Five steps to holiday home ownership

Buying a holiday home, otherwise known as a static caravan, can be overwhelming. There are a number of factors to consider, such as what holiday home or lodge is right for you, and how do you decide on the perfect location?

That’s why we’re on hand to help and answer these questions in this handy guide.

Step 1) Is holiday home ownership right for me?

If you’re seeking regular breaks throughout the year along with the freedom to come and go as you please, then holiday ownership could be right for you. Ownership gives you the opportunity to spend quality time with your friends and family, as well as the opportunity to pursue and enhance your favourite hobbies – whether that be walking or cycling, an interest in wildlife and nature or just simply to enjoy the peace that a regular escape can offer.

Step 2) Finding your dream park

This is perhaps the most important step, so we encourage you to really take your time with this step and be very thorough with your research. Getting this step right will ensure you years of happiness.

The UK is filled with so many beautiful destinations and you may already have your favourite place in mind. If not, we’ve created a destinations page showing highlights of top UK destinations.

Step 3) Visiting the parks

Once you’ve established everything you need from a holiday home, create a shortlist of your favourite parks, so you can visit each one to help you choose your ultimate park.

It’s important that you contact the park ahead to pre-book your visit. This will ensure someone is on hand to walk you around the park, show you the vacant plots or the available holiday home stock, as well as answer any of your questions.

Just like buying a domestic home, spend time walking the area to get a feel for the park and the surrounding location. Speak to other owners to get an idea of the community and ask any questions you might have.

If you’re set on your chosen park, you now need to decide your plot to site your holiday home. This is also a crucial decision – the location, size and aspect of the plot will impact which holiday home is right for you. For example, if you have a plot that overlooks the sea or a river, you might want to consider choosing a holiday home where you can add a decking area, so you can really make the most of the scenery.

Most parks offer the opportunity to reserve your preferred pitch with a holding deposit. This option gives you extra time to look into your favourite holiday home.

Step 4) Choosing your holiday home

At Swift, we dedicate a lot of time to fully understanding your holidays and what makes them special. Our homes are made with the finest materials from leading suppliers, and with space at a premium, storage design is an important aspect. Both finish and practicality is of upmost importance, and this combination ensures Swift remains a popular choice.

We have a range of luxury lodges, holiday homes and S-Pods to choose between, from two or three bedrooms, sleeping 4 – 7 people, or up to 9 if including the occasional sofa bed which can be standard or optional, depending on the model. While sizes of our ranges begin at 21ft x 12ft, all the way up to 42ft x 14ft.

You’ll need to consider the level of specification you want – at the top end, features such as a dishwasher and a wine cooler can come as standard, while some of our holiday homes might offer these as optional extras. So take your time to figure out what facilities you need to make your holidays special.

Once you’ve made these important decisions, visit your chosen park’s local dealer to spend time looking between models to pick the holiday home that’s right for you.

Step 5) What happens now?

Now you’ve chosen your holiday home, your hard work is done, and now you just need to wait for the keys! Your park and dealer will work together to ensure a smooth handover, taking care of the transport, siting, connecting and commissioning.

When you pick up your keys, your park will typically provide a full handover, taking you through your holiday home to ensure you are confident with how everything works and answer any questions you may still have.