Mobile home essential facts... park home manufacture

• Thursday, 28 January 2010
• Kathleen Retourne
• 0 Comments

Park homes have come on leaps and bounds over the past 50 years. Today, there is more choice than ever when it comes to mobile home manufacture and all new homes boast the luxury fixtures and fittings you would expect

THE BASICS
Park homes are built in factories and all start life as a single storey, timber-framed construction. These are sat on a steel chassis, with a typical life span of around 25 years. The type of surround (the part that goes around the bottom of the home) can vary coming in either a wood/vinyl or brick. Homes are then sited as single or twins (dependent make and model).

SINGLE UNITS
Single units are traditionally purchased by those living on their own or on a tight budget. A single unit is (as the name
suggests) just a single box which has a maximum width of 14ft.

TWIN UNITS
A twin unit park home is made up of two separate boxes providing extra living space (but, remember, you will pay more for this extra space). In recent times, the maximum size allowances have changed and agreed at 65.62ft by 22.31ft; although the majority of parks are still only able to accommodate homes of up to 20ft wide. Traditionally, double units have been placed side by side, but recently there has been a new innovation from home manufacturer, Tingdene, who have produced a special home - the Mackworth VT, which is made up of two single units placed on top of each other.

HOME STANDARDS

Residential parks homes are, by law, required to be built to BS3632 standard, this covers the manufacture of park homes for use as permanent places of residence. Its requirements are intended to produce stable, structurally sound and weather-resistant homes that meet statutory requirements and incorporate adequate ventilation, means of escape, drainage, sanitation and thermal and sound insulation. The safe installation of electrical services and gas or oil-fired installations is also covered. These homes are protected by the Mobile Homes Act, giving you more rights.

STATIC CARAVAN RIGHTS
Static caravans are different to park homes as they are built for holiday use only and these usually have a 15-year licence. These homes are not covered by the Mobile Homes Act and you will therefore not be covered with the same rights.

LEISURE LODGE
A leisure lodge was originally designed for holiday use but built to higher standards than a static caravan, typically built to BS3632. These lodges can be used either for leisure or residential use and also benefit from being protected by the MHA (if used for residential use). Remember that if the home is sited on a holiday site, you are not protected by the Act.

MOBILITY
For a park home to be covered by the Mobile Home Act it must remain mobile at all times. This means any alterations carried out on the home (e.g. an extension), even when sited, must still allow the home to be re-transported.

MAINTENANCE
Remember, you own the park home but not the land it resides on. This means you still need to pay ground rent to the landlord. You also need to ensure your home and your garden are kept in a reasonable condition or you could face possible eviction.

PARK MAINTENANCE
While you are responsible for the maintenance of the property and garden, your park manager is responsible for the brick base around your home and the communal areas of the park.

TURNKEY PRICES
Remember, the pre-sited price - ex-works - is not the same as the turnkey price. You will still need to factor in the transport and siting costs of the park home which can add a significant amount to the final cost.

For essential information on mobile home and static caravan legal advice click here 

For essential information on mobile home parks click here