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Residential vs Holiday Parks

Residential Parks and Holiday Parks – What’s the Difference?

If you’re thinking of buying a park home, one of the decisions you need to make is whether you choose a residential park or a holiday park.

Right of permanent residence

The key difference is that you have no right of permanent residence on a holiday park – so your main residence needs to be elsewhere.  The opening times of a holiday park are governed by the licence that it has been granted by the local council, so you may find that it is closed for one or two months a year, or that you can only stay there for a maximum number of weeks at a time.  Even if a holiday park is open for 12 months of the year, it does not mean that you can live there permanently.

Of course, your choice of a residential park or holiday park for your park home depends on how you want to use your home – both now and in the future.  A holiday park may have mixed use accommodation – such as holiday lodges, static caravans and holiday caravans so this may influence your choice.  Also, check the terms of the licence to find out whether sub-letting is permitted.

Cost considerations

Buying a home on a holiday park is likely to cost less than the equivalent home on a residential park. One of the reasons for this is that the occupational licence covers a specific time period (for example 10,15,25 or 50 years) while the occupational agreement for a residential park has no end date (a period of perpetuity).

Also, a home on a holiday park is not subject to council tax as it is not your sole or main residence. The local authority may need confirmation that you pay your council tax elsewhere.

Consumer protection

On the other hand, homes on holiday parks are not protected by the Mobile Homes Act 2013, while homes on residential parks are. The Mobile Homes Act 2013 was designed to provide better protection for park home owners, and provide the legal framework to allow honest and professional site owners to operate successfully without unfair competition from rogue traders.

A park home owner owns their home, but pays a fee to the park owner to site their home on their land. Amongst other things, the Mobile Homes Act 2013 introduced new rules on reviewing pitch fees so that unscrupulous site owners do not take unfair advantage of residents. In 2017, the Government carried out a review of the Mobile Homes Act 2013 and has recently published its findings. You can access them here: Mobile Homes Act 2013 Review.

You can also find further information on  buying a park home on our website and see park homes for sale.

For more tips on park home living and to keep up to date with park home related news, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

 

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Excellent Service When Needed Most

At Park Home Assist we’re not just here to sell you an insurance policy, we understand that the purpose of your park home insurance is to help you out when something goes wrong.  We are a family run business and the way in which we manage and settle your claim is one of the most important elements of what we do. We pride ourselves on our award-winning claims service because the way we deal with your claim is an opportunity to show you how good we really are and how important each customer is to us.  Also, a true test of a policy’s quality is when you need it most – when you need to make a claim.

Resolving your Claim as Quickly as Possible

Although you probably hope that you will never need to make a claim, your park home insurance is there in case you do. Experiencing a loss and having to deal with a claim can be quite distressing, so we do everything we can to resolve any claims or disputes in a timely and professional way. We try to minimise the inconvenience to you, so when things do go wrong, however big or small, our priority is to resolve your claim as quickly as possible.

At Park Home Assist, we have two dedicated Claims Co-ordinators, Tina Brown and Valerie Kearney, who ensure that your claim is managed throughout and progresses as efficiently as possible. This includes helping you to compile the information and evidence needed for the claim, liaising with loss adjusters and contractors, and keeping you informed.  Tina and Valerie will always go the extra mile to ensure that our customers are satisfied with our service.  This is evident in the feedback we receive from customers who have had to make a claim.  Below are just a few short examples of recent claims made by our customers along with their feedback.

Park Home Insurance Claim due to a Leak in the Roof

A policy holder returned from a three-week holiday to discover a leak in their roof.  Water had leaked through into their lounge area, causing damage not only to the ceiling, walls and floors, but also their carpets and curtains.  Whilst the leak in the roof was not covered, the policy holder had a contractor out to repair the roof straight away.  Because the policy holder had taken out the Accidental Damage cover on their property, the internal damage was covered by their park home insurance.  The contents of the home were removed to safe storage, the policy holder stayed in alternative accommodation while a contractor visited the home and repaired all the damage.  Everything was returned with no issues and we received the following feedback.

“We wish to say a big thank you to everyone involved with the situation.  The work done and the service that everyone gave was brilliant.  Thank you to all.”

Park Home Insurance Claim due to Escape of Water

The policyholder experienced escape of water in the shower room of their park home, causing damage to the floor and walls. Water also leaked out into the hallway causing a lot of additional damage.  All the repair and refurbishment work was completed for the policyholder and he scored the service 10 out of 10. He also confirmed he would recommend Park Home Assist to friends and family.  He stated:

“There is nothing you could have done to make the service any better as it was very efficient right from the moment I made the phone call about the problem.  The loss adjuster came out, the payment was made, the job was done, you were absolutely brilliant.  There is nothing you could do to improve the service as it was all very good.”

Park Home Insurance Claim due to a Burst Pipe

A pipe burst at 5.30 in the morning, causing water to gush everywhere.  The loss adjuster visited the next day and discovered extensive damage to the flooring throughout the home.  We appointed contractors immediately and instructed them to start repairs.  We arranged alternative accommodation at a local hotel, so the policyholder could be comfortable during the eight days it took to repair the home.  The policy holders stated:

“They acted very quickly and made sure everything that had to be done, was done, and I thank everyone sincerely.”

Customer service is at the heart of what we do.  It’s important to our customers, and to us, especially when you need to make a claim. Our award-winning claims service demonstrates our commitment to delivering excellent service when you need us most.

For further information see details on how to make a park home insurance claim.

To keep up to date with topics like this, please follow or like us on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

 

christmas news

Park Home Assist Christmas Prize Draw

The lucky winner of the Free Park Home Assist Christmas prize draw has been announced.

This year Park Home Assist Insurance Services launched a Free Christmas Prize Draw to give away a £250 Waitrose/John Lewis Voucher to one lucky park home owner, just in time for Christmas, with the hope that the prize went some way to pay for Christmas for the lucky winner. The prize draw was launched in October and we had an extremely large response, so thank you for all those who entered. Entering was really easy and all that entrants had to do was go onto the Park Home Assist website to submit their entry.

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the lucky winner Mr Kinneavy from Surrey, who you can see pictured here with his wife. Claire Leech (Director of Park Home Assist) and Dave Tranter, (Business Development Manager) personally visited Mr & Mrs Kinneavy at their home at Rickwood Park, in Surrey to personally deliver the good news and hand over the winnings prior to Christmas.

Mr Kinneavy was absolutely delighted to have won and stated that they were both really impressed with the service levels at Park Home Assist and that they will be joining us again in July, when their Park Home Insurance is due for renewal.

Mr Kinneavy also commented “We don’t buy on price, when the renewal comes through, we don’t even look at the price, it’s the cover provided and the service received which is all important.”

Thank you to everyone who took part in our Christmas prize draw and we hope you had a great Christmas, and congratulations to Mr & Mrs Kinneavy, we hope that you found a use for your £250 vouchers!

tingdene showroom

Tingdene Homes New Visitor Centre

With the year drawing to an end, we are beginning to start work on a very exciting 2019. Our team has spent the last few months developing designs for a new range of park homes and holiday lodges. To adequately showcase the innovative and ground breaking new ranges, the decision has been taken to renovate the Tingdene Visitor Centre.

The centre, launched in 1984, is the only indoor park home and holiday lodge showroom in the UK. Few big changes have been made since it opened its doors over 30 years ago making this a very exciting time in Tingdene’s development.

Works on the Visitor Centre will begin on Monday 3rd December making this the perfect opportunity to view the current range of homes on display before they are sited in various locations around the UK. The Kensington, Country Lodge, Mackworth, Regency Classic, Hayden Classic, Savannah and Barnwell are all open to the public until then. Following the 3rd December the Centre will continue to be open with 4 homes being available for viewing outside of the main exhibition.

We will continue to invite all of our customers to the Centre during the renovation works and the sales team will be available to provide information and help during normal opening hours which are listed below.

We appreciate your patience during this transitional period and look forward to inviting you all to the new park home and holiday launch event in February 2019.

Monday – Thursday 9am – 5pm

Friday – Saturday 9am – 4pm

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10 Tips for Preparing your Park Home for Winter

Now that the days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder, the focus shifts from al fresco dining to cosy nights in! Autumn and winter can still provide great opportunities for relaxing and enjoying your park home, whether it’s pub lunches, countryside walks, wildlife spotting or a bracing stroll along the beach. Now’s a good time to plan ahead and take a few precautions to ensure that your park home is protected against the winter weather and still provides a cosy retreat.

Ten tips for preparing your park home for winter

  1. Check your roof and repair or replace any broken tiles
  2. Clear drains and gutters to avoid any blockages – do this regularly if you’re surrounded by trees as leaves and debris can build up quickly
  3. Visit the environment agency website to check if your park home is at risk of flooding
  4. Install insulation to prevent heat escaping through the roof
  5. Have your boiler checked to identify any issues before it gets too cold
  6. Keep your park home warm and the heating on whenever you can to avoid frozen pipes – see our blog post about preventing escape of water from your park home 
  7. Be sure to know where your stopcock is in case you need to turn off the water in your park home quickly
  8. Repair any dripping taps
  9. Seal any gaps around the edges of doors and windows to prevent draughts – but still try to maintain some ventilation
  10. If you’re not going to be staying in your park home as often, then check your park home insurance policy for clauses relating to unoccupancy. You can review Park Home Assist Park Home Insurance policy documents here

Taking these simple steps could help to avoid the stress and hassle of having to make an insurance claim. It is also worthwhile saving your insurance provider’s contact details on your phone in case of an emergency.

Wrap up well and stay safe and warm this winter.

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Protect your Park Home from Escape of Water

As we approach the winter, the risk of damage to your park home from frost and ice increases. It is therefore very important to be aware of any conditions of your park home insurance policy, especially if you are spending less time at your park home.

If your park home is unoccupied for more than 48 hours during the period between 1st November and 31st March (both days inclusive) to reduce the risk from escape of water, and in order to fulfil policy conditions, we recommend that you drain down the entire water system as a precaution to prevent freezing and any potential damage this may cause.

How to drain the hot and cold water system of a combi boiler

  • Turn off and/or extinguish your water heater/boiler
  • Turn off the mains water supply at the entrance to your park home
  • Run all the taps in the property and flush all toilets until water stops coming out
  • If you have a hot water cylinder, empty it by opening the drain-cock at its base, attach a hosepipe to the drain-cock and run the water into a drain or bucket
  • Empty the rising main, and any low pipework if applicable, by opening their drain-cocks
  • When all water tanks are empty, leave both hot and cold taps fully open with plugs removed throughout your park home
  • Put salt into the toilet pans to prevent water in the trap from freezing 

If your park home has a sealed heating system containing antifreeze, then the heating system does not need to be drained down, but antifreeze levels must be checked annually and particularly prior to a period of unoccupancy. However, you will still need to turn off the water supply and drain the water system. 

When can the water supply remain on?

Alternatively, you may leave the water supply turned on under the following circumstances:

  • When the entire home benefits from a heating system (either gas or oil-fired central heating, a geothermal or full electric system – not night storage heaters), which is fitted with automatic controls and a separate thermostat. The system must be set to operate continuously for 24 hours of each day (not controlled by a timing device) and the thermostat set to not less than 13 degrees Celsius. In addition, all internal doors must remain open throughout the park home and where fitted, the loft hatch must be left open.
  • When your park home has either a gas or oil-fired central heating system, a geothermal or full electric system and it is fitted with a ‘frost stat’ that is designed and installed to override all the heating controls, irrespective of their functional status, then this must be set to operate at no less than 4 degrees Celsius.

Other things to consider

If you leave your park home without an occupant for 60 consecutive days or more, then you must ensure that a responsible person is appointed to supervise and check the property both internally and externally at least once every 30 days.

In addition, when the park home is left without an occupant for 60 consecutive days then valuables are excluded from your park home insurance cover.

If you have any queries about the conditions of your park home insurance policy, then visit our park home insurance FAQs page, see our park home insurance policy booklet or call our customer service team on 01604 946 722.

For more tips on park homes and to keep up to date with park home related news, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

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Fire Safety in your Park Home

 A fire in a park home can be devastating, so being prepared and maintaining fire safety is very important, especially because of the materials used to manufacture park homes. Having a fire safety plan and the right equipment in your park home to deal with a fire should it occur, is essential.

Although you cannot completely protect your home from fire, you can significantly reduce the risk of one breaking out, if you follow the following fire safety tips:

  1. Fit and maintain a smoke alarm in your home. Smoke alarms really do save lives! Test it regularly and replace the batteries at least twice a year. If your fire alarm starts beeping, it’s time to change the batteries. Putting your smoke alarm in the right place is essential. Try not to have it too close to the kitchen, as it may be triggered by making toast or steam from cooking, for example. Not only will this be annoying, but you may think a real warning is a false alarm. The best place to position a smoke alarm is on the ceiling in the hallway, near where you sleep.
  1. Check electrical appliances regularly for any signs of damage and ensure they are replaced or repaired properly. If you have too many plugs in one socket, this could overload the socket and cause a fire, so one plug per socket is usually best. Unplug appliances when you are not using them and before you go to bed.
  1. Stay in the kitchen when you are cooking fat, as this can catch fire very quickly, and never put water on hot fat. Make sure that cooking equipment is completely switched off when you have finished with it.
  1. If you are a smoker, make sure all cigarettes are put out properly and don’t smoke in bed to avoid the danger of falling asleep while smoking.
  1. Keep a fire blanket in your park home.
  1. Keep a fire distinguisher in your park home, and read and fully understand its instructions.
  1. Think about how to get out safely: plan an escape route from every room of your park home and be sure to keep the area clear at all times.
  1. Do some checks before you go to bed, as a lot of fires start at night.

There are many more things you can do to protect you and your park home from fire. Contact your local fire department if you would like more information.

For more tips on park home living, follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn or have a look through our website.

 

 

 

 

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Legal Expenses Cover

Legal expenses cover – do you need it? 

You may think that you’re unlikely to get involved in any legal disputes, but everyday transactions can be legally-binding contracts.  If everything doesn’t go according to plan, legal expenses cover gives you the peace of mind that you will not be out of pocket, if you want to put it right.   So for as little as £13.44 per year (equivalent to just £1.12 per month or 3.7p per day) you will receive up to £50,000 in legal costs and benefits from legal expenses cover.

Here are just some examples of park home owners who were very pleased and relieved to have legal expenses cover in place.

Legal expenses cover – property damage dispute

The policyholder contacted the legal helpline after a branch fell from a tree and damaged the back walls of their park home. They had previously complained to the park owner and raised their concerns about the tree, requesting that the branch was removed, but these requests had been ignored. Following the damage, the policyholder wrote emails and left messages with the park owner to inform them of the incident, but received no reply.   As the policyholder had no other insurance policies that would cover this incident, our specialist legal insurers reviewed the case. They believed that prospects of success for the case were positive and instructed their panel solicitor to act on behalf of the park home owner. The panel solicitor contacted the park owner and managed to agree a settlement out of court. All legal fees were covered under the legal expenses insurance policy.

Legal expenses cover – dispute over purchase of a service

The policyholder contacted the legal helpline after work on the flooring in her park home, had not been completed to a satisfactory standard. Despite numerous attempts to contact the contractor, the park home owner did not get a reply. The park home owner therefore submitted a claim, which was referred to our specialist legal protection insurers. They examined the case and believed the prospects of success to be above 51%, so they instructed their panel solicitor to begin legal proceedings on behalf of the park home owner. The panel solicitor eventually managed to enter into discussions with the contractor, who agreed to rectify the park home flooring, which was completed to a satisfactory standard.   All legal costs were covered under the legal expenses insurance policy.

Legal expenses cover – dispute with park owner

A park home owner contacted the legal helpline, as they were being pursued for non-payment of rent by the owner of the residential park. The park owner stated that the rent had increased, and if the policyholder did not pay this additional rate, they would take legal action to remove them from the park. This rent increase had not been previously discussed, and the specialist legal protection insurers returned the prospects of success for the case as being over 51%.  They agreed to instruct a panel solicitor to act on behalf of the policyholder. The solicitor contacted the park home owner to discuss the claim and managed to settle the dispute out of court, with the park owner agreeing to stop pursuing the policyholder. All legal costs were covered under the legal expenses insurance policy.

If you choose to take out legal protection cover when you buy or renew your park home insurance, it is not limited to issues relating to your park home. You’re also covered for legal expenses incurred in a wide range of situations, for example, cases involving ID fraud, social media, personal injury and employment disputes.

For more information about our legal expenses cover, contact our park home insurance team.

To keep up to date on more topics like this, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

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Maintaining your Park Home

Your park home insurance will cover you if the unexpected happens, such as storm damage, however, general wear and tear on your park home will not be covered so maintaining your park home is very important. If your home is under warranty, you will be expected to follow a maintenance schedule to keep the warranty valid.  Keeping your park home maintained all year round, ensures that your property not only looks its best, but it will help to avoid any unnecessary damage.

Here are a few tips to help you keep your park home in a good condition:

Maintain the exterior walls of your park home

Check the exterior walls of your park home at least four times a year. Check for cracks so they can be treated as soon as possible.  Keep the exterior clean and make sure the textured coating is repainted every three years to keep the home weatherproof throughout its lifetime.

Check the seals around doors and windows

Check that the seals are not damaged or broken, as this will help to prevent mould, mildew or damp. Make repairs as soon as you can because if these are not well maintained, damage caused by broken seals may not be covered by your insurer.

Maintain the chassis of your home

Pay attention to what is happening underneath your park home. It will rest on a chassis and a supporting structure, and it’s the only thing on your park home that cannot be replaced. Get a professional to check the chassis of your home regularly, especially if your park home is over 10 years old.   The condition of the chassis and the supporting structure is important for the stability and lifespan of your park home. Check for rust as this can weaken the structure and should be taken care of straight away.  If your home has been modernised or refurbished this could affect the stability of your home.

Maintain your roof regularly

Check the roof of your park home regularly to make sure there is no damage.  Check all the joints on the roof and if you find any problems, make sure you that you deal with them straight away.  Make sure that good quality roof adhesive is used whenever any repairs are made to preserve the lifespan of the roof. Check your guttering to make sure it is free of debris and has no cracks or holes.  If your roof and guttering are not maintained properly, your home may not be covered by your park home insurer.

For more tips on park homes and to keep up to date, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn.

park home search news

Park Home Search – New Free Online Property Search

We’ve launched an exciting new venture: Park Home Search is a new online service dedicated to connecting buyers and sellers of new residential park homes, leisure homes and holiday lodges throughout the UK. It is free of charge to both buyers and sellers.

If you’re looking for a retreat in the countryside, a park home by the sea or somewhere close to your relatives, you can go to www.parkhomesearch.co.uk to find your dream home. You can browse hundreds of park and leisure homes at your convenience 24 hours a day. You can also register to receive information about new park homes in some of the most sought-after locations in the country, as soon as they become available.

How does Park Home Search work?

Manufacturers of park homes and holiday lodges and park operators add their new park homes and available plots to www.parkhomesearch.co.uk. This is also free of charge to encourage as many sellers as possible to use the website. Buyers can then search for their desired park home according to their specific criteria – such as type of home, location and whether they want to buy or rent a park home. Alternatively, buyers can browse through the park homes on offer, to see what inspires them.

Let Park Home Search do the searching for you

You can also register your details with Park Home Search and they will be passed on to the relevant park operators, who will contact you about new park homes and holiday lodges at your preferred locations as soon as they become available. All data handling is secure and GDPR compliant.

Park Home Search also provides valuable information with details of residential park and holiday park open days around the country.

Benefits to sellers

Manufacturers of park homes can promote as many new park homes and holiday lodges as they wish for free, while park operators can advertise their available plots free of charge. They can also advertise open weekends and shows and upload park brochures, videos and photos free of charge. After they have set up an online account with Park Home Search, the sellers control the information – uploading and updating all the details using an easy online form. In addition, sellers can receive email leads for potential buyers interested in their homes or parks.

Why set up Park Home Search?

As a specialist provider of insurance for park homes and holiday lodges. Steve Leech, Director at Park Home Assist said: “After 13 years in the industry, we’re well known and respected throughout the park home sector and it made sense for us to connect with our colleagues in other parts of the industry. Park Home Search provides an excellent, tailored service to both potential buyers of park and leisure homes and the manufacturers and park operators who are selling them. We’re very excited about the response that we have had so far.”

For more information go to www.parkhomesearch.co.uk.