Park home living

Broreb1981

We are considering moving into a park home. Does anyone currently live on a park home site. What are the good and bad aspects of this life.

Rachel_Scope

Hi @Broreb1981.

Are you happy to share any difficulties that you have that would possibly be a barrier to living in a park home? Hopefully then someone will be able to advise you better 😊

chiarieds

Hi @Broreb1981 - I've lived in a Park Home for nearly 9 years, & it's the best place I've ever lived. There's a real sense of community here & we all try & help each other.

Make sure the site is fully residential throughout the year, &, if you haven't already done so, see if you can chat to some of your potential new neighbours & the Park site owner. Our owners are very good & the site is kept immaculate.

Possible cons; not all sites have mains gas (ours doesn't) & LPG is quite expensive in comparison. We also pay our site owner for our electricity &, as he pays a business rate for this, that again can be more expensive. Factor in the ground rent (some sites seem exorbitant compared to ours, which is very reasonable).

Some sites are only for people over a certain age; ours is for all ages (my son & his wife have a Park Home just around the corner from me). Some allow pets (here all dogs must be kept on a lead on the site). Check if there are any other possible restrictions.

As with any future home, see if it will remain accessible to you; is there a local bus route if you don't drive/may not be able to drive in the future?

Broreb1981

We have been and looked at one site and we were very impressed. I don't like things to be unpredictable and I'm finding children and animals are very unpredictable. I don't like a lot of noise. I really enjoy being around older people as they tend to be quieter and a bit more predictable. The idea of a gated community makes me feel safer and knowing that kids won't be outside bouncing balls or shouting makes me think it would be quite a calming environment to live. It's a big decision to move as we are settled where we live but the thought of only having neighbours that are over 45 and no children really appeals to me

chiarieds

I think you'll find that the people attracted to Park Home life do tend to be older anyway (my son & his wife & their next door neighbour are the only young people on a site of 80 homes). It's certainly very quiet here, which I also like!

Ours isn't gated, but I feel very safe here, even going out without closing the patio doors or windows. You may expect visiting grandchildren however, but again I haven't found that a problem.

I hope you take the very gentle plunge to buy a Park Home; I certainly think it's been the best decision for myself & have no regrets whatsoever.

Broreb1981

I hope you don't mind if I ask you a few questions.... Do you have any outdoor space around your home? We would not be allowed to put a fence up but would be allowed a low removable fence. Do you feel that you are living on top of one another? Do you have a warden? Do you have any issues with your neighbours? Is it quiet at night? Is your park home quiet when you are inside, can you hear people in the home next to you? Are your gas and electric bills cheaper that living in a typical house?

chiarieds

Sorry @Broreb1981 - I've just seen your last comment, & I certainly don't mind you asking any questions. I have a small garden, but in that I've got a raised bed containing flowers, & grow veg in containers on the other side. I recently replaced my decking (& fence) & also incorporated a seating area for about 10 people. The site owner did ask that when I replaced my fence on one side that he'd prefer it to be lower (no more than 1 metre high), which wasn't a problem for me.

Like myself, my son & wife & his wife have also been modernising their home, & the site owner was happy for them to also have work done externally, & tho they have fencing all the way around, said his preference would be to have no fencing at the front of their house adjoining the road, tho he's fine with them retaining this fence for now.

I think many Park Home sites do prefer the more open look of properties without fencing to the front, which some of the sites here already have, especially the newer ones, but everyone has fencing around the rest of their property. I suppose as well it also depends on the actual site of the property you're considering, but mine would have been open to all & sundry as it's open to a small grassy area on 2 sides (& as dogs are allowed here I wouldn't have been happy for them to just wander in!). I don't know what I'd think about only removable fences

Our site incorporates grassed areas which the site owner maintains, & many trees. A few minutes away are many wooded walks by the river. It's quite difficult to buy a property here as it's so popular & few sites become available; I bought mine from my son's future father-in-law otherwise I would probably have been unable to move here. My son already living here helped.

Because we have low fences then you can be aware of your neighbours, but I've found that advantageous in getting to know them. I don't feel we are living on top of each other. It's a very quiet community & we're asked to keep any noise down after 9pm; most seem to retire fairly early, so it's very quiet in the evening.

We do have one neighbour who has caused problems for myself & other neighbours (which is very, very unusual for here). The site owner has been very pro-active, & the police have been involved. She's quiet now after a court appearance, & the police now come around every day to make their presence felt after so many of us were affected by this person's anti-social behaviour; the police couldn't be more supportive, & the site owner won't take any further problems with her. Unfortunately I imagine these sort of problems can happen anywhere, but would likely normally be very unusual in Park Home sites.

Depending on the property you're looking at, Park Homes are made to a very high standard (either new, or those renovated). I'm not particularly aware of my neighbours once inside.

Energy costs may depend on whether you have mains gas; we don't, & LPG in comparison seems expensive. As mentioned above, we pay our site owner directly for our electricity which is metered. As he pays business rates, & depending on what contract he has, over which we have no control (tho he tries to find the best he can to keep us all happy), then I think our electricity costs are more than a bricks & mortar house. Depending on the size of the property you're considering, it may however be smaller than you're current home if you're down-sizing, so factor that in.

All this to me is off set by the lifestyle anyway, & sense of the sort of community that is not always now still available. When the weather is kind I feel like living here is like being on holiday, & I couldn't wish for much better; I know it's my 'forever' home.

We don't have a warden, but, as mentioned, we have a great site owner. When I was making the garden I wanted, he loaned his trailer on several occasions for my son to fill it with about 3 tonnes of soil from my old raised beds, then took this away for me. Previously he'd given me a small patch of land in front of my property to look after with the plants of my choice so long as I maintained it. He really is so helpful, so find out about a prospective site owner!

As with everything, it all depends. I hope you make the choice that's right for you.

Broreb1981

Thank you so much for all your info. We have found a site we love and a new 40 by 20 home is possibly available next year. I feel it's the right decision for me but my partner feels a little u sure because it's not brick built. I really want the security of knowing that no children can live there and that the majority of the neighbours are older and therefore make less noise and hopefully are friendly. We love our house but when we saw the park home we couldn't believe how nice it was and the bonus would be no mortgage at the age of 45 which means we can have more spare money to enjoy our lives. I think I'm going to go to the site at different times of the day and night and I might even speak to some residents to try and get a feel for the place. Do you feel different because you don't own the land your home is on? Do you feel restricted because you have to ask before you can do things?

chiarieds

Hi again @Broreb1981 - a well insulated Park Home whether new, or modified, is just as good as a bricks & mortar home. If the Park Home you're considering is new, then it will be well insulated, etc.

You're wise to visit the site at different times to see if it meets your expectations, & do speak to any potential neighbours. I can only say that my neighbours have become my friends, & I haven't found it a problem to ask the site owner if I can do anything, as he has always been helpful. He just doesn't want us to alter the footprint of the size of property we already have, e.g. my son has a porch, but I can't add one due to not already having one.

We both used a very reputable company when modernising our homes (which won't be an issue for you), & he welcomed us making our properties better, & also the site. He really couldn't have been more accomodating.

No, I don't feel different because altho I own my home, the site owner owns the land on which it's situated, as he maintains the whole site in immaculate condition. Our ground rent is so reasonable when I consider this. Any problems, & he's addressing these within a couple of hours. Do try to find out what your site owner is like. If we let our site owner know we're hoping to have a party (& we've had a few on the green in front of me) he's never raised an objection, & we all respect that any noise should be kept to a minimum after 9pm.

My next door neighbour a couple of evenings ago fell in her bedroom, & couldn't get up. She didn't have her phone with her, & had locked her doors. A neighbour raised an alert & called an ambulance when he realised something was wrong the following morning; the site owner's son got in through her fortunately open bedroom window. This is what happens in a community where we all feel looked after, & look out for each other, tho otherwise my neighbours are not in the least intrusive.

My neighbours I know are however there, when I hadn't even thought about this. For the last couple of years when I've gone on holiday for a week with my son & his wife, they've not only looked after my cat, but kept an eye on my property (the latter only due to the neighbour that had caused problems).

Broreb1981

Unfortunately I feel like we have been lied to about the park home. I won't go into things but it has really made us unsure if this is the right thing for us at this moment in our life. We are now having a rethink. I have mobility issues and there is a high probability that it will get worse later in life. I can, with help, get in a bath to have a shower but when I'm older and my partner is older I think this will be dangerous. I can go upstairs now like a child using my hands on the stairs as well but again when I'm older this will probably be an issue. Carrying things up and down stairs, hoovering the stairs may all become an issue later in life when we are both older. We are now looking at bungalows, our mortgage is finished it 7 years, I will be 49. We think pay our mortgage off and look at buying a bungalow

Rosie_Scope

Sorry to hear that @Broreb1981, but it sounds like it's helped clear things up about what's best for you for the future. It's such a personal decision to make and I'm sure there's still lots to think about, but best of luck whatever you decide!

Broreb1981

I'm feeling optimistic today, we have found a lovely park home site in a conservation area. We didn't quite like the location of the one that's for sale now but we've been told about 2 plots that will be available after Christmas with new homes. We are having a look around next week. It feels very homely, peaceful and in an area we know very well. We had totally gone off the idea of park home living after a terrible experience but this has given us hope

chiarieds

Good to hear from you @Broreb1981 - I do so hope a new Park Home there will be just the place for you both. Kindly let us all know how you get on.

Jimm_Scope

Do let us know how you get on @Broreb1981. I think it's great that you're getting a better shot at trying it out. Hopefully it all goes very smoothly 🙂

Zipz

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/912064#Comment_912064

Please keep the forum updated because I'm thinking about this sort of move myself. Meanwhile, the best of luck, Zips

Broreb1981

We have been to have a look at what would hopefully be our plot, if the size of the home we want can fit onto it. It's not been measured properly yet but he is hoping that it will fit. We had the choice of 2 plots and we wanted the plot closest to the fields. We have also been told we can design our entire home, the internal layout, where the windows and doors would go, the fittings, curtains, carpets even the exterior of the home. We are trying to find some cons but as of yet we haven't found any

Rosie_Scope

That sounds promising @Broreb1981, hope it continues to be a positive experience for you 😊

Broreb1981

This may sound silly but when it rains on a park home roof is it noisy like a caravan. Are the tiles like house roof tiles?

chiarieds

Hi @Broreb1981 - My property is nearly 40 years old, & yes, when it rained, it could be noisy. However, about 18 months ago, I had a new roof installed by a very reputable company, & the tiles they used are a lightweight roofing system (Metrotile). They look like the tiles of an ordinary (bricks & mortar) house but also provide extra insulation.

With your potentially new build Park Home, something like this should be provided as standard. I can now honestly say, that, unless it's very heavy rainfall indeed, I'm unaware of any noise.

My roof also came with a 40 year guarantee, which I can't complain about! The company I used did however say that the roofs they replace are even better than those in their new builds, tho I'm sorry I didn't enquire in what way. It could be, as they themselves evolve, then there are extra features, e.g. I've got a tile on each side that is a ventilation tile, something my son hasn't got, as they replaced his roof about a year before mine (they did say they'd happily give him 2 too). There's already roof ventilation as standard with our soffits, this was just a little extra.

Strawberry1

I'd love to live on a Park home . I really would.

Broreb1981

Today we have seen the draft plans for the new plots. We might have an option for a 38x20 or 36x20 which we think are about the right size for us. But it might be a 36x18 because of the legislation of space between each properties. We think this might be a bit small, though it does have the option of a conservatory. Any advice would be welcome re sizes. We want 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, 1 en suite for definite