Buying a park home: things to consider

3 essential pointers you should consider before buying a residential park home:

• If you want the park to be your permanent home you should look for a full residential licence – don’t assume that a 12-month holiday licence is the same, it may not be.
• Check the site licence, written agreement, and park rules carefully before signing. Consulting a solicitor to check them for you is strongly advisable.
• If you are buying a second-hand home, a survey may be beneficial.

“Park home” is the commonly used term for a mobile home that is located on a protected site. Park homes are a unique form of homeownership. Unlike a traditional property, a park home owner owns the structure of the home itself but not the ground it is located on.

Instead of owning the land the home sits on most park home owners rent a pitch from a site owner. The pitch fee is typically paid monthly, but this can vary from site to site.

The owner of the park home site must have planning permission and a site licence issued by the local authority. The site licence will state whether the site is a holiday site or fully residential. In some instances, the licence may allow both permanent and holiday homes.

Mobile homes law gives a number of rights and protections to park home owners who occupy their home as their only or main residence if it is situated on a protected site. A protected site is a privately owned park where the relevant planning permission or site licence allows the land to be occupied wholly, or in part, for year-round residential use.

Unlike a bricks-and-mortar home, you cannot get a mortgage on a park home. This is because the land they stand on is owned by the site owner, not the residents. With a traditional residential home, mortgages are secured against the property owner’s title on the HM Land Registry.

All park homes are sold outright, but the land they stand on is leased, meaning the owner pays rent to the site owner for the plot of land (or ‘pitch’) on which their home is situated.

There are various financing options:

• If you have some equity built up in your current property, then you may be able to buy a park home outright, as they tend to be cheaper than traditional bricks-and mortar houses.
• If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to sell your current home, then a part-exchange scheme can be a good way to avoid delays and sell up faster.
• You could also take out a specialist loan agreement. While not the same as a mortgage, there are specialist lenders who offer loans designed especially for park homes, which can help you access the money you need.

Like any other home purchase, buying a park home is a major commitment. If you are looking to buy a park home we recommend that you use a solicitor to guide you through the purchase.

Although using professionals such as solicitors and surveyors is not compulsory for park home transactions, they can highlight any potential problems at an early stage and provide peace of mind to both sides.

When you are looking for a solicitor, there are a number of factors you should consider to ensure you find someone who is best suited to your individual needs. You should start by finding a few solicitors that meet your basic requirements and then contact them to find out more about how they can help you.

It is also important that you find a solicitor you feel comfortable using, as this will enable you to get the most out of your working relationship.

If you choose to use a solicitor, you should find someone that is independent from the seller or site owner. If you are looking for a solicitor with experience of park homes you can use the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor website.

When you are using the Law Society website, you can filter your search according to:

• where they are (either in this country or working abroad but qualified in English and Welsh law)
• which areas of law they practise in
• whether they are members of any Law Society accreditation schemes
• whether they accept legal aid
• whether their offices have wheelchair access, hearing loops, or sign language facilities
• whether they can speak languages other than English

If you are thinking of buying a park home, you can find properties online or through an estate agent.

If you are planning to use an estate agent, you can use the NAEA Propertymark website to find an experienced and trained professional. The agents listed on their website are NAEA Propertymark Protected, which ensures they follow best practice, meet the requirements of the profession and work to industry standards.

Estate agents listed on the NAEA Propertymark website also have professional indemnity insurance and client money protection coverage. These added protections safeguard your money and ensure that your estate agent acts in your best interests.

If you want to find properties online, you can search through the listings on websites such as Rightmove, Zoopla or OnTheMarket.

When you are looking to buy a park home, it is a good idea to research the local area you could be moving to. If you have a good understanding of the local area, it will enable you to make an informed decision and negotiate a fair price for the home.

To find information on the local amenities within a specific area, you can use free online resources such as Google Maps, Right Move, or Zoopla.

If you are planning to buy a park home you might be interested in looking at both new and pre-owned homes.

There are plenty of differences between new and pre-owned homes. A big selling point to new homes is that they typically require less maintenance than pre-owned homes. As new park homes are built from scratch they will, on the whole, be in better shape than pre-owned homes.

Older park homes, in general, are also not as well-insulated as modern properties. As a result modern park homes can be better equipped to handle the cold and changes in weather. This is a good point to look for if you are planning to live in the park home all year round.

With this said, buying a new park home is considerably more expensive than buying a pre-owned home. If you are buying a park home on a budget, you may want to look at pre-owned properties before you start making offers.

If you plan to buy a pre-owned park home you will need to do more research and ask questions of the seller. For second-hand homes you may also wish to get a survey report from a specialist park home surveyor.

If you are planning to buy a park home you may wish to get a survey report from a specialist park home surveyor. Although it isn’t compulsory, it is a good idea to assess the condition of any park home you are looking to buy. Whether you buy a new or pre-owned home, a survey will help you to understand the maintenance that will be required once you move in.

If you decide to get a survey, the surveyor will undertake thorough examinations of the inside, outside and underneath of the home. After the survey they will provide you with a full report which will let you know of any issues that require repair or maintenance. The results of any survey of the mobile home, base or pitch which the seller carries out must be provided by the seller if this was completed within 12 months of the sale.

For second-hand homes you may wish to get a survey report as it will help you budget for any maintenance or repair work you will need to carry out.

If you want to purchase a fully residential park home, it is important to ensure that the site is a “protected site”, which is a permanent residential site. It is important to check this information as different sites have varying levels of protection under the mobile homes legislation. The protection a site has depends upon whether the site is a residential site, a holiday site or a mixed-use site.

Before you decide to buy a park home you should carefully read the site licence and conditions. Both should be displayed in a prominent place on the site, for example on a noticeboard near the entrance. The site licence and conditions will confirm whether the home is for holiday or residential use, and will usually have conditions for:

• how many homes can be in the park
• services and amenities
• health and safety

If you cannot find the site licence, you can get a copy from the local authority. The local authority must keep a register of site licences and the register must be open to the public at all reasonable times.

If you are looking at buying a park home on a mixed-use site you should look closely at the pitch agreement before purchasing. Some unwitting purchasers have bought homes as a permanent abode only to find out later that they can only live in it for a limited period of the year. For this reason it is important to make sure that the park you’re looking at has the correct licence and terms in the pitch agreement for the way you intend to use the home.