Buying a Second Hand Static Caravan

There are numerous reasons to purchase a second hand caravan with the two major options being on a holiday park or for an off site purchase for use on private land and both scenarios require some thought on the purchasing process.

The majority of trade in second hand static caravans or lodges is on a holiday park with static caravans for sale where an owner of a holiday caravan wants to sell their caravan and the sale usually takes place through the holiday park themselves and they will typically take a commission. This is usually the case on parks that are owned by the large park operators, some smaller parks will let you sell your own caravan privately and may not take a commission, both buyers and sellers in these situations need to look at the relevant parks lease agreements.

First consider what you want from your caravan in terms of size and how many people it will accommodate. Static caravans come in a wide range of sizes and if you are a couple looking for a second home that only you and your family will use, you may want to choose the option of a smaller and cheaper model, probably with two bedrooms. The majority of parks now will let you sub-let your caravan to help cover costs and if you are going to sub-let, you might want to choose a three bedroom caravan that comfortably sleeps six people as there is more demand for these caravans in the letting side of the business.

Larger caravans will be more expensive and newer caravans will be more expensive as a rule. You should aslo check the lease agreement as the majority of holiday parks with caravans for sale in the UK have fixed terms, usually around 15 years from new for a static carvan and 25 or 30 years for a holiday lodge. This will be from when the caravan was first sited as new so the number of years left on the lease will be reflected in the value.


In terms of wear and tear, the obvious places are carpets and the seating, carpets are usually very easy to replace in static caravans and upholsterers can deal with seating issues although they will be more expensive and a pain. Make sure that you check all electrical equipment in a caravan such as ovens and hobs, built in fridge freezers and the heating system. Ideally, all of the electrical equipment should be checked before you agree a purchase of a caravan.

Static caravans for sale off site are usually for people that have a plot of land and the relevant permissions to site a caravan for their own use or for commercial use. Within the garden of your property, you do have the right to site a static caravan although there are limitations on use, check with your local council. Used static caravans are often used for commercial purposes such as temporary staff accommodation, offices or storage and it is always wise to check with your local council regarding the necessary permissions required for siting an off site caravan.