Buying a holiday home with Meridian Parks
We’ve developed this helpful buyers’ guide to take you through the process, one step at a time, and to provide answers to any questions you might have.
If there’s anything we haven’t covered, then please feel free to pop in to one of our holiday parks and speak to a member of the team or give us a call for an informal chat.
Why Meridian Parks?
Meridian Parks is a family business, built up over three generations of the Maguire family, who collectively have over 40 years’ experience of working in the holiday parks industry. The family has built up the business from just a single park to now running a number of holiday parks set in a range of stunning locations across the North East, North Yorkshire and the Scottish Borders, whilst still remaining true to their roots and providing a hands-on family service.
We pride ourselves on the fact that all our holiday homes are privately owned and operated, so there is no subletting or holiday hire, offering you peace of mind, a sense of community and a real home away from home.
British Holiday and Home Parks Association
We are licensed members of the British Holiday & Home Parks Association (BHHPA), the national organisation which represents holiday, residential and touring pitches across the UK.
Meridian Parks is licensed by the BHHPA and, unlike large commercial holiday parks, operates within the organisation’s policies and guidelines, giving you additional peace of mind.
Why buy a holiday home?
There are many advantages to buying a holiday home. Not only does it offer you the freedom to take a holiday whenever you please at no extra cost, it also offers a real sense of community. There are many other reasons why people choose to buy, and if you’re a seasoned holiday home owner you won’t need us to tell you what they are.
But if you’re new to the world of holiday home ownership, or even just considering it, we can answer any questions you might have and help you find the right solution that meets the needs of you and your family.
Looking for a competitive quote from a trusted specialist insurance provider?
Four easy steps to buying a holiday home…
So, you think holiday home ownership is for you. Now to find the right holiday home for you and your family. We know this is an important decision, so we’ve broken the process down into four steps to make it easier for you.
The first step is to choose a holiday park that suits your needs and your lifestyle. We would recommend that you narrow down your search before visiting the parks you like the most. Look into the facilities, activities and surroundings, and the things that matter the most to you.
For some this might be the travel time from home, for others it might be the park facilities. Doing this research now will mean many years of happy holidays in the future.
We operate a number of parks in stunning locations across the region, each with its own unique charm and style. So, whether you’re after peace and relaxation in a woodland setting at Cockburnspath, activities for the kids at Allensford, a perfect riverside fishing spot at Burtree Lakes or a village location only a few minutes’ walk from the historic market town of Barnard Castle at Riverview, we have something to suit everyone.
Simply pop in to any of our parks for a free, no obligation tour. We’d be delighted to show you around. And if you want a bit more help in making the decision, feel free to come back with other members of the family and spend a bit of time on the park so you can be sure it’s the right decision for you.
Once you’ve selected your holiday park, pop in to speak to a member of our friendly team who will be happy to show you around all the holiday homes and pitches available, and help you decide what size and layout is best for you and what kind of view you would like.
You might prefer a secluded forest location, a spot near to the park amenities, or a river view pitch, and we can accommodate all your preferences and holiday home specifications to provide you with the perfect home from home.
Come prepared with a list of requirements and questions and we’ll make sure we address them all on an extensive tour of the park. You might also find it helpful to talk to some of the other owners to get valuable feedback which will help you make your decision.
We’re not into pushy sales tactics, so there is no obligation to buy, and we’re always available if you want to pop in or call the office with any questions you may think of later.
If you do make the decision to purchase one of our holiday homes, we’ll talk you through all the costs involved upfront, including running costs, so you know exactly what it will cost and your potential payment options before you make any firm commitments.
The price agreed up front is the total price you will pay. There are no hidden extras or charges to take you by surprise. You simply pay a 10% deposit to secure your holiday home and pay the balance when you’re ready to take ownership.
We offer part exchange on any old or new holiday home or touring caravan, regardless of age, condition or location. We can even arrange collection to make the process as stress free as possible for you.
If you would like to take out finance, we work with a number of approved third parties that we would be happy to recommend including Black Horse finance.
Running Costs
We think it’s important to make it clear to you the costs of running a holiday home at the outset. You can expect to pay for the following:
Site fees, payable once a year.
Gas and electricity. This is charged via meter, so you only pay for what you use. Some of our holiday parks offer bottle gas, starting from £65 for 48 kilos.
Insurance: It’s vitally important that you insure your holiday home, and there are a range of providers who can take care of this for you. If you need any help with this, we can recommend trusted provider Leisure Days which specialises in holiday home insurance.
Our favourite part of the process, where we get to hand over the keys to your new holiday home, get you settled in and welcome you to the Meridian Parks family.
We will personally walk you through every part of your new holiday home, showing you how everything works and leaving you in complete control. We’ll even make sure that the food in your fridge is cold and get the heating on, so you can get cosy and start enjoying your new home away from home.
Protecting your holiday home
We deal only with trusted manufacturers, all of which offer warranties on their holiday homes. To provide you with an extra level of reassurance, we also provide a 12-month park warranty on some of our pre-owned holiday homes.
All new holiday homes come with extensive warranty, provided by the manufacturers. As an example, Swift Group provide three levels of warranty:
- 3 year Supersure warranty: covering all parts and fittings including furniture, kitchens, showers, sockets, interior doors and guttering.
- 5 year structural warranty: covering the structural integrity of the home as well as doors, windows, walls, ceilings, carpets.
- 10 year chassis warranty
Still unsure?
If you still have questions or concerns about any aspect of buying a holiday home, simply pop in or give us a call for a chat with a member of the team who will be happy to assist you.