Living in a Static Caravan

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Living in a Static Caravan
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Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 12 10:01 am Post subject:

Fair enough, if you prefer bricks, but I don't think that's a standard of living issue. Most of the issues I have & would like to improve upon are constrained by the same (mainly financial) constraints I would have in a conventional home. You can insulate the roof, install central heating, and space is limited to 1200 square foot under planning, but 420 is enough room for us (we have three bedrooms but don't really use the other two, apart from guests & storage).

gemini

Joined: 02 Nov 2012
Posts: 69

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 12 10:22 am Post subject:

Hi

Due to circumstances, I lived in a static caravan, in a field on my own, after my house was burnt down, I also met someone else who had to find a home, after there house was destroyed in the Hemel Hampstead petroleum, and the insurers wouldnt pay out, it is a nice idea but in some ways impractical, heating in the winter, mine had storage heaters, so never got warm it would just blow out, and then in the summer be so hot, also we got a load of mold, the cess pit used to overflow. It is a cheap way of living, because rates are low, but sometimes people look down on you for living in a static, the people I mentioned, had children, and their children were bullied and called gypo's. So as in most things in life, you have to weigh up the pros and cons, as we really didnt have a choice becuse of our circumstances, but if did have a choice, I would choose a residential site, there was a lovely one at Whipsnade, a really nice community, the statics were really nice. Gemini

lettucewoman

Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 7834
Location: Tiptoe in the Forest!!

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 12 11:18 am Post subject:

I live in a park home, which is basically a static caravan with wooden walls. I live here because without a mortgage and with a minimal ground rent, my standard of living is way above what I would have been able to achieve after my divorce and subsequent re marriage.Plus I live in a beautiful unique area which I definitly couldn't have affordedhad I wanted a house! I slightly resent the implication that those of us who choose not to live in bricks and mortar are somehow not achieving a good standard of living.
Re condensation...its always good to have a good extractor fan or hood in the kitchen, or at the very least open windows as much as possible...we do have a damp problem in the back bedroom but that is mostly because we are very shaded by vegetation at the back.We invested in a good dehumidifier which takes care of it (when we remember to run it!). Running the multifuel burner in the winter helps a lot!!
Storage is a problem but we now rent a garage from the council (a good tip from bloke off the telly!) for 40 odd quid a month, which has taken all the stuff from 2 divorces and my parents home clearance...

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 12 11:31 am Post subject:
The thing I note is that problems people have while living in a mobile home become reasons against living that way, even if they are not exclusively a problem of caravans in a way that they don't with b&m.

cassy

Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 1047
Location: South West Scotland

Posted: Thu Nov 08, 12 11:56 am Post subject:

I don't think anyone would pretend that living in a caravan is not without it's problems. It's not for everybody and it's going to depend on what you're trying to get out of it.

Some things you get used to - small spaces, moving walls in high wind, lack of noise insulation, tiny bathroom.

Some things you can do something about (money permitting) - impractical fitted furniture (rip it out and use your own furniture), lack of kitchen workspace (set up dining area to be useful space and be organised), lack of insulation (add more), lack of decent cooking facilities (install better cooker) and lack of good heating (wood burning stove) and drying facilities (add veranda).

Some of the problems become positives - you cull your stuff and only store what you need or store it outwith the caravan, small is easy to clean, small and insulated is easy to heat, small spaces make you better organised. If you're building a house, the other advantage is that anything you build is going to feel massive and you can probably downsize your plans as you've learned to live with less!

The things that still bug me which are specific to living in a caravan (summer overheating, winter pipe freezing), I've learned to deal with and they are more than compensated for by being able to live where we do and get on with smallholding, without a mortgage.

Each to their own.

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