What Types of Holiday Park Are There, and Which Suits You?
UK holiday parks fall into a handful of types: large resort parks, small quiet parks, adult-only parks, lodge and premium parks, and parks that open all year. Families who want entertainment on the doorstep do best on a resort park. Couples who want peace pick a quiet or adult-only park, and owners who plan to visit through the winter look for a twelve-month season.
Two parks can sit a mile apart and suit completely different buyers. The right one depends on how you will use the caravan, so start with your plans and choose the park before you choose the caravan.
| Type of park | Best for |
|---|---|
| Large resort park | Families who want pools, clubs and entertainment |
| Small, quiet park | Couples and walkers who want peace and lower fees |
| Adult-only park | Owners who want a calm park without children's facilities |
| Lodge or premium park | Buyers with a bigger budget who want space and privacy |
| Twelve-month park | Owners who plan to visit in winter as well as summer |
| Park with a letting scheme | Owners who want rental income to help with the fees |
Large Resort Parks With Full Entertainment
Resort parks carry the most facilities: indoor pools, bars, restaurants, children's clubs and evening shows. Children never run out of things to do, and you rarely need to leave the park on a rainy day. The trade-off is cost and noise. Site fees sit at the top of the range because the park has more to run, and school holidays get busy.
Resort parks also tend to have the strongest demand from holidaymakers, which helps if you plan to let your caravan.
Small and Quiet Parks
A small park might have a few dozen pitches, a shop and a laundry, and little else. You get space, quiet and neighbours you know by name. Site fees are usually lower because there is less to maintain. Owners who like walking, fishing or a good pub nearby often prefer this type, and the setting matters more than the facilities.
Adult-Only Parks
Some parks sell only to adults or set a minimum age for owners and guests. They suit couples and retired owners who want a calm park without play areas or school-holiday crowds. Ask the park for its age policy in writing, because rules on visiting grandchildren vary from park to park.
Lodge and Premium Parks
Lodge parks give each home more space, larger pitches and often a hot tub or a view. Prices and site fees run higher, and many parks set stricter rules on the age and style of homes. They suit buyers who want a quieter, more private setting with a bigger budget behind them.
Twelve-Month Parks or Seasonal Parks
Most holiday parks open for ten or eleven months and close for a few weeks in winter. A growing number open all year, so you can use your caravan at Christmas and in February half-term. A twelve-month season is still a holiday licence, so the caravan cannot become your main home. Our guide to living in a static caravan all year round explains the rules.
Parks That Let Your Caravan for You
Some parks run a letting scheme and handle the bookings, cleaning and changeovers for a share of the income. Others allow private letting, and some ban it altogether. If rental income matters to your sums, check the park's rules and ask what owners on the scheme earned last year.
Where Residential Parks Fit
Residential parks are a different thing altogether. They hold a licence for people to live there all year, and the homes are park homes built to the residential standard. If you want a permanent home, read residential park vs holiday park and browse park homes for sale.
How to Match a Park to Your Plans
Work out how often you will visit, who will come with you and whether you want to let the caravan. Then add up the full yearly bill, because site fees vary more between park types than buyers expect. Our guide to static caravan site fees shows what to budget for, and the static caravan pitfalls guide lists the questions to ask the park.
Justin Allitt, Managing Director of Sell My Group, gives buyers one piece of advice:
Visit the park out of season before you buy. Walk round on a wet weekday in March, talk to the owners already there, and you will learn more than any brochure tells you.
Still deciding whether to buy at all? Read what are the benefits of owning a static caravan? and are static caravans worth it?
Find Your Holiday Park
Sell My Group lists static caravans and lodges on parks across the UK. Browse static caravans for sale, browse lodges for sale or tell us what you are looking for and we will look out for homes that fit.