A home by the sea is one of the best things you can buy yourself, but it is not like buying a house, and it pays to know how it works before you start looking. Here is the plain English version.
What you are actually buying
When you buy a home on a park, you own the home itself. The ground it stands on, the pitch, belongs to the park, and you pay a yearly site fee to keep your home there. At Denemouth Park the pitch comes with the home: every home for sale is already sited, and you buy the two together. You cannot buy a pitch on its own and bring your own home in.
The full cost, not just the price
The price on the home is the biggest number, but it is not the only one. Ask about the yearly site fee, and about the running costs on top: gas, electricity, water and insurance are often separate on parks. A good park will lay all of this out without being asked. Our guide to site fees goes into more detail.
When you can use it
Parks differ a lot here. Some close for part of the winter, so your home is off limits for a month or two. Denemouth Park is open twelve months of the year, so you can live here all year round, with no closed season to plan around.
Owners only, or holiday lets?
On some parks a lot of the homes are let out to holidaymakers, which means new faces next door every week. On an owners only park like Denemouth, everyone is an owner, so the park stays quiet and settled, and the people next door will still be your neighbours next year.
Brand new or pre-loved
A pre-loved home is often the smart way in. It is already sited, it frequently comes with decking, a garden or other extras, and the price is gentler. Look past the furniture and the paint colours and at the things that are harder to change: the layout, the view, and where it sits on the park.
Questions worth asking on a viewing
- What is the site fee for this home, and what does it cover?
- What other running costs should I expect each year?
- Is the park open all year, or does it close?
- Is it owners only, or are there holiday lets?
- What is included in the sale: decking, furniture, a garden?
- Who runs the park day to day, and who do I call when I need something?
Buying at Denemouth
We try to make this the easy part. Every home is priced openly on the website, you deal with the family who own the park, and there is no sales team working to a target. Have a look at the homes for sale, see what is available in County Durham, then give Joe a call on 07874 107947 and come and see the park.
See the homes for sale, every one priced up front.
Do I buy the pitch as well as the home?
At Denemouth Park the pitch comes with the home, so you buy the two together. Pitches are not sold on their own.
What is a site fee?
The yearly amount you pay the park to keep your home on its pitch. It usually covers the upkeep of the park and its shared areas. Always ask exactly what it covers.
Can I get a mortgage on a home?
Usually not a normal residential mortgage, because a home on a park is not bricks and mortar property. Most people buy with savings, the sale of another home, or a specialist loan.
Can I live in my home all year round?
It depends on the park. Denemouth Park is open twelve months of the year, so yes, you can live here all year round.
Are the homes at Denemouth brand new or pre-loved?
Both. There are brand new homes and pre-loved homes for sale, and each one says which it is, along with its price and whether it is available, reserved or coming soon.