How long does a static caravan last?
At Haven, we want you to get the best possible return out of your caravan. While this return will not necessarily be financial, it will certainly come in the form of year upon year of good times and memories made with your loved ones. This leads many of our caravan owners to ask the question that we will discuss in this article - “how long does a static caravan last?”
The answer does of course depend upon the owner. Where some owners choose to keep their static caravan their whole lives, others might choose to upgrade after a while. This might be because the homeowner has their heart set on the latest snazzy feature or likes to follow the latest interior trend. There are two other main reasons why an owner might choose to part ways with their holiday home. The first is that the caravan is past its best, while the second is that there may be a limit on how long a holiday allows you to keep a static caravan on pitch. We will start by addressing the latter.
How long can I keep a static caravan on park?
Most parks will determine how long you are able to keep your holiday home on park in their licence agreement. This figure can range from around 10 to 20 years, with lodges tending towards longer pitch licences than caravans. Make sure to ask your sales advisor to clarify the exact length with you before signing your contract. Generally, the length of time you can keep your home on park is determined by how long it is believed it can remain safe and in good condition.
Park owners want their site to be as attractive as possible for residents and new customers, so keeping a row of smart, well-kept homes is in their interest. At the end of that period, your options going forward will be to renew the licence, buy a new caravan on the same site, go to the part-exchange, or move your property to another site.
How it works with Haven
At Haven, we do things a little differently. While the initial licence period for the occupation of a pitch on the park is 12 years, we let you keep your static caravan on our sites for as long as you want (no more than 10 months per year as most Haven parks are only open between March and December). This is because we want you to get maximum value from your holiday home and we don’t believe in parting our loyal owners from the caravan they love prematurely!
In effect, you could keep your caravan indefinitely. Indeed, our oldest caravan is a 1980 model! The 42-year-old caravan is situated at Orchards Holiday Village, Essex. This just shows what you can achieve with due care and maintenance.
Average lifespan
The caravan at Orchards is, of course, an outlier. Not all vans live for this long, but with regular TLC you can reasonably expect several decades of life from your holiday home. Bearing in mind you can almost replace or renew almost every part of a static caravan, it’s easy to extend your static caravan’s lifespan.
We ensure the highest quality of caravan from all our excellent manufacturers and, Willerby, one of our lead suppliers, estimate that you can continue to use your home-away-from-home for thirty years or more. It’s important to remember however, that unlike a brick-and-mortar home, the average depreciation rate of a static caravan is similar to that of a car. This means that your holiday home could lose up to 15% of its value per year. So, buying a holiday home is a lifestyle investment rather than a financial one.
How to increase the longevity of a static caravan?
If you choose to make the lifestyle investment of purchasing a caravan, we want you to get the most of it. So, it’s worth knowing how to look after your caravan to increase its lifespan.
The static caravan’s worst enemy is water getting into places where it shouldn’t be and causing damage. Try to drain down and winterise your caravan before spending extended periods away. Other areas to focus on when preserving your caravan’s lifespan include:
Replacing flooring or adding extra support under the unit if it seems to be getting bouncy or worn
Inspect, reseal or replace skylights if you notice the area around one looking like it is wet or swelling
Fit a skirt around the chassis to stave off the effects of salty wind and rain
Keep the gutters clean to stop water pooling and rotting out the roof
Static caravans will last a surprisingly long time if looked after correctly and doing so will give you tremendous value for money on your initial investment and those all important memories that last a lifetime.
If you have questions about buying a holiday home, please don't hesitate to contact us. Call us, chat to us online or book a park visit, we'd love to hear from you.
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Important information
Let2offset - make no site fee payments until 2031
Let2offset is a contractual lettings product that offers eligible owners a guaranteed letting income at a preferential rate (calculated each year) in exchange for a stipulated number of letting breaks. It also allows eligible owners to pay their site fees and receive their letting income in 12 equal monthly instalments; the monthly site fee amount charged by Haven will be after deduction of the letting income.
‘Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031’ is available at 33 Haven parks excluding Burnham, Cardigan View, Far Grange, Garreg Wen, Lydstep Beach, Riviere Sands and Seaview. The letting income received will vary by make, model and location. The monthly site fee payment does not include running costs e.g. utilities, rates & insurance.
“Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031” is applicable to new and existing customer purchases of new Atlas Sahara 3 Bed or equivalent or superior grade holiday home purchases made through Haven where customers have also signed up to Haven’s Let2offset contract. It is not applicable to private sales and cannot be used in conjunction with our free Site Fee promotion. It is available across 40% of eligible Parks and applies when letting a new Atlas Sahara 3 Bed holiday home (or equivalent or superior grade for 15 weeks.
An example of how “Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031” operates under Let2offset is the purchase of an Atlas Sahara 3 Bed holiday home at Primrose Valley with a monthly site fee of £585.00 (includes purchasing discount of £45) and monthly letting income of £803.67. The monthly difference equates to £218.67, which will be credited to the owner's account. Both letting income and site fees are subject to yearly pricing reviews and the monthly site fee costs and letting income shown in the example are based on 2024 figures.
Modelled assumptions on expected annual site fee and letting income charges over the 7-year lettable life of the Atlas Sahara 3 Bed indicate that under Let2offset it is anticipated that these customers will continue to receive a monthly credit during this period, however, this is not guaranteed. The modelled assumptions are based on the historical performance of Haven over the past 5 years of trading.
Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times.
Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.