Survey your Park Home
We always recommend having a survey (and seeking out any hidden damage) when purchasing a park home; you would not contemplate buying bricks and mortar property without one; why should a park home be any different?
One of the biggest causes of park home insurance claims is damage caused by the escape of water. Leaks will not be readily apparent to the layperson, but a surveyor worth his salt will use a damp reader to identify any damp-related issues if undetected leaks can cause a lot of damage in what is essentially a timber structure. And your new insurer is unlikely to pick up the tab for dealing with a pre-existing condition. Likewise, dampness in walls due to cracks in the render, faulty gutters and weathering over some time can be covered up with a coat of paint, so again this is something a survey should identify.
Increasingly insurers are declining to insure older homes; the last thing you want to happen is to buy an older home and find you cannot insure it; straight away, you will likely be in breach of your site rules. So a survey will not only be vital to you in your decision making it may also assist a prospective insurer is considering whether or not to insure your new home.
A further consideration is a concrete base; whilst this remains in the ownership of the site owner and his/her responsibility, if the base has damage, it will cause very real problems going forward, so it would be advisable to have your surveyor check this over. It can sometimes be difficult to get site owners to fulfil their obligations. In the worst-case scenario, this could lead to damage to your home, which may not be covered by insurance, and it could even involve the home having to be moved to enable the base to be repaired.
And whilst surveys are strongly recommended on pre-owned homes, we have recently come across a scenario of cracked bases on brand new plots, which again can be a real cause for concern even though they are the responsibility of the park owner.
We recommend the below professionals:
Park Home Surveyors – Subject II Survey – 01869 346973 – www.subject2survey.com
Blue Chip Park Homes Ltd – 01327 844686 – www.bluechipparkhomes.co.uk
DCB Park Home Surveyors – 01952 457036 – www.parkhomesurveyors.com
