The Holidays are upon us. It’s a time to be thankful and celebrate, and as the new year creeps ever closer, it’s also a time to reflect on the year that has passed and maybe ponder on the next chapter, Park Home Living.
Whether you’re spending the New Year’s festivities with children or friends, watching fireworks or enjoying a tipple, it’s time to reflect and contemplate your current situation.
Perhaps someone asked you what you want to do when you retire as you tucked into Christmas Dinner or your children asked if you were still happy living where you live, but all of these questions can make you start to think about what’s best going forward.
Moving into a park home could be the solution for you, and this could be the year to broaden your horizons and do it finally.
What is it like? Park Home Living Explained
For a lot of retirees, knowing how to best enjoy your retirement can be a source of stress and worry. The world is a big place and there’s plenty to explore but you can’t completely pull up your roots because your children and grandchildren need you, and you need the stability of a place to call your own.
The problem is that the home you currently own simply isn’t suitable anymore. Living in a park home has all the ‘house qualities’ of a townhome or bricks-and-mortar residence but with a significantly different setting.
Find out some of the many advantages of starting a new life in a park home from people that have already made the move to a Berkeleyparks retirement park for themselves.
Retirement parks are communities nestled away on close-knit estates in fantastic locations. The physical layout and live-in demographics of Park Home Living encourage like-minded people with shared values, goals and attitudes to interact and pass the time together. Many of our parks encourage socialising through new hobbies and unique opportunities that you wouldn’t find elsewhere!
These are hobbies that you can also share with those nearest and dearest to your heart. Many families grow apart physically as children grow up and now you’re retiring and considering moving to a park home, you can decide to be close to their new life. There are park homes all over the United Kingdom and just because you’re close, doesn’t mean that you feel like you’ll be encroaching on them.
Life on retirement parks can be as independent or dependent as required. With public transport and parking available on most, you can go about your day as you please but there’s nothing stopping authorised carers, medical professionals and family members from visiting.
Many residents also find that park home living is far more cost-efficient than a brick and mortar house. Yes, you’ll be required to pay the upfront cost of the home but this can usually help free up some capital. Going forward after the sale, you’ll need to pay pitch fees and utility bills but these are never usually equivalent to what is paid in most standard homes.
New park homes require a lot less maintenance. Most are built from resistant and durable materials that don’t rot or corrode and won’t require building work and payouts to keep in good condition.
How to buy a park home
With the guidance of a trusted company, the park owner or park manager, transitioning to your new home and your new life can be completely seamless. A solicitor isn’t necessary for the process but we would advise you to instruct one, especially when purchasing a second-hand home.
Before you buy a park home, you have to choose where you want your park home to be. Are you a rambler that longs for the Welsh countryside or do you have more of a historical taste and would love to be close to archaic spires and steeples? With the right park home, you can choose a location that matches your tastes.
You should make sure to visit the park home as well so you can personally experience the feel of the place. Talk to the residents and the staff. Ask questions about utilities and pitch fees. Try to imagine starting your new life there.
Check that the park’s Site Licence issued by the Licensing Department of the Local Council is on display in the Park Office or on the park’s notice board along with the contact details of the park owner. You should always check that an individual park’s Site Licence is for residential purposes for twelve months of the year.
When you’ve got all the answers you need and you’re prepared to take the plunge, there are two ways to purchase a park home. You may have found a park home that’s already sited and prepared. This is an easy and quick way to go ahead and make the purchase and it’ll be a pretty speedy process.
You might prefer to have a home ordered and built to your own specifications. For this, you’ll be required to sit down with park owners and discuss your requirements. It might be a significantly longer process but you’ll end up with a new home designed uniquely for you.
If you have an existing property to sell, your budget will largely be dictated by the value of your current property. Significant deposits are often required when purchasing park homes but many companies offer financial advice and support to help with the transition. Just talk to a park owner today to find out what they suggest for your current financial situation.
Start your new life with Berkeleyparks
Retirement is the time to do what you want with your life. Never before have you been gifted with the potential of so much leisure time and Berkeleyparks residential parks can offer you a completely new life with all the trimmings.
We have 51 retirement parks in 21 counties to choose from so you can personally hand-select the location that’s best for you. Berkeleyparks retirement parks are all about creating safe, secure environments complete with friendly atmospheres and desirable surroundings.
We offer homes of every size from all the leading makes. When you buy a new park home from us, the price includes everything from furniture, carpets and curtains, right down to the garden storage shed or garage. Plus, the Agreement you make with Berkeleyparks is drawn up in accordance with the Mobile Homes Act to give you full legal protection.
Is it time for you to start a New Life in the New Year? Park Home Living Awaits You!
Contact Berkeleyparks today on 01935 862079 or email [email protected]
