Park homes are increasingly popular for their comfortable, modern accommodation and community ethos. They are particularly sought after amongst retirees and those seeking to get a foot on the property ladder. However, park homes can bring high levels of maintenance. Here we explain what you can expect.
What is required?
Park homes are very energy efficient and low maintenance, and are much easier to look after than bricks and mortar dwellings.
Being one-storey makes them simple to maintain. If repairs are required, the items needed are standard ones easily found on the high street or in DIY stores.
Park homes are designed for longevity, and provided you stay on top of all the small maintenance tasks that crop up, you can typically anticipate your park home to last for up to 50 years.
General maintenance
The chassis – the park home’s underbody, usually made of a galvanized steel framework – needs particular attention. Protection from corrosion can be carried out by applying corrosion inhibiting paint (this needs to be repeated every five years). This measure is especially important at the sea-side, where the air can be salty.
General maintenance for newer park homes
With a brand new home, structural issues shouldn’t need any attention for the first ten years. But do get your gas appliances and electrics inspected every year. Parks often have details of plumbers and electricians who can do these checks.
Often park home owners gang together and have their checks all done by the same company.
General maintenance for older park homes
Park homes older than 20 years will probably need re-cladding or a new roof. Because of this, you should get a survey done if you are purchasing a house older than ten years.
Bedfordshire park homes for sale can be found at http://www.parkhomelife.com.
There are some more pointers here: https://www.parkhomemagazine.co.uk/home-improvements/maintaining-your-park-home/.
Some repairs will be taken care of by the park home site – your pitch fee will cover this work. These include the pad (or base) your house is located on, street lighting, and pipes, tanks or wires supplying gas, electricity or water to your home.
Usually there will be a site manager on hand to advise you. Find out what you are both responsible for and get everything in writing during the buying process.
