Why Yorkshire's new wave of US-style luxury residential parks are now sought after by over-50s

Prices range from about £70,000 for a second-hand park home to over £300,000 for a deluxe model.

At Gateforth Park in Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, prices start at £218,000 for a two-bedroom park home. The plots are on the site of what was a derelict mushroom farm bought by local family-owned company York House Leisure.

The five star, gated site, which will eventually hold 168 properties, has been inundated with interest from would-be buyers since opening for reservations in October 2020.

There is now a strong community there as work continues to site more park homes and create a community centre, two lakes, a shop and 15 acres of woodlands and open spaces.

Along with the price of the park home, other costs include a pitch/site fee from £183 per month plus council tax and utility bills, though the latter tend to be much lower than in a traditional house as new park homes are so well insulated.

Gateforth Park sales manager Helen Delaney, says: “We have had a huge amount of interest in the properties here and it has been wonderful to see a like-minded community come to life and friendships blossom.

“There are lots of reasons why people buy our homes but they are usually downsizing to release equity and looking for somewhere safe and friendly to live.

“The other benefit is these properties are effectively bungalows so there are no stairs.”

She adds: “We have singles, couples, retired, semi-retired and retired people and their right to live here does not expire but their park home must be well maintained.”

Marcus Smith helps run his family’s small, residential park home site, Chestnut Farm, in the village of Acaster Malbis, near York.

He can trace the roots of the business back to 1899 when an enterprising relative opened one of the UK’s first caravan sites. It progressed to static holiday caravans and now specialises in residential park homes.

Chestnut Farm’s properties are contemporary and made in-house by the Smith family’s lodge manufacturing business.

Prices start at £175,000 with an annual pitch fee from £3,000 per year and those who buy there must be aged 45 or over.

They can either live on site year round and use their lodge as their main address or use the property as a second home.

Marcus says: “There is a lot of interest for lots of reasons, including safety and security and the sense of community that sites like this engender. Park home sites are now highly regulated so people feel more secure when buying.”

He adds that there is another little known benefit. “A park home is not classed as goods and chattels and so, unlike a bricks and mortar property, it doesn’t have to be sold to pay for costs if the owner moves into a care home.

“It can simply be transferred to a next of kin or other designated person.”

However, points to consider are that park homes do not generally retain their value in the same way bricks and mortar properties do, though the depreciation is not as great as many expect on good quality sites and in the last two years, some park homes have increased in value.

You cannot get a mortgage on a park home but you can resell on the open market with an estate agency, though bear in mind that the site owner gets 10 per cent of the sale price.

Maintenance is a must and set rules on what has to be done, including repainting the exterior, are set out in the site contract.

Elaine and Leslie Petcher bought a park home at Gateforth Park after selling their house in a village.

“We wanted to release some equity to buy a lock up and leave property somewhere secure so we could travel more and enjoy life,” says Elaine.

“We have done that but living here has given us so much more. Our home is very low maintenance and the heating only needs to be on for an hour a day in winter but it is the sense of community that we love most.

“We lived in a village for 13 years and people kept themselves to themselves but here, everyone is friendly and we have brilliant neighbours.

“Moving here has changed our lives for the better. We are living the dream.”

Leslie adds: “Being here takes away a lot of worry and I think it is the way forward. We have had 14 properties and this has been our best move.”

Geraldine Kay has lived on the Mill Garth park home site in Acaster Malbis, near York, for nine years after she and her late husband swapped their detached bungalow for a new way of living.

“People think I live in a glorified caravan but they don’t understand what a park home is. Living here is a joy.

“Our bungalow was isolated down a long drive but here there is a community on your doorstep, where neighbours look after each other.

“If my blind isn’t up by a certain time, I know one of my neighbours will ring to see if I am ok.”

While the rules for residential park homes have been tightened in recent years, the sites vary from excellent to not so good.

Elaine, Leslie and Geraldine all stress the importance of choosing the right park home site.

Tips

Ensure that the park operating licence is for residential only so you don’t have to share space with holidaymakers

Shop around and do your homework by visiting different park home sites and talk to those who live there to get a good idea of how well it is run

Check amenities, distance to shops and public transport links

Remember there is a 10 per cent commission to be paid to the park owner if you sell your park home