Site fees

Static caravan site fees: what to ask before you buy

The purchase price gets the attention. The annual site fee gets the direct debit. If two caravans look similarly tempting, comparing the recurring park costs and how they can change is often more useful than arguing over another television or a slightly nicer sofa.

A cheap caravan with an expensive pitch can perform a rather convincing impression of an expensive caravan.

North Wales · Darwin Escapes

Talacre Beach Resort

Talacre Beach is a large, facilities-led North Wales resort close to the beach. It suits buyers who want swimming, entertainment, food and family activities on the park rather than a quiet base with minimal facilities.

Published starting point

Darwin Escapes currently advertises Talacre Beach ownership from £17,995, with individual current models advertised at higher prices.

You are paying for a resort here, not just a rectangle of grass with a caravan on it. Make sure you actually want the resort.

North Wales · Haven

Hafan y Môr Holiday Park

Hafan y Môr is a large Haven resort near Pwllheli with direct beach access, a major indoor water park, an Adventure Village and dedicated owners' facilities. It is best treated as a resort purchase rather than simply a pitch for a caravan.

Published starting point

Haven currently advertises eligible pre-owned holiday homes at Hafan y Môr from £14,995. The headline price excludes site fees, running costs and optional add-ons.

Hafan y Môr is enormous by holiday-park standards. For some buyers that is the attraction; for others it is the warning label.

North Wales · Aberdunant Hall

Aberdunant Hall Holiday Park

Aberdunant Hall is a woodland holiday park near Porthmadog aimed more at peace, walking and access to Eryri than big-resort entertainment. It sells both static caravans and holiday lodges, with new, used and some private-owner stock advertised through the park.

Published starting point

The park currently advertises static caravans from £27,995, with higher-specification models extending well into six figures.

A woodland park should feel like a woodland park. If the sales tour is the quietest hour you ever spend there, that is useful information.

Lake District · Parkdean Resorts

Fallbarrow Holiday Park

Fallbarrow sits on Lake Windermere at Bowness and is very much a premium-location purchase. Buyers are paying for a genuinely useful lakeside base as much as the holiday home itself.

Published starting point

Parkdean's current ownership index lists holiday homes at Fallbarrow Holiday Park from £79,995. This is a starting price, not the total cost of ownership, and stock can change quickly.

Windermere is doing a lot of the selling here, and the starting price knows it.

Yorkshire · Parkdean Resorts

Cayton Bay Holiday Park

Cayton Bay sits between Scarborough and Filey with the beach immediately below the park. It suits buyers who want a scenic Yorkshire coast base but still like having plenty going on nearby.

Published starting point

Parkdean's current ownership index lists holiday homes at Cayton Bay Holiday Park from £15,995. This is a starting price, not the total cost of ownership, and stock can change quickly.

The cliff path to the beach will tell you more about whether you like the place than another twenty minutes in the sales office.

Suffolk · Parkdean Resorts

Kessingland Beach Holiday Park

Kessingland Beach is a Suffolk coast option with direct beach access and a livelier facilities mix. The low published entry price makes it worth investigating, but it should not distract from pitch fees and the cost over the full ownership period.

Published starting point

Parkdean's current ownership index lists holiday homes at Kessingland Beach Holiday Park from £12,995. This is a starting price, not the total cost of ownership, and stock can change quickly.

A low entry price is pleasant. It is not a magical exemption from annual bills.

What matters

What we would compare before viewing

  • The exact current fee for the pitch you are considering
  • How and when the fee is reviewed and the actual increases over recent years
  • What is included and what is billed separately
  • Any transfer, commission or administration charges when you sell
  • Whether the remaining licence period changes the value of a cheaper caravan

Own & Roam view

Shortlist first, buy later

Do not compare parks on the first-year fee alone. Put the real numbers into the ownership-cost calculator and see what several years of ownership could look like.

Calculate ownership costs

Prices and park information are research snapshots and can change. Check the operator's current terms for the exact caravan and pitch before travelling or paying a deposit.