Start with the licence agreement, because it decides everything
Selling a static caravan is not like selling a car. With most holiday park statics, you own the caravan itself, but you do not own the ground it stands on. You hold a licence to keep it on that pitch.
That one fact shapes every option you have. The written licence agreement you signed sets out what you are allowed to do, who you can sell to, and what it will cost you.
So before you speak to anyone, dig out that agreement and read it properly. Not the brochure, not what you were told on the day. The signed document, and any park rules attached to it.
What to look for in the agreement
- Your right to sell privately. Some agreements allow a private sale on the pitch. Many restrict it, or require the park's written consent. Some say the van must be sold through the park if it stays on site.
- Commission on a park-handled sale. If the park sells it for you, there is usually a commission or fee taken from the sale price. Check how it is calculated.
- The age limit. Most parks set a maximum age for caravans kept on site. This is a park rule, not a law, and it varies from park to park. A van near that limit has a short future on the pitch, and buyers know it.
- Notice periods and transfer fees. Look for how much notice you must give if you want to end the licence, and whether there is a fee to transfer the pitch licence to a new owner.
- Pitch fee liability. Find out exactly when your responsibility for the pitch fee ends. In most cases it runs until the van is sold or removed.
If anything is unclear, ask the park to explain it in writing. If you end up in a significant dispute, get independent advice from a solicitor or an advice service before you sign anything.
Sited value and off site value are two different numbers
A sited sale means the van stays where it is and the new owner takes on the pitch. What they are buying is the van plus a place to keep it. That only works if the park accepts them, if the van meets the age rule, and if the agreement allows it.
An off site sale means the van is bought on its own and taken away. The pitch is not part of the deal, and the buyer takes on the work of moving it.
The two figures are rarely the same, and neither is automatically higher. A sited sale can look strong on paper, but it depends on park approval and on what comes off the top in fees.
Why off site matters is simple. Selling sited means finding a buyer who wants your van, on that park, and who the park will accept. Selling off site opens it up to buyers anywhere in the country. If the van is over the park's age limit, off site may be the only route left.
Your three real options compared
| Option | How it works | Things to weigh up |
|---|---|---|
| Sell back to the park | The park buys the van, or takes it in part exchange against a newer one. | Quick and simple. The figure offered is often low next to what the van might fetch elsewhere, particularly on a part exchange where the discount sits inside a bigger deal. Ask for the buy-back figure and the new van price separately. |
| Sell privately, van stays on the pitch | You find a buyer who keeps the van on that park and takes over the licence. | Can achieve the strongest price if it is allowed. Depends on the agreement, park approval of the buyer, and the age limit. Expect commission, transfer fees or both. It can take months, and pitch fees keep running. |
| Sell off site to a buyer who removes it | A buyer purchases the caravan and takes it away from the park. | No park approval needed and no age limit issue. Ends pitch fee liability once the van is gone. The offer reflects the van alone, not the pitch. Access has to allow removal. |
None of these is automatically right. It depends on the van's age, the park's rules and how quickly you need it dealt with.
What is actually involved in removing a static
If the van is going off site, the practical side matters as much as the price. A static is large, heavy and moved on a transporter, not towed behind a car.
- Access. The route in and out has to take a lorry. Narrow lanes, tight bends, low branches, gradients and gateposts all matter, as does how close the neighbouring vans sit.
- Disconnection. Gas, electric, water and waste need disconnecting safely first. Gas work should be done by a suitably qualified engineer.
- Decking and skirting. Steps, decking, skirting and any add-ons usually have to be dismantled.
- Hard standing. The van is lifted or winched onto the transporter, which needs firm ground. Soft or waterlogged pitches can mean waiting for better conditions.
- Park notice. Most parks want advance notice and will have set days or times for a removal.
Removal is a real cost, which is one reason off site figures differ from sited ones. When we buy a van, removal is free of charge once the offer is accepted, so it does not come out of what you are paid.
Pitch fees keep running until the van goes
Worth repeating on its own, because it catches people out. In most agreements the pitch fee is due until the van is sold or removed. Deciding to sell does not stop the clock. Neither does shutting the van up over winter.
A slow sale can quietly cost you more than the gap between two offers. Work out what a month of pitch fees costs, then judge any timescale against that.
A short checklist before you commit to anything
- Read the signed licence agreement and park rules in full.
- Confirm in writing whether you can sell privately, and what fees apply if the park handles it.
- Check the age limit and how many years your van has left on site.
- Find out the exact date your pitch fee liability ends.
- Get more than one figure, and compare like with like, sited against sited and off site against off site.
- Ask what is deducted from any headline figure before you see the money.
- Take photographs of the van, inside and out.
- Check the access route honestly.
- Do not sign anything you do not understand, and take independent advice if there is a serious disagreement.
If the off site route makes sense, we buy static caravans across the country and take them off site ourselves. Read more about how we sell a static caravan, get a free caravan valuation, or check the areas we cover.
Fill in the form with the make, model and year, the park it is on and what the access is like. We will come back to you with a free, no-obligation offer. If it is not right for you, nothing happens.