the warranty covers, in terms of types of repairs and so forth.
Many pre-owned static caravans may also still be under warranty, although this may be for a shorter period of time.
Referring back to our above example of caravan costs, purchasing a pre-owned static caravan could lead to additional repair & maintenance costs, adding to your overall purchase price for the set time period remaining on the licence agreement.
Annual running costs are another consideration. It is a good idea to weigh up all the costs, not only the cost of the initial purchase but also the ongoing annual running expenses, including park fees and maintenance.
Park fees are a type of rent charged for the pitch of the static caravan, use of the facilities and security amongst other things. It is generally in the region of between £2000 to £5000 per annum, some parks may charge slightly lower rates and other more luxury parks may charge around £10000 depending on the location.
Other ongoing costs will include gas and electricity. Gas is typically purchased through the park or a local supplier in bottles (unless its run on mains) and electricity is connected to the mains and charged at the rates of the supplier.
At Pritchard Leisure, we offer a wide range of new & pre-owned static caravans at our five-star holiday parks, Madryn Castle Holiday Park on the Llŷn Peninsula and Sarnfaen Holiday Park in Talybont, near Barmouth.
Both parks provide owners with access to five-star facilities and amenities, and offer luxury holiday homes with their own patio area or enclosed decking, set in peaceful landscaped gardens where you can relax and enjoy the view.
With Pritchard Leisure, exceptional customer service & high quality products come as standard. Our goal is to make luxury affordable and we currently have some incredible value offers on our end of season stock. Purchase a brand new static caravan at highly competitive prices and enjoy a number of additional perks such as a Free Fibre WIFI router & installation (data subscription not included) and Free decking on selected units – plus, we’re throwing in your first year’s pitch fees. In most cases this is well over £10k’s worth of savings. Please check individual listings for inclusions.
Our Five-star Holiday Park Escapes…
Madryn Castle Holiday Park is steeped in history, sitting conveniently at the heart of the iconic Llŷn Peninsula, beside Snowdonia National Park. Enjoy the outdoors with our nature trails, woodland walks, pet exercise areas, outdoor multi-sports court and children’s playpark.
Sarnfaen Holiday Park is located just a short walk from Talybont beach, nestled between the mountains and the sea on the Cardigan Bay coastline in the beautiful Snowdonia National Park. Pamper yourself in our exclusive Leisure Club & Spa, and fuel your adventures in our onsite cafe.
We hope this information helps you make an informed decision. Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions.
