Living in a Caravan Vs Living in a house
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People failing to pay the rent, bringing an extra person to stay in their room, bottlenecks on the use of kitchen and bathroom etc.
My present way of life is much happier and more carefree than that, I can assure you!
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So you just had an ad-hoc arrangement with letting out a room or two in your own home, to make extra dosh?
Our daughter rents out one of her houses, she carry's landlord insurance, has a rental agency manage it for a fee, has had no problems and is, after fees etc (but before paying any tax due) making just under a four figure monthly amount. She also gets to vet the tenets, currently she has a policeman and his family living there.
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As we can afford both the house and the long holidays, at least meantime, we have no need of equity release, but in general it would not be something we would consider. If we needed the cash we would rather downsize.
Renting out property can sometimes bring a few problems, though in this area I would not expect problem tenants as rents would be pretty high. However, we would never consider renting out our own home as realistically a tenant will rarely be as careful with things as you would be yourself.
When you rent out a property you do need to stop thinking of it as your home, if it was your home, and treat it as a business. Another good reason to downsize if you need the cash.
Remember too that what you were doing was taking in lodgers, sharing your home with them in return for money, it is somewhat different to renting out a complete property.
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Lodgers have very few rights and problem lodgers are much easier to get rid of than problem tenants, so no need to suffer from problem lodgers in the longer term.
Before becoming a landlord, it is essential to read up on what your rights and obligations would be, and on the rights of your tenants or lodgers.
It is not something to be done on a casual basis.
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There seem to be all kinds of schemes for people who want to go into this kind of business, such as 'buy to let' etc. but I'm afraid it doesn't appeal to me. I just don't like owning or renting property at all. To me it's just another burden to have to carry which I'd rather not have!
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It's still a holiday home for us because my wife doesn't work and I only work part-time, so semi-retired. This means everyday of our life is a part-time holiday. So we are effectively using the caravan to enjoy our retirement holiday!
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Yes but you have other things to stress about in a house.
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That's the beauty of it. We can park on the street near the club site for free if no pitch is available. My wife is there to look after it whilst I'm at work so it would be perfectly safe! So I'll be making money without having to spend it. Win, win!
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Just do that all the time and save even more money?
One step nearer joining the travelling community!
Oh, and who will be looking out for your wife while she's on her own, parked in a caravan on a side street? How do you know she will be "perfectly safe"?
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So you've checked this option out with the local council that you won't be contravening any bye laws regarding parking and living in a caravan on a public highway and also checked with the police as well?
In addition I assume that you have checked with the wardens and the CAMC that you will be allowed to use the facilities on the site even though you will not be staying on it. To be honest if I was staying on the site and saw someone walking into the site from a caravan parked further down the street and start using the facilities then I would be having words with the wardens as to why this is allowed as the vast majority of paying members won't know of your circumstances and even if they did may not be sympathetic to it.
Members have on previous threads suggested that they should be allowed in to use the facilities, for example to use the laundry or have a shower, just because they are members, and the club have made it quite clear that the facilities are for use of the members staying on the site. There are others sites that are open in the area plus pubs etc. that will be taking caravans for Easter plus rallies. Have you honestly rang everyone of them to find an alternative.
Glad you're living the dream. Seems like a nightmare to me.
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Through lack of forward planning you are seriously going to leave your wife in a caravan on a street , you don't think much of your wife do you.
Don't know how you can be so flippant as to say win win,
You may call your caravan a holiday home, it's not, it's your home otherwise you wouldn't be in this predicament.
Forecast is showing for more rain.
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People who get a permanent travellers pitch can claim housing benefit and their spouse/partner can continue to use the pitch should the spouse die. Attempting to use recreational sites etc for residential use can negate insurance and other rights.
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M have you considered or tried claiming housing benefit? The below was from another forum:
You can claim housing benifit to go towards the pitch rent (ground rent). My council took some convincing to start with as they only paid for houseboat morrings, although there were no moorings available in the county as the river is not fully navigable. But explain that a caravan pitch is equal to a river bank mooring and they soon see the equallity angle. We get a max of £40 a wk towards ground rent.
As you don't stay in one place all year, you do not need to pay council tax. Got that straight from the horse's mouth.
If you apply for a council house/housing association, you will find your on the bottom rung as they believe that as you have a caravan to live in you're ok jack.0 -
See here for advice from Shelter regarding "mobile" homes.
I don't know how this works if you have previously got into rent arrears and have any outstanding court orders, made yourself homeless etc. But there is help out there (this has been said before, so my last word!)
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Once again it would seem that this wonderful way of life in semi retirement you continually try and convince us is so much better than what others consider the norm, has come back and kicked you right where it hurts
You really need to rethink your situation in my opinion. You are not getting any younger and it would be much better to face the inevitable and plan for it now rather than find yourself in some other dire situation in the future.
I hope you get sorted in the meantime though
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Out of interest and not wishing anything untoward towards Malcolm but if Malcolm passed away suddenly, or indeed not so suddenly, where would that leave his wife?
I reckon homeless, visa-less (won't meet the income requirement before any other consideration) penniless as assets seized to cover debts. If that were me as the wife I'd be beside myself with worry and if I were Malcolm ashamed that I'd made so little provision for my beloved.
On the what are you up to thread Malcolm claims an income of £1500 a month literally just meeting to the penny his wife's visa condition. Out of interest I took minimum wage of £7.50 per hour times 40 hours a week times 52.16 (to get an annual figure) divided by 12 months gives a monthly income of £1304. So a pretty good income in comparison.
I too have done a quick calculation and granted no mortgage/rent outlay but a CAMC site way over our monthly bills and maintenence allocation so definitely couldn't afford not to have a property and fulltime on club sites when paying the 'going' rate.
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