What is the Difference Between a Residential Park Home and Static Caravan?

residential park home in Glasgow Scotland

Red Deer Village is an exclusive retirement village in Glasgow. We pride ourself on offering luxury residential park homes to the over 50’s. We supply park homes from a range of manufacturers, including Stately-Albion and Omar. The aim is to have no two homes looking the same. We place a great emphasis on quality, which is key to enjoying the retirement many of our residents have been looking for. However, park home living is somewhat a newer concept in Scotland. The number of residential parks in England definitely outweigh the number in Scotland, so many people come to view without knowing what they’re looking into. The question we get the most is – “Is it just a static caravan?” Well we certainly wouldn’t say so!

Here we take a look at some of they key differences between residential park homes and static caravans.

Build Specification of a Park Home vs Static Caravan

The main difference between a residential park home and a static caravan is the way they are built. A park home is built to British Standard BS3632. This means it is designed to be lived in year-round, often making it someone’s main personal residence. They are well insulated with great thermal value, which means they can be cheaper to heat than a traditional house. BS3632 means that park homes must meet all expected standards of a bricks-and-mortar property. So, when we say it’s just like an alternative bungalow, we really mean it! Residential park home owners also benefit from protection from the Mobile Homes Act 2013. This gives owners security of tenure over the land their park home sits on. This benefit is not offered to static or holiday caravan owners.

A static caravan is built to a specification called EN1647. This means the build quality is slightly different. They require more care and maintenance than a park home. Static caravans are not designed for permanent living and are better suited to holiday use in warmer periods of the year. In fact, to live in one permanently is actually breaking the law. Most holiday parks are seasonal, and close over the winter months.

residential park home

Price

As expected, a residential park home costs more than a static caravan. This is because a park home is a main residence, just like buying a house. Many find park homes a great option for downsizing and releasing equity tied up in a large family home. This allows you to enjoy your retirement exactly as you always planned it. Alternatively, where a static caravan is for holiday use only, they are less expensive than a park home, but must be treated as a second property. Park homes at Red Deer currently start from around £170k, but vary depending on size, model and area of the park.

Council Tax

Every UK resident must have a registered address for council tax purposes. A holiday home will not be tax registered, as the owner must have a registered address elsewhere. However, a park home will be tax registered, allowing the owner to take up permanent residence. At Red Deer Village, council tax is Band A, which is the cheapest band at approximately £1,200 per annum currently.

Site Licensing

Many holiday parks will close for a period of the year to ensure owners are not occupying their static caravans year round. Residential parks however, are open all year. Both types of parks must display their site licensing in main reception or office buildings, both of which will be slightly different based on the legal requirements of the two.

 

To find out more about residential park homes at Red Deer Village, please contact us to arrange a viewing. One of our friendly team will be happy to show you around and answer any questions you may have!