It is often wise to choose the holiday park where you would like to site your caravan before choosing the van itself. Some parks will not allow holiday caravans to be imported, preferring to sell only their own stock.
Location: think hard about distances if you are planning to spend time at your holiday caravan regularly, say, every weekend you don't want a park too far away. Around 2 hours' driving distance is about right for most people, especially if you travel on Friday evening. Another impoartant factor is the cost of the fuel to get to and from your second home.
Use our parks directory to help you find and choose the perfect location.
It's a good idea to write away for brochures, or visit holiday caravan exhibitions, where you will be able to talk to representatives from various parks.
When you buy from a park which is in membership of either the National Caravan
Council or the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, you will have the benefit of the Code of Practice for the Selling and Siting of Caravan Holiday-Homes (see Code of Practice link on the left).
As well as location, you must also consider whether you are seeking peace and quiet or lively entertainment when you spend time at your holiday caravan. There are parks catering for all tastes and ages.
Charges tend to vary according to the facilities offered, the tourist location of the park, and the length of season. Some fees fall below £1,000, while some are closer to £2,000.
If you have not used a holiday caravan before, try hiring one for a weekend, or longer, before making up your mind to buy. Better to find out you don't like the lifestyle before spending all that cash!
You also need to know about other charges:
• sub-letting
• cleaning
• electricity, gas, rates
• park rules
• finance and insurance
• Other charges - e.g. 'siting fee' for new owners
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