When you are looking for a new holiday park it can be a daunting prospect. Many wonder where to start and if you have never owned a static caravan then there will be many questions that you will need answering.

The following offers some hints and tips on what you should think about when looking at holiday parks, but very simply it all starts with looking at your lifestyle and what you want out of a holiday.

Is a static caravan the right thing for me?

It's a blunt question, but you should really take stock of what you and your family want in terms of a holiday.

Timeshares were a common thing a few years ago as many of us wanted a place that we could call our own. But these have gone out of favour in recent years as many were stung with issues and gaining access to the property when you wanted it.

Static caravans were the only real alternative to timeshare without the cost of owning a physical property with the high fees of purchase which placed it outside of most budgets. However having a fixed holiday destination is an investment in one location somewhere else from your home.

You need to be sure that you will want to use it on a regular basis. Ensure that you enjoy the idea of going back to the same place time after time. If you can justify both of these statements then you are suitable for a static caravan…….you just need to find the right park!

Finding the right holiday park

You need to have a checklist. Something that will give you something to compare holiday parks as many of them offer different amenities and have unique cultures.
Here are a few things to put on that checklist

1. Is it close to the tourist activities I want to go to?
There is no point driving miles to visit the places you want to visit.

2. Does it have a bar on-site
You may want to spend the odd evening within walking distance of a pub so if this is important to you make sure the parks you look at has one.

3. Does it offer eating facilities such as a restaurant?
Static caravans offer a self-catering option, but you don't always want to cook whilst on holiday! An on-site restaurant or pub serving food is a great addition to a holiday park. If it doesn't have one, but you want that facility is there one within short walking distance?

4. Does it have a safe children's play area?
If you have a family then this will probably be a requirement rather than a nice-to-have, so take a look at them online and find out if its suitable for your requirements.  If you don't have a family and is one of those people who don't really want kids around, then you need to look at if they are there they will interfere with your holiday! You're not being a grump by thinking like that, it's your holiday so it has to be what you want out of it!

5. What's the entertainment like?
If you want evening entertainment, then check out the parks website to see the bill. Does what you see wet your appetite? If so, then visit the park and ask if you can watch the entertainment as a guest to get a feel for it. If you don't want it, at least you can exclude that park from your list

6. What are the site fees?
Compare park site fees as they will be different and also include various different things.  Do they offer discounts if you pay upfront rather than monthly? Are there any extra charges for electricity and gas?  Does it include new holiday home insurance?

These are just 6 quick points to consider. I am planning on writing articles to cover these in greater detail. However if you have any questions about holiday parks please do not hesitate to comment or email me by the links below.