Thinking of Selling Your Static Caravan? Why Waiting Until the End of the Season Could Cost You

If you’re considering selling your static caravan this year, you may be thinking there’s no harm in waiting another few weeks.

In reality, September can be one of the most important times of the year to make a decision.

Every year we see a similar pattern at Static Trader. As the holiday season comes to an end, large numbers of owners start thinking about selling at roughly the same time.

Some have decided they’re not using their caravan enough. Others have received their next site-fee bill, are upgrading, or simply don’t want the expense of another year.

The result?

A lot more static caravans suddenly become available.

More Caravans for Sale Means More Choice for Buyers

Static caravan dealers, holiday parks and trade buyers only need a certain amount of stock.

When there are 20 suitable caravans available, buyers have to compete harder to secure them.

When there are 200 available, they can afford to be much more selective.

That can put downward pressure on offers, particularly where there are several caravans of a similar age, model and specification available at the same time.

This is why waiting until everybody else decides to sell isn't always the best strategy.

Your Caravan Doesn't Suddenly Become Worse

This is something owners sometimes find difficult to understand.

Your caravan could be in exactly the same condition in October or November as it is today.

The difference is the market around it.

If a dealer needs five caravans and has ten to choose from, your caravan may attract a strong bid.

If that same dealer needs five caravans but suddenly has fifty owners offering them stock, they have considerably more negotiating power.

It's simple supply and demand.

Another Year Older Can Matter Too

There is another consideration.

As we move towards a new year, buyers naturally start looking at a caravan as another model year older.

That doesn't mean its value suddenly falls off a cliff on 1 January, but age is one of the factors the trade considers when buying stock.

If you already know you're going to sell, waiting several months purely in the hope that the caravan will become more valuable rarely makes sense.

Don't Forget About Site Fees

Before committing to another season, look carefully at what keeping the caravan will actually cost you.

Depending on your park, you could have site fees, insurance, utilities and other charges to consider.

If you're likely to sell shortly afterwards anyway, paying another round of fees can sometimes wipe out any benefit you hoped to gain by waiting.

It's also worth checking your park agreement to understand whether any prepaid site fees may be refundable if you leave early.

Does This Mean Everyone Should Sell Immediately?

No.

If you're enjoying your caravan, getting plenty of use from it and are happy with the ongoing costs, there's absolutely no reason to sell simply because the season is ending.

Likewise, an on-site private sale can sometimes achieve considerably more than an off-site trade sale, because you're potentially selling the caravan with the benefit of its pitch and site agreement.

But if you've already decided that the caravan is going, there can be a real advantage in getting ahead of the seasonal rush.

How Static Trader Values Your Caravan

We don't simply pick a number out of the air.

Where available, we use industry valuation data as a starting point and then consider the caravan's:

• age, make and model; condition and specification; location and transport costs; current buyer demand; park removal requirements; and current availability of similar stock.

We can then offer suitable caravans through our network of holiday parks, dealers, private trade buyers and export customers to see what genuine demand exists.

Sometimes that allows us to achieve a stronger figure than simply relying on a published trade guide.

Thinking About Selling? Find Out What It's Worth Now

You don't have to commit to selling just because you ask us for a valuation.

If you're considering selling your static caravan over the next few weeks or months, now is a good time to find out where you stand before the end-of-season stock starts coming onto the market.

Send Static Trader the details and some current photographs of your caravan and we'll take a look at the current market and tell you what we believe we can achieve.

Already decided you're selling? Getting ahead of the rush could make all the difference.