Caravan Owners

20/05/2024

I have lost my caravan at Parkdean Resorts. I will continue to support owners who hire.

I was late paying a Park invoice by 4 days. Disconnected water and gas and evicted. Breached my pitch licence on 21 February 2024.

www.the NCC.org.uk are now dealing with compensation claim.

The moral of the story always pay invoices on time.

Construction Directory - Construction Directory new Construction , low cost Construction Directory news and ideas

26/11/2023

Future discussion subjects

Insurance
TV licence
Winterisation
General repairs and maintenance
Decking cleaning
Window cleaning with steam
Laundry
Cleaning Carpets
Protecting Lino
Cleaning fridge/freezer
Outside storage box - washing and dryer machine
External water tap
Internet and SkyQ
Smart television
Cleaning the cooker oven
Polish surfaces

26/11/2023

With the cost of living crisis may result in tightening the purse strings when it comes to your holiday home it’s a luxury.
I have found private renting so successful it covers my pitch fee and sundries. Pitch fees are paid in full a year in advance over 6k can be impossible for some. You can pay monthly have used the resorts Premium Credit finance but it can be costly.

The resort offer a sublet system but I found too restrictive.
So I advertise with Ukcaravans4hire and manage the bookings myself.

We can support you if interest in sharing your static caravan.

24/08/2023

Our network is for owners who hire and those considering.
The network was formed for all owners who hire. The main purpose is for owners to share their services.
I have offered a complete sublet package.
1. Cover Marketing & promotion
2. Booking
3. Prep and cleaning
4. Payment and refunds
5. Check ins and outs
6. Inventory checks

There is a commission charge of 25% on the income achieved.

20/08/2023

The resort has a service and repair from owner’s office. I regularly take advantage the latest was the kitchen tap was leaking. They fixed with a replacement very quickly.

10/08/2023

Increases for next year at Trecco Bay 10.7%. Sadly this will tip some owners over the edge. A good reason for owners to subsidise the resort fee with private rental.
I pay less than £500 per month for a three bedroom house in Cardiff. My resort charges more. I have no choice to recover all my costs through private rentals.
Resort has a sublet service but there is so many restrictions and income reductions is no longer viable.
There are owners who network their hire with other owners. With less restrictions and more income.
My charges have remained the same for the past 7 years mainly repeat customers benefit our rates. Inflation means I increase to 10 weeks hire to avoid increasing hire prices. I charge £950 plus a refundable £100 care bond for a weeks hire, where my resort sublet would charge over £1600 to their customers.
If you are considering subsidising your fees or these increases will resolve your economics.

10/08/2023

No charging from statics only the resort charging facilities should be used.
There has been a rapid growth in the ownership of electric vehicles [EVs] in the last few years, with over 700,000 fully electric cars and over 400,000 plug-in hybrids on UK roads.
This inevitably means that a proportion of guests will travel to a holiday let in an EV or hybrid car, but have you considered the fire and liability risks associated with the charging of electric vehicles at your holiday let?
Electric vehicle charging risks
Fire risks
Most electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are supplied with a domestic charger (commonly referred to as a ‘granny charger’). These recharge the EV using a domestic power source via a 3-pin wall socket.
There are several potential fire risks when using a domestic charger:
As the charging process takes hours, leaving an EV on charge overnight or whilst they are out for the day is always going to be most convenient for holiday home guests. When guests leave a vehicle to charge unattended, there is no one around to spot malfunctions during charging.
Often the lead supplied with a granny charger is not long enough to reach a socket, so an extension lead or multiple extension leads are used. Due to safety risks, manufacturers recommend that extension leads are not used to charge Evs – but people do.
Charging units left outside are often exposed to extreme weather conditions such as heat/cold and rain.
Over time charging cables could become damaged, which may expose live copper wiring.
Old wiring at holiday cottages might not be able to cope with the demand of charging an EV.
Liability risks
When charging cables are plugged in, cables tend to be trailed across pedestrian walkways and access points, creating a trip hazard and potential injuries.
Also, there’s a risk of electric shock if cables and charging units are used in the rain.
Increased bills
Not only is there the risk to your property and people, there’s also the potential for higher electricity bills. The average cost incurred for fully charging an EV will vary, depending on the size of the car battery and your tariff. According to Podpoint, the cost to charge a typical electric car with a 60kWh battery and 200-mile range costs about £17.00 for a full charge.
If guests charge their EV(s) several times during their stay the additional cost to you quickly eats away at your profit for the booking.
What are the insurance implications?
The factors above highlight the potential increased fire and liability risks when using electric vehicle chargers, which could lead to significant loss, damage and injury. We strongly recommend that you speak to your insurer with regards to EV charging at your holiday home and how this affects cover.
A Schofields policy does not cover loss, damage or liability caused by the usage of electrical vehicle charging points or the charging of electrical vehicles.
Make your EV charging rules clear to your guests
Your booking terms and conditions are key to managing and mitigating the risks associated with electric vehicle charging at your holiday cottage.
Your terms and conditions should explicitly forbid the charging of EVs via a domestic charger at the property. Make your guests agree to your T&Cs before the booking is confirmed and repeat them in your guestbook.
Also, make sure your guests know the location of local charging points that they can use.

06/08/2023

We know in the future as owners there will be a time when the manufacture age of the static becomes a problem. We can upgrade, sell privately or sell back to the resort.

Upgrading :
Probably the easier option but borrowing and also covering the on going advance costs could make things uneconomical.

Selling Privately:
Locating a private buyer maybe to maximise the value paid for your static. Even if a private sale the resort will process the payment. They have 15% share of the price agreed for sale. But the resort has other conditions of sale.
The buyer has to pass these conditions from owning or renting their home address with receipt of council tax. They do not own more than two statics on the same site. Poor credit ratings could also be another condition.
If I sold my static for £115,000 the resort will claw back £15,000.

Selling with static removal from site:
There will be a disconnection and move fee to the resort storage area.
The buyer maybe covering the transport from the resort to their address.

Selling back to the resort:
They would only offer a trade value to buy back. I sold back one of my statics paid about 30k new they offered £16k for a two year old van. But it was a trader who bought back. Not the resort who would not buy back.

14/07/2023

The resorts do have maintenance teams and worth getting a quote. Then get quotes from outside contractors. Please note some contractors need licences and insurances to work on your static.
I am a very keen DIY for minor tasks are fine but do need to establish if its within your means.

Anything with gas or electric is not for DIY get qualified traders.

This year my shower tap and toilet failed. I went to the resort for a quote. Sounded reasonable. So i did not obtain other quotes. Sometimes with private contractors there are call out charges. The resort don’t charge for call outs. Please consider the resort at all times. They may be quicker.

More to follow

07/04/2023

Sweethome3D - Great free software build your own layout plans this is a static with decking.

08/02/2023

With resorts offering extended use periods some only have no restrictions of periods, some are closed from November to March.
Generally the local authority council site licence is the main regulation.

Some sites have 12 months openings and still restrct use.

We recommend owners make a letter request with the resort headquarters for a change of period use.