Selling Your Static Holiday Caravan
This NACO Advice article offers advice about private sales at caravan parks across the UK. We hope that it helps you with your situation. However, if you read through the information and would rather discuss your issues with member of our Advice Team, just give us a call.As a matter of course, we must inform you that our advice is given to you based on our industry experience and knowledge of previous cases. We are not solicitors, although in some cases we will gather legal advice from them. Consulting NACO does not preclude you from taking independent legal advice at any time.
Some initial questions to ask are:
· What are your contractual obligations with regard to a private sale at the park?
· Have you got a written agreement?
This may mean that you have to ask the park what the process is when conducting a private sale if this process is not detailed within your contract, or you do not have a formal written contract.
The Price. The resale price of your caravan can be tricky to assess. We often say that a holiday caravan is a ‘package’. When you buy a holiday caravan, you are paying a price that includes several factors such as the pitch, the age and condition of the caravan. You may also pay more for location of the park, a good view, or for a large landscaped garden, the list goes on. These additional aspects of the ‘package’ also affect the resale price. If you are selling back to the park, or to a trader, these extras will not form part of the sale value, as all that is being sold is purely the caravan.
When deciding on the price that you want, do some research. The best place to start is the park. What price do they think you would be able to get? What have they got for sale that is similar to your caravan? Other parks within the local area may also have caravans that are comparable to yours; this will give you a good idea of the value of your caravan. There is a Glass’s Guide for caravans, but sadly this is not available to the general public, your park operator may be able to give indicative
figures to you. NACO members get additional guidance regarding resale considerations from our Advice Team and we can help with trade price information as well.
For-Sale Signs. Many parks do not allow signs in caravan windows of any type. This may be for a coffee morning, an owners meeting or even a NACO poster! We are often told of parks telling caravan owners that they must remove the for-sale sign from the window with immediate effect. This is not the case at all parks, and before you start your artwork – ask the park and review your contract. NACO members will benefit from our assistance in the production of postcard adverts if required.
Selling. “If I can’t put up a for-sale sign up, and the park won’t offer my caravan for resale, how am I supposed to sell?” There are many ways that people approach the sale of the caravan. Here are some examples:
The Internet. People are using the Internet to buy products and source information more and more. This is a great way of advertising your holiday caravan. We recently heard of a new member who had bought their caravan at the online auction site – ebay. Remember, that your local library probably has internet access.
Just search for “static caravan sales” or “sell my static caravan” online and you’ll be provided results from all over the UK.
Local Press / Local Shops. Local papers and shop fronts that allow post card type adverts are a good way of advertising your caravan for sale. If you have a home computer, print out lots of for-sale postcards and visit all local shops / supermarkets to pin-up your for-sale sign. Try and be as descriptive as possible and really try and sell the benefits of owning a static holiday caravan. If you can, include a photo of the caravan and pitch.
The ‘yellow’ papers are often packed with this type of advert, and in some cases the advert is free when you buy the paper.
Through the Park. Some parks do offer the ability to sell through the park. In some cases this results in them offering an agency agreement, which outlines information such as the price and each party’s commitment within the sale. Ask your park about whether they are able to help with this.
Estate Agents. Although an Estate Agent will want a fee they are well placed to help with the sale of your caravan. Not all agents will offer this service, but we have heard of some that have been handling holiday caravan sales.
The Contract. Before you commit to the decision to sell your caravan privately you must refer to the terms of your contract as it will confirm your obligations to the park in relation to selling the caravan to remain on the park. If this information is not clear or you do not have a written agreement then you should arrange to speak to your park about their selling procedure. Most parks will ask for written notification of your intention to sell. Other factors that can be established from our contract are; the commission payable to the park upon sale of the unit (this should not be higher than 15% +VAT of the sale price, disconnection and any other applicable charges & any refund due of pitch fee’s already paid. It is also important to ask your park about how the new owner will be treated contractually, and how their pitch fees will be calculated. You do not want the sale to fall through because the new owner did not have enough information about their commitments.
It is important to keep your park operator well informed and remember that we are here to help. If you have any questions, drop us line or an email. NACO members have unlimited access to our Advice Team who have an extensive knowledge of the industry. Join here!
