A Park Home or mobile home as it is sometimes called is built to the British Standard BS:3632, which is the Specification for a Residential Home.
The property has a timber frame and is suitable for year-round habitation. The park home can therefore be used as your main UK residence if sited on a park or location with a residential licence. The Mobile Homes Act protects residents with security of tenure if the Park is registered with a residential licence.
A lodge is a timber framed building suitable for all year round use but typically used as a leisure or holiday home and sited on a park with a Leisure/Holiday licence. There is however lodge parks with fully residential licences, and park home sites with plots available for lodges.
Leisure Homes are built to EN.1647, which is a lower build standard in terms of the overall structure and level of insulation. Leisure Homes are only suitable for seasonal use, due to the lower level of insulation and build quality.
It is a privately owned development with a licence enabling the park owner to site residential park homes. Some developments are small with as few as six homes, and others much larger with between 40 to 100. The homes are laid out on spacious plots with manageable gardens, and residents enjoy an independent lifestyle with the benefits of a local community.
Most homes are connected to all mains services – electricity, water, gas, telephone and sewerage. Not all parks, though, have mains gas connections, but these usually have access to a liquefied petroleum gas supply – either piped from a central source, or through individual tanks.
The maximum size that can be sited on a licensed park is approx 65-ft long and 22-ft wide, with the overall height of the living accommodation being 10-ft. Park Homes are generally the equivalent size to a bungalow, and customers are always pleasantly surprised at the size and storage in the home.
Park homes are very well insulated, and all the manufacturers are constantly looking at materials and systems to ensure maximum eco-friendliness. Park Homes are built to a very high Specification British Standard BS:3632 which ensures the quality and efficiency.
New Park Homes come with up to a 70 year life span. There are currently park homes, which were built in the 1960’s still providing comfortable and secure living standards for many residents.
Pitched roofs usually have a 30-year weatherproof guarantee. With routine maintenance, as described in your manufacturer’s handbook, your Park Home will last many years beyond that.
Park homes are on one level with Window and door-frames in uPVC, which requires an occasional wipe-down. Some exteriors are finished in a roughcast stucco and this may need re-coating about every three years; others have uPVC or similar very low maintenance products on the outside.
Sited prices of new homes start at around £175,000 for a smaller basic model, £250,000 for a mid-range home, and larger high-end homes can be as much as £400,000 plus, depending on the size, location in the country and specification. Full details are available on our website.
Rent for the land on which the home is sited is payable to the site owner, usually monthly and this is referred to as the pitch fee. The pitch fee includes the park’s basic running costs. It varies depending on the size of your home, the park and where it is.
With good insulation and double-glazing, energy costs can be lower than a conventional home. You have to pay Council Tax, although Park Homes are usually in the lowest band A. Residents pay for their own gas, electricity, water and sewerage charges.
Your Agreement states the fee, which is reviewed every year to reflect the current inflation rate and, possibly, any additional charges to cover park improvements or agreed amenities.
Park homes come under the Mobile Homes Act legislation. Residents enter into a ‘written agreement’ with the park owner, which sets out the rights and obligations of residents, and park owners. These guarantee security of tenure for life for residents, subject to certain conditions.
No. Your Park Home needs to be your primary residence.
Only on a Fully Residential Park that is licensed for permanent residential use.
When you buy a Park Home you buy both your home and the right to place it on the park owner’s land. The value of this varies according to location and the local property market.
Skirting, steps, paths, parking area, connection fees to utility companies, and landscaping are often included. It is important to agree details with the park owner in writing before leaving a deposit.
You can sell your home on the open market. A Park owner may be entitled to commission on the sale of homes on their park, as they own the land.
It can be passed to a member of the homeowner’s family. If it is left to a non-resident, they are entitled to sell the home. Alternatively if the family member is of the required age group the agreement can be assigned to them.