WHERE DO YOU LIVE?
We’ve been living full time in a static caravan in South Wales (UK) since August 2020. Prior to that we were living in a 2-bedroom flat that we rented in the town of Pontypridd. We sited our van on Amy’s mum’s farm and we’ve just lived through our 3rd winter so thought we’d do a quick blog post on what life has been like so far.
DID YOU NEED PLANNING PERMISSION?
No, we didn’t need planning permission but this was for two reasons.
- The caravan was sited within the ‘curtilage’ of the garden of the main house (curtilage = an area of land around a house and forming one enclosure with it)
- We are family members of the main house owner. If we weren’t family members we would have needed planning permission.
We did speak to our local authority planning office to get a ‘permitted development’ letter. This was free, and all it meant was that the council agreed that what we had done was lawful and permitted within the eyes of planning laws. Every local authority area has different rules on what’s permitted so its worth checking in advance.
WHAT HAVE THE PROS AND CONS BEEN SO FAR?
Living full-time in a static caravan can be a unique and enjoyable experience, but there are some pros and cons:
PROS:
- Cost: Compared to traditional homes, static caravans are often more affordable, which can make them a good option for those on a tight budget. We paid £6500 for ours which included transporting it here.
- Living Affordability: Living here on Amy’s mum’s farm means that we’re no longer paying extortionate rent to a landlord. We pay for our use of electric and contribute to council tax, water is free from a spring and the van runs a gas fire and oven off LPG at £90 a bottle. This is so much cheaper than our previous lifestyle.
- Low maintenance: Static caravans are usually low maintenance and easy to clean, which can save time and money. We’ve not had to worry about any maintenance issues since moving in.
- Location: Where we are sited is south-facing which means we get the sun (when its out) for the whole day. We also get the most amazing sunrises which we never used to see where we lived before. Living on a farm means that we’re also really close to nature. Plus, we’re quite far away from light pollution which means that we see lots of stars at night.
CONS:
- Space limitations: One of the biggest challenges of living in a static caravan full-time is that the space can be limited, especially compared to a traditional home. This can make it difficult to accommodate large furniture or lots of people.
- Heating: Static caravans are not normally designed for all year round living. The walls and roof are not that well insulated unfortunately. This can make it difficult to heat in winter. We’ve experienced temperatures as low as -9 which has been challenging but not hugely uncomfortable.
- Permanence: Living in a static caravan can be a good short term solution, especially if you’re building your own house. However, it’s not ideal for long-term living.
Living full-time in a static caravan can be an enjoyable and cost-effective option for some people, but it’s important to weigh up the pros and cons before making the decision to do it.
GOT ANY VIDEOS OF YOUR FULL TIME STATIC CARAVAN LIFE?
Yes! We’ve been vlogging different parts of our static caravan life and you can watch these below:
New Home For New Adventures – the day that our static caravan arrived on the farm
Tour Of Our New Home – take a look round our 35ft x 10ft home
Static Caravan Underfloor Insulation – what we did to keep our van warmer in winter
We’ve Got Double Glazing! – the day we had double glazed windows and door installed
WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT LIVING FULL TIME IN A STATIC CARAVAN?
Feel free to drop us a line via our contact page or connect with us on social media using any of the links below: