Residential caravan living

Since the covid debacle in 2020 the numbers of people leaving the city to live rurally or in fixed temporary accomodation has exploded. The numbers of 'Grey Nomads' has skyrocketed as people either took early retirement or their business' were deccimated by communistic regulations and controls.

Here we look at both the upside and downside of this lifestyle- be it short term or a true transition to rural or retirement living.

There are generally 2 types of people who sit in the cars pulling caravans around the roads; those who are in 'holiday' mode; and those who are living a lifestyle.

Those in holiday mode, include the senior workers who are taking long service leave and intend to enjoy every moment while they are still physically and mentally able. It also includes younger families with (or without) children who are simply on an actual trip or holiday from work or life in general.

Those in lifestyle mode have made the decision to leave their homes and travel permanently (or at least until they can no longer do it). They may be searching for a new place to settle, or they may simply want to experience life from another perspective.

Residential caravan living is a term which broadly covers all aspects of caravan homes. In this case I am using it to describe a caravan- fixed or not- that is used as a permanent home. This includes the 16ft plus vans that we see daily on our roads, and the 40ft static vans that sit in parks - and blocks of land- all arund the country, these may have hard annexes attached to create a larger, more permanent feeling living area.

The benefits of towing your own home behind you is obvious; you can stop where and when ever you need to for a safe rest. You can easily move on if you find the area not congruent with you for whatever reason. You do not need to repack for each move, most caravans are easy to park up when not in use or if you decide on some hard accomodation occasionally.

The downsides of pulling a caravan are the obvious increased hazards associated with being on the road, the additional - sometimes double- fuel costs needed to pull the additional weight and resistance. Higher maintenance and servicing costs. If you are involved in an incident you risk losing everything which would definatly have an immediate financial effect on daily life. If small things go wrong- such as a leak- you may be days away from help which could strand you somewhere you would prefer not to be.

Static caravans also have advantages and disadvantages. When not in use they can be rented out to holidaymakers and generate an income, however this also brings the risks of damage and theft, as well as the costs of servicing. Many caravan parks are forceably closed for several weeks or months in winter as a means of compliance and government control of the people. However, this can be a great time for maintenance and upgrades, or to allow you take off to warmer climates if you are living permanently on site. Where a caravan is on a residential block of land there are no building applications needed since it is removable, this also applies to most annexes except those brick ablution blocks which are permanent and will require approval.

Caravans have also become a very affordable way to house visitors at your home; to give teenagers their own space and a bit of endependence, or to house returning kids when things went wrong for them. Even used as income generating accomodation in these times of rental crisis, a caravan at the side of the house has much potential besides the 2 week holiday in summer.

Al in all its a personal choice and the benefits must always outweigh the costs long term if you are considering using a caravan as an income generator. For a permanent residence or holiday home the sooner you purchase the more financially viable it is.