For many people, the family home starts to feel like more house than they need. The children have moved out, the spare rooms collect boxes, and the garden takes up the weekends. A lodge or park home is one of the simplest ways to scale down without giving up the things you enjoy.
One level, less effort
Lodges and park homes are built on a single storey. There are no stairs to manage, rooms are easy to move between, and most homes open straight on to a garden or decking. It is a layout that stays comfortable for years.
A home that is easier to run
A smaller, modern home is quicker to clean and usually cheaper to heat and maintain than a larger, older house. On a well-run park, the shared grounds, roads and planting are looked after for you, paid for through the site fee.
Freeing up money for life
Moving from a larger house to a park home can release some of the value tied up in your property. What you do with it is up to you: travel, help for the family, or simply a cushion for the years ahead. It is worth speaking to an independent financial adviser about your own situation.
Neighbours and a sense of community
Parks tend to be friendly places. You see the same faces on the morning walk, and many parks run social evenings, clubs and events. At our Wayside park, for example, owners can join film nights, quizzes, barbecues and an annual garden competition. Equally, if you prefer to keep yourself to yourself, nobody minds.
Lock up and leave
Going away for a week, or a month, is easier from a park home. Close the door, hand a key to a neighbour if you like, and set off knowing the park is looked after while you are gone.
Things to check before you buy
- The licence. A residential park lets you live in your home as your main address. A holiday licence, even a 12-month one, does not. Make sure the park matches how you plan to live.
- The site fee. Ask what it covers and how it is reviewed each year.
- The park rules. Parks often have rules about pets, vehicles and, on some residential parks, the age of residents.
- The paperwork. On residential parks, you should receive the written statement required under mobile homes law before you complete. Read it carefully and ask questions.
If you are weighing up a move, come and walk round one of our parks. Seeing the homes, the plots and the neighbourhood in person tells you more than any brochure can.
