The caravan industry is booming and staycation holidays look set to be even more popular in 2021 with likely restrictions on foreign travel – once holiday parks can reopen of course!
If you’re thinking of selling or part exchanging your static here are some tips on how to maximise the resale value of your existing caravan.
Top tips for optimising your static caravan resale value?
1. Look through the eyes of a buyer
Take a good look at your holiday caravan as though you were intending to buy it. What’s the state of the oven, hob and fridge? Are the carpets frayed, is there a stain on the sofa, any broken windows, mould around the sink, cupboard door hanging off, signs of damp on the walls….the list goes on?
New carpets are not usually too expensive and can make an instant impact. It’s often possible to replace kitchen appliances easily and cheaply too.
Replacing or reupholstering soft furnishings can of course be a little more costly so it might be something you have to weigh up against potential extra resale value.
Dents and scratches to outside panels might be a bit more costly to fix but it could be worthwhile in the long term.
It’s easy to forget about these little flaws but they’re the sort of thing buyers will notice and you want to make sure you’re presenting your static caravan in the best possible way. So get them fixed or replaced if at all possible. It will also show your dealer or buyer that you’ve taken care of your pride and joy.
2. Keep on top of cleaning and maintenance
There’s plenty of things you can do to keep your static caravan in tip-top condition, and first up, it’s keeping on top of cleaning, both inside and out. Dirty bathrooms and kitchens, plus signs of pets and smells, will certainly put off a future buyer and could affect your trade-in price.
A thorough clean of the ceiling, walls and inside cupboards with some diluted disinfectant will really clean things up and get rid of any unwanted smells.
And when cleaning if you spot any signs of wear and tear get them fixed quickly. For example, mouldy sealant around shower trays and sinks is easy to fix. A dirty oven and hob is easily remedied with a bit of elbow grease or you may even find a mobile oven cleaning service to tackle to toughest of grime.
Leaving the fridge and cupboard doors open when you’re away from your static caravan for long periods will help prevent the build-up of mould and smell, and moisture traps will help to prevent damp in the colder months.
Pet and smoke smells are often hard to shift. If your static caravan’s still a little whiffy you could take more drastic action. Paying for a professional to clean your soft furnishings and carpets could be one option. Then there are such things as odour bombs that you can pick up to neutralise bad smells. If selling privately, your park operator may have a few contacts for professional internal cleaning services.
If you’re selling your caravan on it’s existing pitch including decking, get your decking looking shipshape. Scrubbing clean any marks on plastic decking, restaining or treating wooden decking could really spruce up your caravan’s appearance.
Paying a professional to clean the outside your caravan may really pay off as could knock years off its appearance.
3. Spruce things up
Shower curtains and screens can attract mould but they’re easy enough to wash and re-treat or replace if really bad. Same goes for bath and door mats.
If you’re trying to impress a private buyer why not add a few new cushions, bedding, towels or a rug to spruce up the interior – you can always take them with you to your new ‘van or for at home.
4. Avoid too much DIY
Be careful when it comes to major DIY jobs on your static caravan. You need to be careful not to be screwing into the wallboards and remember your choice of interior design might not be to the next buyer’s taste. Keep things as original as you can. For private sales if you have lots of personal knick-knacks, then, now might be a time to declutter so the buyer can see maximum space.
5. Make sure any servicing is up to date
Presenting any proof of servicing to your caravan, plus certificates to prove gas appliance safety checks are up to date, will be of comfort to buyers.
6. Paperwork and keys
Make sure any owners’ manuals from your manufacturer and ones for the appliances such as cookers, fridges and boilers are safely packaged up for the new buyer. And get all sets of keys for all doors and windows ready for handover. If there are any outstanding warranties on your caravan, appliances or extras fitted make sure they’re also mentioned and presented to potential buyers as these will be reflected in their valuation.
Over to you…
What’s your top tip when it comes to optimising your static caravan’s re-sale value? We’d love to hear your comments in the box below.
My caravan is less than 3 years old and the site owner offered me less than half that I paid for it, it was used 3 months max when first purchased from them and has never been slept in overnight therefore I’m perplexed by your article re how to maximise re sale value, mine is virtually new.
Hi Alyson, the valuation is between you and your park so it’s hard to comment on. If you are unhappy with the park’s valuation, are you able to put the unit up for a private sale or could you seek a valuation from an independent dealer who would elect to remove the caravan from the park?
Small, inexpensive changes make a big difference e.g. replacing light pulls and cords.
‘Dress’ the beds with runners and cushions.