Selling your park home :Cross Stitch – Home and community
Selling your park home (also known as a static caravan or mobile home) can seem complicated, but being prepared can help make the process easier. Find out what you should have ready, the costs involved and what to do when you find a buyer.
Use the steps below to prepare for selling your park home.
To work out how much you should sell your home for, you can check magazines and online listings for the selling prices of similar homes. You can also hire a surveyor to do a ‘valuation’. This will tell you how much your home is worth.
If you took out a loan to buy your home, you should contact your lender to find out how much you still owe. Be aware that if you sell your home for less than you owe, you will still have to make payments on the loan.
Having the right information ready for interested buyers early on can help avoid surprises later about costs or rules. You should provide:
- your written statement – this is the rental agreement you signed with the park owner
- land rent costs (also known as ‘pitch’ or ‘site’ fees)
- park rules – eg whether or not you can have pets
- the warranty and maintenance details of your home
- council tax information
- water, gas and electricity charges
Unlike traditional homes, you do not need an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC).
The main costs involved with selling your home are:
- any repairs you make – this may make your home easier to sell
- legal advice, like hiring a solicitor to look over any contracts before you sign
- hiring a surveyor – they will tell you how much your home is worth
- using an estate agent or other services to find a buyer
- the park owner’s commission – this can be up to 10 per cent of the final selling price
There are three ways you may be able to find a buyer:
- on your own – you can use website listings, classified adverts or word-of-mouth
- using an estate agent
- through the park owner – some park owners have lists of potential buyers
You do not have to give the park owner the chance to buy your home before selling it to anyone else. Some older agreements still may have this ‘right of first refusal’ rule but the law has since changed and it is not allowed.
Once you find a buyer, you have to get them approved by the park owner. Up until this point, it is your choice whether or not to tell the park owner you are planning to sell your home.
The best way to contact the park owner for approval of your buyer is to write a letter and send it by ‘recorded delivery’. This will give you proof of when they get the letter.
The letter you write should state:
- your intention to sell your home
- the name and address of the buyer
- your request for approval of the buyer
The park owner must send you an answer in writing within 28 days.
The park owner can only give a straightforward approval of your buyer. They can’t make you to do extra things – like making changes to your home – to get your buyer approved.
Park owners can only block approval for fair reasons – eg if the buyer does not comply with site rules about the buyer’s age.
If the park owner refuses your buyer, they have to give you the reasons in writing. If you believe they have been unfair or they have not sent an answer about approval within 28 days, you can apply to a court. The court will then decide if it should order the park owner to approve your buyer.
Once the buyer is approved, you both must sign a contract to make the sale final.
The terms (‘rules’) of your written statement will go unchanged to the new owner. This is called ‘assignment’.
The park owner will take a commission when you sell your home. They can’t take more than 10 per cent of the final selling price and the amount should already be listed in your written statement.
If you own a park home, you have the right to give it away and pass on your agreement to a family member.
If you die, the rules for inheritance are different and depend on your circumstances.