The way people retire has always been changing. However, lifestyle living is very much the modern way! Embracing life in your golden years means you now have more property choices than ever before. Once you retire, you could choose to move somewhere closer to the coast, the countryside, or local heritage and history. You could even choose to move somewhere in the middle of nowhere for unlimited peace and quiet! In any case, finding the best park home for your needs shouldn’t be difficult.
A residential park will offer you modern comforts and a slow, enviable pace of loving. Downsizing to a park home makes perfect sense if you want to save money, hassle and physical labour. It could even help you free up money for you to really get out and enjoy yourself. But how do you find the best park home that really appeals to you?
Buying a residential park home could help you plan for retirement. Buying an impressive property out on the East coast, or down in the rugged hills of Devon and Dorset, could give you all the adventure you’ll ever want. Residential park homes let you settle down in beautiful parts of the country without the noise, hustle and bustle of modern living.
Sell My Group lists fantastic properties at wonderful parks across the country. We make it easy for our visitors to search for the best park homes in their local areas. They can even search for properties further afield, too! However, searching for your ideal home may not be as simple as scrolling through a few menus. Here’s a quick guide on what we think you should consider.
Why Buy a Park Home?
If you’re new to the idea of buying a park home, you probably have plenty of questions. However, the reasons for downsizing should be fairly obvious! If, for example, you are struggling to keep up to your current home, and it is becoming a nuisance, you might want to move somewhere simple and quiet. You may also want to get closer to family and friends.
Here are a few reasons why you should think about buying a park home for retirement.
- You’ll find park homes in locations which can be expensive for traditional property. Park homes, however, are more affordable upfront and in the long run
- Mobile homes are safe and secure, often with a front gate and clear from main roads.
- Park homes are generally very low maintenance and are easy to clean.
- You will normally find residential parks in peaceful locations and areas.
- Park homes often boast modern interiors and the latest property design (if you buy new).
- You can buy park homes in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles.
- Park communities are extremely welcoming. You’ll move alongside like-minded people who, like you, will be looking for a slower pace of living.
- You could save money on a part exchange, or simply by selling your existing home – as the price difference could give you some extra retirement cash.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Your own reasons for wanting to move to a residential park might be very different! In any case, there has never been a better time to start looking for the best park home your money can buy. The park industry is booming, which means more and more communities are starting to upgrade and enhance as time goes on. This should mean that you have access to greater luxuries than ever before.
Your Park Home Checklist
Before you go looking for your best park home, it’s time to think about a few essentials. Here at Sell My Group, we regularly publish guides and comments on what you need to know about the park lifestyle. However, here are just a few important details we think you should be treating as paramount.
- Where is the location of your ideal park community? Do you want to be close to local history, to the countryside, or to the coast?
- Do you want to be close to local amenities and attractions? Look for parks that offer the best of both worlds – plenty of peace and quiet, but plenty of clear links to the outside world.
- What park site fees will you have to pay? When you move to a residential park, site owners will charge you yearly rates based on a variety of factors. These can include local authority rates, energy fees and more.
- Does a property give you everything you need? Does it have all the appliances you need, and all the facilities you desire?
- Does a property come with full furnishings? It can be a hassle to move all your old furniture across. Therefore, it is worth looking for properties with furniture already in place.
- Is a property likely to still suit your needs in a few years’ time?
- Can you afford the upfront fees, and can you afford ongoing costs?
- Can you set up a part exchange on the property?
There are likely to be more questions and items on your own checklist. However, these are good points to consider from a standing start.
A Park Home is For Life
All park homes offer a ‘lifetime’ appeal. This means that they have designs which benefit retirees and older people who will not likely want to move elsewhere. This means many properties will have access supports such as handrails, easy bathing options and more besides. If you or your partner have a health condition, or struggle to move around, you might want to consider looking for properties which offer you little need to over-exert yourself.
Park homes already appeal to many people who are unable to walk far. They are one-level homes, which means there are no awkward stairs for you to traverse. What’s more, as there are less rooms for you to maintain and clean, that means there is less expected from you.
Choosing a park home that suits your needs today as well as tomorrow is a very smart move. This means you won’t have the hassle of moving again and again. Therefore, you can comfortably settle into a property where you know you will spend your retirement in peace. You need a comfy, independent property which will give you plenty of confidence as well as security.
Judging for Location
As mentioned, choosing the perfect location for your park home is going to vary on your tastes and needs. You might want to move out into the sticks, but is that going to be convenient for you in the long run?
What you will find from most park communities is that you are never far from roads and public transport. You will find that there are plenty of close links to everyday amenities. What’s more, you will never have to go too far to find like-minded people. Your neighbours in a park community are all going to look for similar experiences as you.
The best park home for you should be one that gives you access to modern standards when you need it, but peaceful living standards around the clock. All of the parks we list for at Sell My Group offer incredible comfort and tranquillity. Many are close enough to main roads so you can get out and about, but never too close to unnecessary noise and light pollution.
A semi-rural location is always likely to be the best option for most people who want to retire to somewhere peaceful, yet convenient. Luckily, there are plenty of those choices about! Therefore, make sure to choose somewhere that puts you close to the beauty of British nature, but which doesn’t stray away from some of its most famous attractions.
Buy Whay Suits You
Here at Sell My Group, we understand how important it is to look for park homes in a variety of locations. As the best portal for park homes in the UK, we want to reassure all our visitors that the properties and parks we list are of exceptional quality. We list on behalf of some of the best park groups in the country, too, such as Laird Estates, who have residential parks in locations such as Warren Park out in Shropshire. It’s in a great rural location and is very close to Market Drayton.
There are more and more residential parks popping up across the UK. Therefore, it can be tricky to find the best fit for your needs due to all the choice! However, there’s no need to worry. We’ve made searching and filtering for the best parks extremely simple. Just take a look at our listings engine and narrow down your favourite parks in terms of locations, amenities and more besides.
We are always listing new parks and properties. That’s why it really pays to stick with Sell My Group for the latest news, property sales and more. Stick with us, and we’ll make sure you find the best park home for your money.