Advice - paying deposit for first static tomorrow

[mariacbj]

Hi, we are a staying at a caravan sute this weekend with the view to buy on this park if we liked what we saw. We have seen a van and pitch that we like and are thinking of putting a deposit down tomorrow BUT we are new to this (only ever holidyed in caravans before) but if anyone of you with experience could share wisdom / experience of things we should be clarifying / do with the sales team before we sign tomorrow, I would be so grateful. (Anything from haggling on price, fees, all the t&c's that as newbies might not have thought of)

[WispMan]

Very little time left!

Never had one myself but I'll never forget the advice of a member on this forum with  much experience of statics.

There are 3 things to watch.

Read the contract

Then 

Read the contract.

Once you've done that, finally

Read the contract again. 

In the future the contract may be your undoing or what you will rely on.

[CommanderDave]

Try and speak to a few owners on site for their views on the site and any hidden expenses .

 

 

 

Dave

[Durbanite]

12 hours ago, WispMan said:

Very little time left!

Never had one myself but I'll never forget the advice of a member on this forum with  much experience of statics.

There are 3 things to watch.

Read the contract

Then 

Read the contract.

Once you've done that, finally

Read the contract again. 

In the future the contract may be your undoing or what you will rely on.

I am sorry the above is incorrect as not enough as there are several things to watch which are

Read the contract

Then 

Read the contract.

Then

Read the contract

Then 

Read the contract.

Then

Read the contract

Then 

Read the contract.

Then walk away!

 

LOL! 

[Paul1957]

Important things to check are all really financial, what the fees are each year plus any increases, what it costs to sell again, if it is in a flood area can you get insurance, what happens when the static is due for replacement (could be 15 years from new), cost for gas/electric/water. Other things include are what are the neighbours like. You could even get insurance quotes before committing to the purchase.

 

You probably will not be able to haggle on price but you can try. If at all unsure about affording the money you will lose over the years, then do not commit yourself and if you are not going to use it for many weeks each year then a hotel could be cheaper.

[WispMan]

But.........tomorrow is now today so the deal is probably done by now.

[2seaside]

Get everything that is important to you in writing - do not rely on verbal assurances.

As already said, Talk to other van owners on site.

Is there any warranty on the van? (some Parks are members of the Gold Shield scheme, which gives 10 years structural warranty on new vans, subject to specific maintenance criteria).

Find out when and how the pitch fee is paid, ask how increases are calculated.

What does the pitch fee include?

How and when are utility prices paid, separately or included in the pitch fee.

Is local council tax (business rates) included in the pitch fee, or as a separate charge.

Do you have to buy insurance through the park, and if so, how much and what does it cover?

If/when you want to sell, can you market it independently or must it be sold via the Park?

What commission rate is taken by the park on resales (usually about 15% plus VAT).

Is subletting allowed? (you may not want to sublet - but you may also not want to be surrounded by sublet vans).

If subletting is not allowed, can you have friends/family to stay?

Are pets allowed?

How long can your van stay (a) on the Park, and (b) on the pitch before you are expected to upgrade?

Bear in mind that if you are told it can stay 15 years, that usually means 15 years from new, not 15 years from when you purchased, so if you are buying a 5 year old van, there are 10 years left.

If you are told they can stay "as long as they are kept tidy" that this usually means the agreement is renewed every year - and it is the Park Manager's opinion of "tidy" that matters, not yours.

If you have not already seen them, see the site rules (and the site licence, which will have it's own criteria for what can or cannot be done), and make sure you are happy to comply.

After looking at the site rules, also look around the park - this will give you a good idea whether or not the rules are enforced or whether it is a case of "each van owner for themselves".

When is the site open, when can you stay in your van, are there restrictions on how many continuous nights you can stay.

If there is a closed season, is there access for checking and maintenance?

Does the site have it's own maintenance team for drain-downs, etc, or do you have to do this yourself?.

And yes - READ THE CONTRACT BEFORE YOU HAND OVER ANY MONEY. READ ALL OF IT!!

A good park may sigh a bit, but will understand why you want to do this - good feedback from happy owners is good for business, people buying things then discovering they are not happy with the terms is bad for business.

And it is always worth trying to haggle - the price may not come down, but you may get some extras thrown in if you ask nicely.

All of this is on the assumption that you are buying a holiday home, not a residential - there is a completely different set of things to look out for if buying residential.

 

[Honk]

Sorry i'm late to the conversation but I see others have advised you well.

 

I hope you have made the right decision, whatever that may be.

[Durbanite]

OP has not been back to advise whether they went ahead with the sale of not.