Holiday homes for all budgets: our guide to mid-level holiday homes

What makes a mid-level holiday home?

There are two chief pointers, here.

One that is equipped with central heating as standard (that is, without having to add on central heating as an optional extra).

One that does not necessarily have a dishwasher and a washing machine (those, too, may be available as optional extras). Those two factors broadly define mid-level holiday homes.

Size, as well as equipment, has a bearing on price. So if you are looking at a 12ft-wide holiday home that is less than 40ft long, you are probably looking at a mid-level holiday home.

How do you work out your budget?

That may initially seem quite confusing – because the prices that you see on the websites of holiday home manufacturers are not the prices that the buyer pays.

Added to those listed prices is the cost of transport to a park, the cost of siting on a park, plus the installation of services (water, waste water, electricity and connection to gas cylinders). In addition, the park’s profit margin is added on.

So the best way to work out your budget is to start your search for holiday home prices on parks’ websites, where you will find the actual cost of individual park homes.

Where the parks’ websites don’t contain all of the details of each holiday home for sale, go to the manufacturer’s websites to glean more information.

Examples of mid-level holiday homes

We have picked out some examples of mid-level holiday homes to guide you. In the Pemberton Park & Leisure Homes portfolio, a good example is the Rivington, available in sizes 42ft by 14ft, 42ft by 13ft and 40ft by 12ft, with two or three bedrooms.

Another example from Pemberton is the Serena, a 42ft by 13ft holiday home with two bedrooms.

Britain’s biggest manufacturer of holiday homes, Willerby, also has plenty to choose from in the mid-level bracket. Among them is the Astoria, 40ft by 13ft, with two bedrooms ,or 42ft by13ft with three bedrooms.

We’d recommend you also take a look at the Sheraton, available in two sizes, 30ft by 13ft or 42ft by 14ft, both with two bedrooms. The Waverley is one to consider, too. This model is available with two or three bedrooms; both are 42ft by 14ft.

Good examples of mid-level holiday homes from Victory Leisure Homes are the Lakewood and Riverwood. The Lakewood is available as a 42ft by 13ft with two bedrooms and a 43ft by14ft with three bedrooms.

The Riverwood models are 40ft by 13ft with two bedrooms and 41ft by 13ft with three bedrooms.

How to find holiday homes for sale

First, identify a park, or parks, on which you might be interested in buying a holiday home. Best advice is to choose a park within a two-hour drive of your home, so that you will be able to visit it regularly. And pick a park that suits your needs in terms of its facilities.

Now you’re ready to begin your search for your ideal holiday home. Most parks have a good selection of holiday homes for sale, and some parks can source any make of holiday home.

How expensive are holiday homes?

You can buy a pre-owned holiday home for less than £20,000 if you are lucky. They get snapped up quickly, though, so if you find one that you like at this price level, be prepared to make a quick decision.

New holiday homes start at around £45,000 to £50,000. Prices are hugely influenced by the area and by park facilities. Areas that are highly sought-after for holiday home ownership attract higher prices. And parks that have a high level of facilities, sduch as swimming pools and restaurants, tend to charge more for holiday homes.

Are holiday homes a good investment?

Most holiday homes are bought not as an investment but purely as holiday homes. However, many parks allow buyers to rent out their holiday homes. Indeed, many parks encourage that, with letting management schemes in place that take care of everything from marketing to change-over cleaning.

A few parks don’t allow renting, so this is something to watch for when you choose your park, if you think you may wish to rent out in the future.

You can rent a holiday home out for selected periods, to partially cover the upkeep costs of the holiday home. Or you can buy purely as an investment, and make it available for rent at any time of the year. Rental during school holidays is especially profitable because demand is high and so higher rental fees can be charged.

Interested in more homes for sale?

Be sure to check out our other guides on buying holiday homes to make sure you find your next perfect home.