How do I choose which holiday park is right for me?
It goes without saying, buying one of our caravans for sale is no routine purchase. It's a huge investment in both your finances and your time but reaps huge rewards that really are priceless for yours and your loved ones’ lifestyles.
There’s a lot to think about before you join the world of ownership, and choosing which holiday park to base yourself at is one of the crucial decisions along the way. Let’s take you through some considerations that will help you decide the perfect park for your second home.
Think about your own preferences
Before you think about the selling points of any holiday park, think about the things you like to do whilst you’re away. For every person that loves a lively time away from home, there’s another who just wants some peace and quiet for a few days.
Come at things from your own perspective and it will make the considerations we outline in this article a lot easier to tailor to you and your family’s needs.
Where you’ve holidayed before
A Haven holiday is not only a great way to make memories that last a lifetime, but also the perfect litmus test for the ownership lifestyle. If you’ve fundamentally enjoyed your time at one of our holiday parks on a break for a few days, you’ve already got a snapshot of what life could be like if you secure a place you can return to time and time again, as and when you please.
Time permitting, it might be a good idea to holiday throughout the week, at weekends and at different times of the year so you can fully consider what the atmosphere is like at busy and quieter periods. Regardless, you’ll love the world-class welcome our friendly park teams give you every time, and there’s nothing like enquiring about ownership from the grounds of your chosen park itself.
Proximity to your first home
As an owner, you’ll have the opportunity to travel to your caravan whenever you want, throughout the season. Frequent journeys mean you’ll be travelling back and forth between your bases on a fairly regular basis. It’s a key reason why most owners don’t go further than three hours' drive away from their primary home. However, it’s all relative.
Three hours in the car for one person might be a breeze for a real change of scenery, others might wince at the idea of a journey as long as that. Either way, with so many different locations dotted up and down the UK, you’ll find a place that’s as convenient as it is beautiful. We live on a small island at the end of the day, and we’re blessed to have dramatic changes of landscape in relatively short distances.
Access to beaches
As a prospective Haven owner, you’re no doubt a fan of the scenic British coastline, and to have a caravan that’s just a short walk from the beach opens a world of opportunities.
Whether you’re enjoying the sun or cosying up in the colder months, the stretches of sand close to our holiday parks bring a new meaning to life away from the hustle and bustle.
Check out our shortlist of the best Haven holiday parks for beach access to help whittle down the best option for you.
Activities, entertainment and swimming
As a Haven owner, you won’t just get a cosy caravan of your own, you’ll also be able to access everything laid on at your chosen holiday park.
These facilities come in all shapes and sizes, from holiday parks with a modern Adventure Village to the state-of-the-art Marina Bar and Stage and swimming pools that are nothing less than water parks. Each Haven holiday park has its own key selling point, so tailor your choice to the leisurely bits that you’ll love the most.
Owner exclusive features
On top of all the great facilities you can expect at a Haven holiday park, most also contain their own areas for owners, so you can enjoy exclusive access and get to know your fellow community members and host guests of your own with the Haven Owners Card. We’ve got owners lounges, owners-only swimming pools, golf courses and special clubs for owners so you can have a great time together.
We’ve also got three owners-only parks in the Haven family. Cardigan View and Garreg Wen in North Wales, as well as Yorkshire’s Far Grange are real retreats, with a tight-knit community that's yours to join, minus the holidaymakers.
Things to do in the wider area
Like a normal property purchase, it isn’t just the immediate area that’s a consideration in getting the deal across the line. You’ll also want to look slightly further afield into the region and see if what it has to offer is for you.
Look not just at places that you’d go to as a tourist, delve deeper for all-year-round experiences that suit you and the family, whatever time of the year you happen to be there. We’re blessed in the UK to be so varied by region, and with our holiday parks in 16 distinct areas of the country, you’re bound to find a place that ticks all the boxes.
Accessibility
Whilst our Haven holiday parks offer a warm welcome to everyone, you’ll want to do your research into the terrain of each. It’s just as well that most of our holiday parks are on accessible, flat ground, but there are some exceptions.
They come in all shapes and sizes, so you may prefer to be based at a smaller park or in an area close to the facility or feature that you’ll be taking in the most. Whatever holiday park you choose, our accommodation can be modified to suit a range of accessibility needs.
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Important information
Let2offset - make no site fee payments until 2031
Let2offset is a contractual lettings product that offers eligible owners a guaranteed letting income at a preferential rate (calculated each year) in exchange for a stipulated number of letting breaks. It also allows eligible owners to pay their site fees and receive their letting income in 12 equal monthly instalments; the monthly site fee amount charged by Haven will be after deduction of the letting income.
‘Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031’ is available at 33 Haven parks excluding Burnham, Cardigan View, Far Grange, Garreg Wen, Lydstep Beach, Riviere Sands and Seaview. The letting income received will vary by make, model and location. The monthly site fee payment does not include running costs e.g. utilities, rates & insurance.
“Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031” is applicable to new and existing customer purchases of new Atlas Sahara 3 Bed or equivalent or superior grade holiday home purchases made through Haven where customers have also signed up to Haven’s Let2offset contract. It is not applicable to private sales and cannot be used in conjunction with our free Site Fee promotion. It is available across 40% of eligible Parks and applies when letting a new Atlas Sahara 3 Bed holiday home (or equivalent or superior grade for 15 weeks.
An example of how “Make no site fee payments when using Let2offset until 2031” operates under Let2offset is the purchase of an Atlas Sahara 3 Bed holiday home at Primrose Valley with a monthly site fee of £585.00 (includes purchasing discount of £45) and monthly letting income of £803.67. The monthly difference equates to £218.67, which will be credited to the owner's account. Both letting income and site fees are subject to yearly pricing reviews and the monthly site fee costs and letting income shown in the example are based on 2024 figures.
Modelled assumptions on expected annual site fee and letting income charges over the 7-year lettable life of the Atlas Sahara 3 Bed indicate that under Let2offset it is anticipated that these customers will continue to receive a monthly credit during this period, however, this is not guaranteed. The modelled assumptions are based on the historical performance of Haven over the past 5 years of trading.
Images are shown for representational purposes. Access to holiday home is subject to park opening times.
Park cannot be used as a permanent residence. Haven Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 01968698) and is a FCA appointed representative of Bourne Leisure Limited (t/a Haven). Bourne Leisure Ltd is registered in England (No. 04011660) and is authorised and regulated by the FCA (Financial Services Register No. 312847) as a credit broker and insurance distributor. Registered office: One Park Lane, Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, HP2 4YL. We may receive commission from the finance provider if you enter into an agreement with them.