Articles
Articles
Protecting Your Park Home in the Cold Winter
With most of the country recently experiencing the first extended cold spell of Autumn / Winter, it seems appropriate to feature how you can best keep your Park Home protected from the cold weather and what you might expect from your insurance in the event of loss or damage should the measures you take fail….
The Importance of New for Old for Your Park Home
When it comes to arranging the insurance for your Park Home and Contents, the importance of ensuring you secure cover on a New for Old basis cannot be overstated. This article explains why this is important and provides you with some tips when choosing which insurance is the right one for you. What does an…
World of Park and Leisure Homes Review
It was a brilliant three days at the World of Park and Leisure Homes show at Stoneleigh, with the pleasure of seeing loads of people drop in at our stand. Our team members loved chatting with existing & potential customers from local parks and further away and those thinking of becoming the owners of a…
Utility Bills as a Park Home Owner
Understanding your rights as a park homeowner regarding utility bills is pivotal for maintaining transparency and ensuring fair treatment. When your park owner provides utilities such as electricity, water, or gas, you have the right to seek clarification on various aspects: 1. Utility Rates You’re entitled to know the rates you’re being charged for each…
Leisure Living 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Happy Homeownership
Owning a leisure home is a significant milestone in one’s life, marking a transition to a new chapter filled with possibilities and opportunities for personalization. However, the journey to happy homeownership goes beyond just acquiring a property; it involves creating a space that fosters leisure, comfort, and joy. In this beginner’s guide, we’ll explore key…
Exhibiting at the World of Park and Leisure Show
We’re delighted to announce that we’ll have our regular stall at the World of Park & Leisure Home Show at NAEC Stoneleigh from June 27th to 30th, 2024. Come along and meet us at the show, see the latest homes, grab new ideas, maybe nab some freebies and chat with the friendly chatty team from…
What to Do to Prevent Loss of Freezer Contents in the Event of a Power Cut
Keeping Your Frozen Goods Safe and Sound We’ve all been there – you wake up in the morning only to discover that a power cut occurred during the night. Panic sets in as you rush to the kitchen to check on your freezer, fearing that all your hard-earned groceries have gone to waste. While power…
Park Home Residents Associations
A well run residents association provides a vital conduit between the site manager and residents and if the relationship works well, then any issues on the park can be resolved quickly and in an amicable fashion. To have the suitable authority, the association should be qualified, which means that certain criteria has to be met….
Older Park Homes
When you are looking to insure your soon-to-be-purchased park home or shopping around when your existing insurance is due for renewal, you quickly realise that the number of insurers who will offer a quote is limited. In reality, there are probably less than a dozen insurance providers who specialise in the insurance of park homes,…
An IPHAS Guide to Understanding Park Home Ownership
Whether you’re a seasoned park homeowner or a prospective buyer, navigating the complexities of park home ownership requires careful consideration and understanding. In collaboration with the Independent Park Home Advisory Service (IPHAS), we’ve compiled some useful information to help you make sense of the buying process. 1. The Written Statement Park Home Written Statements, along…
Preventing Vermin Damage To Your Park Home
Your park home is your sanctuary, a place of comfort and relaxation. It provides you with the serenity of the countryside and the convenience of community living. However, the tranquillity of park home living can be disrupted by unwanted guests: vermin. These unwelcome critters can wreak havoc on your property, causing damage and stress. In…
Top Tips For Maintaining Your Park Home
If you’re one of the proud owners of a park home, you know that it offers a unique and delightful way of life. Park homes provide a sense of community, freedom, and a tranquil environment that many find appealing. Proper maintenance is key to ensuring your park home remains a comfortable and inviting place to…
How To Avoid A Fire Starting In Your Park Home
Living in a park home can be a peaceful and fulfilling experience. These compact and comfortable spaces offer a unique sense of community and freedom. However, park home residents must remain vigilant when it comes to fire safety. Fire incidents can be devastating, and prevention is always better than cure. In this blog post, we…
Arranging Fundraising Activities Within Your Park Home Community
In the heart of every park home community lies a strong sense of togetherness and camaraderie. These close-knit neighbourhoods often represent more than just a collection of houses; they are vibrant communities with residents who care deeply about one another. One way to foster this sense of community and give back is by organising fundraising…
How to Avoid Being Conned by Rogue Traders When Maintaining Your Park Home
Maintaining your park home is a responsibility that comes with owning this unique and comfortable accommodation style. Whether you’re a full-time resident or use your park home as a holiday getaway, you want to ensure that it remains in excellent condition. However, in the world of home maintenance, there’s always a risk of encountering rogue…
Fundraising Competition 2024
PBIS are proud to present a new competition for 2024! We are focusing on rewarding park home residents and their efforts to raise money for charity this year. All charities are worthy beneficiaries of donations, so the aim of the competition is not for us to judge who is most worthy but rather to draw…
Preventing Water Leaks In Your Park Home
Your park home is your sanctuary, a place of comfort and relaxation. To keep it that way, it’s essential to be proactive in maintaining it. One of the most common and potentially damaging issues you may encounter is water leaks. Water leaks can cause structural damage and mould growth and create a host of other…
New Quote & Buy Site!
We are delighted to be able to offer an online quote option through our website and thank our colleagues within the Digital Team at Insync Insurance for delivering this to our specifications. From the outset, we wanted the customer journey to be as easy to follow as possible, with the minimum number of questions to…
£400 Energy Payment Available
Following on from our recent newsletter, we now have a couple of updates which will be very good news for park home residents on the issues of the energy payment and pitch fees. £400 ENERGY PAYMENT The government has just announced that park home residents can now apply for the £400 energy payment online at…
JUSTICE Rally Update
Paul Baker Insurance Services (PBIS) was delighted to provide sponsorship to help park home residents travel to the Park Home Owners’ JUSTICE Campaign Rally at Downing Street and the House of Commons on the 28th of November. There was a great gathering of residents at the entrance to Downing Street to see campaign founder Sonia…
Park & Leisure Homes Show – A date for your Diary!
We want to highlight an exciting opportunity to learn more about some of the traders in the industry with the World of Park & Leisure Homes show! World of Park & Leisure Homes Show is an amazing OUTDOOR SHOW offering Park Owners, Land Owners, Operators etc., along with those in the Trade / Public, the…
£400 Energy Rebate Update
We wanted our readers to be aware that the Government has issued a press release regarding the Energy Prices Bill and £400 Energy Rebate, which will underpin the support it aims to provide those who do not typically have a domestic energy bill due to the type of housing they’re in, like Park Homes. The…
Fire Danger: Electric Fan Story
We recently received news of a fire that started from an Electric Fan that was being used by the Park Homeowner during the heatwave. Only the prompt action by the Park Homeowner and the Fire Brigade prevented this park home from being destroyed. Many of us have been using these devices probably continually during this…
Good News: Energy Bills Rebate for Park Home Residents
Following pressure from the Park Home Owners’ JUSTICE Campaign, the Government has now confirmed that Park Home residents will receive the £400 energy bill rebate. Previously it was unclear if residents who do not have a domestic electricity meter or a direct relationship with an energy supplier would receive the rebate. An announcement with details…
The Park-Help-Line is Closed
We are sad to report that the Park-Help-Line founded by Sonia McColl of the Park Home JUSTICE Campaign, sponsored by Paul Baker Insurance Services (PBIS) and manned by volunteers, has taken its last call. The service has run successfully for a number of years, during which time it has helped hundreds of park home residents…
Water Meters for all Park Homes: Sign the Petition!
Water Meters are essential for tracking individual usage, with many residents being passed on charges from some site owners regarding wasted water/water leaks on their parks, which are the site owner’s responsibility. If this affects you, please sign the petition on the link below and share it with your neighbours and friends to get this…
Update: the £400 Energy Grant
“There is much concern, and stories are circulating that park home residents will not get this payment. This has been brought about because the Chancellor said that every household would get the £400 energy grant. However, he failed to say that park homeowners would not get it because they did not have an individual electricity…
Pitch Fee Increase Calculations: Lobbying RPI to CPI
am grateful to Sonia McColl of the Park Home Owners’ JUSTICE Campaign for updating me following the recent meeting of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Park Homes held on the 7th of February.
Useful Links
Please peruse our list of useful links for Park and Leisure Homeowners to help with complaints, maintenance, schemes and more. Government Advice and Fact Sheets on Park homes LEASE – Leasehold Advisory Service Park Homes Law Citizens Advice Consumer Service – Reporting to Trading Standards Citizens Advice Consumer Service – Consumer Query Advice Direct Scotland…
The Ownership Model: Park Home Residences
Whilst the home itself will be owned by the resident, the land upon which the home is sited – the plot – will remain in the ownership of the site owner and a monthly pitch fee will be payable to the site owner for the use of the land and services and to cover the…
Residential Mobile Park Home Act in Scotland: Scottish Park Homeowners
The law relating to park homes in Scotland is different to the law which applies in England, and indeed in Wales, and was subject to change from 1st September 2013, changes made under the Mobile Homes Act 1983 (Amendment of Schedule 1.)
Advice: Park Home Mainenance
A lot of maintenance issues are common sense, but it pays to check your home regularly; small amounts spent from time to time are far more preferable than paying for extensive repairs if problems are not nipped in the bud. And if you cannot check your home yourself, please ask a friendly neighbour or relative…
It’s business as usual at Paul Baker Insurance Services (PBIS)
Most readers will be aware that PBIS became part of Insync Solutions Ltd with effect from 1st January 2022. Whilst this has meant a number of behind-the-scenes changes to our internal systems, which are designed to ensure the business remains robust and efficient going forward, as far as policyholders are concerned, it is very much business…
Considering Thermal Insulation or Cladding?
Thermal insulation or cladding is a type of material that is used to insulate all types of properties, but it has become particularly popular with park homes in recent years. This is due in part due to the availability of grants but also because it really can reduce your heating bills which go up and…
Legal Information: Your Obligations and Site Owner’s
The construction of a park home is unique, the lifestyle is unique, and the legislation which protects park home residents is pretty unique too – it only applies to park homes on parks which are licensed for permanent residential occupation – protected parks. Written Agreements are key to keeping everyone happy, so it is critically…
Updated: Insuring Older Park Homes
We get a lot of enquiries about insuring older homes. Many other insurers will decline to offer cover or will charge an extortionate premium if they do offer cover. At Paul Baker Insurance Services, we are happy to insure older homes as long as they are in a good state of repair and have been…
Park Homes and Consumer Rights Act
Sound Advice We are delighted to publish this excellent and informative article written by Park Home legal expert Ibraheem Dulmeer, it will be of particular interest to purchasers of new homes. Here at Paul Baker Insurance Services (PBIS), we have spoken to several residents in recent months who have been very unhappy with their new…
News: Site Operator Breaches Planning Law
A site operator has been fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of more than £11,000 after being found guilty of deliberately breaching planning law and two planning enforcement notices. The Vale of White Horse District Council prosecuted the owners of Bayworth Mobile Home Park near Abingdon, Wyldecrest Parks (Management) Limited, after they failed to…
IPHAS looking for Website Editor
The national residents’ association IPHAS (Independent Park Home Advisory Service) is currently seeking to recruit someone to look after its website. For anyone who is not familiar with this organisation, IPHAS was established more than 25 years ago and, over the intervening years, has offered advice to thousands of people who either live in park…
Secure Payments at Paul Baker Insurance
I am sure we have all heard horror stories about credit and debit cards being cloned and money being taken from bank accounts by scammers. Sadly, there are people out there that will look to commit these criminal acts. Most banks and credit card providers will now have measures in place to reimburse your payments,…
Find Legal Advice For Buying a Park Home
What you need to know when buying a Park Home Whether you are choosing to buy a park home directly from a site owner or a pre-owned park home from an existing park homeowner, spending your life savings on your home may feel very daunting. Ibraheem Dulmeer at Park Homes Law has helped many park…
Insuring Park Homes up for Sale
It can be difficult to arrange insurance on park homes up for sale, particularly if they are unoccupied or if the previous insurance has lapsed, possibly due to the death of the previous owner. Paul Baker Insurance Services receive many requests to insure such risks, often referred to us by a competitor, and we will…
Park Homes: Annual Pitch Fee Reviews
All residents living in licensed residential parks are required to pay a monthly pitch fee, which will vary considerably from park to park and even within a park, there appears to be no agreed basis for calculating the pitch fee, but there are strict rules for increasing it. The pitch fee can only be increased…
Explained: British Standard 3632 for Park Homes
British Standard 3632 is the standard to which residential park homes are built; homes built to this standard are considered to be suitable to be used as a permanent residence and occupied all year round. Some holiday lodges are also built to this superior specification meaning that they too can be used as a main…
Park Home Base Issues: Legal Advice
We are delighted to include an article about park home base issues written by leading park home barrister Ibraheem Dulmeer. As bases are owned by and the responsibility of the site owner, they are not covered by your park home insurance policy; any problems with the base should always be referred to the site owner…
The Wrong Paint
This story recently came to our notice, and we thought it would be of interest to homeowners considering repainting their homes. It is a site rule that homeowners must maintain the outside of their homes, and the rules in this particular case stated the colour should not differ from the original colour scheme. The chosen…
Use a Park Home Specialist Solicitor: A True Story
This story reaffirms why you should always use a solicitor who is conversant with park home legislation when buying a new or indeed a pre-owned park home. The story relates to a small residential park which is licensed for 5 park homes. The site owner decided to add two more homes to the park; without…
Oil Heating in your Park Home
Whilst most park homes are heated by LPG, historically, many are heated by oil, usually because the park is not served by mains gas. Oil heating is, of course, perfectly acceptable, and park home insurance policies should cover loss or damage caused by the escape of oil; they should also cover the cost of any…
Survey your Park Home
We always recommend having a survey (and seeking out any hidden damage) when purchasing a park home; you would not contemplate buying bricks and mortar property without one; why should a park home be any different? One of the biggest causes of park home insurance claims is damage caused by the escape of water. Leaks…
News Update: Park Home Owners’ JUSTICE Campaign
This update has a range of issues we have been campaigning for, including; Our campaign regarding the RPI to CPI Pitch fee cost and 10% commission charge. The Government’s £2 billion green Homes Scheme for which grants are available for Park Homes A shocking revelation by the Dail Mirror exposed donations to the government and…
The Benefits of a Qualifying Residents’ Association (QRA)
Many residential parks have residents’ associations, some are fairly informal with no structure, rules or elected officers, and they may or may not have over 50% of the homes in their membership; these associations often have an informal relationship with the park owner, which can be beneficial and often organise community events and outings for…
Inheritance Rules for Park Homes
The inheritance rules applying to park homes differ from those applying to bricks and mortar properties; you must adhere to any written agreements unless told otherwise. See more below. When a park homeowner dies, the provisions of the deceased’s will or the rules of intestacy apply to the actual park home, but the right to…
Ownership Changes in Residential Parks
Every year, thousands of park homeowners suddenly find their parks under new ownership, often the first confirmation being the presence in the park of unfamiliar faces. However, as things stand, there is no obligation upon either the previous or the new ownership to give advance notice to occupying residents. For many who have become accustomed…
Good Neighbour Awards
There is no doubt that good neighbours, and conversely bad neighbours, can make a huge difference to our happiness and to our lives, no more so than in a residential park where, generally speaking, residents are older and quite often live alone. In some parks, some active social clubs and groups organise events and outings,…
Blanket Sum Insurance Policies Explained (2021)
Increasingly Park Home policies offer what the industry describes as blanket sums insured; what do they mean? Historically when insuring your home and contents, you were asked how much you wanted to insure them for, and the premium was calculated accordingly. This was fine if you knew how much it would cost to replace your…
Exterior Finishes on Park Homes
All properties require regular maintenance, and park homes are no different. Indeed, being detached, you will have four walls to take care of! It is really important to look after the exterior of your home. Generally speaking, homes with a textured finish will need to be re-textured every 3 years, although this may vary by…
Working From Home
One of the consequences of the COVID crisis is that more and more people are now working from home, and it is quite likely that for many, this will become the new ‘normal’. Here at Paul Baker Insurance Services, that is certainly going to be the case, with 8 out of 11 staff likely to…
Scams: Beware of Fake Park Home Insurance
We have been advised that several park home residents in Surrey have purchased what they believed to be legitimate park home insurance from a sham company trading as ‘Barkers of Cheltenham’. Sadly this is a SCAM, the company address and telephone numbers are fake, but several people, we do not know how many, have purchased…
The ‘Fit & Proper’ Person Test Explained
Following a review of park home legislation in 2018, the Government committed to introduce a fit and proper person test for site licence holders and managers on licensed protected residential parks in England. Wales introduced this test in 2014, so England and Scotland lag behind – to say the least! The purpose of the test is…
Where to go for Park Home related Advice
Because there are only around 80,000 park homes in England, Scotland and Wales and because Park Home or Mobile Home legislation is so bespoke, it can sometimes be difficult to know where to go if you need help or advice. Fortunately, there are several excellent places to go to get really professional and helpful advice…
Buying a Park Home – Surveys, Solicitors & Insurance
The purchase of a residential park home, like the purchase of any property, represents a significant investment, and yet it is a fact that many people go about the purchase in a very more relaxed way than they would if they were buying a traditional brick and mortar property. For example, most people do not…
How Secure is your Park Home?
There is a general perception that incidents of crime in residential parks are much lower than they are on a traditional housing estate, due in part to the fact that park home residents are generally retired. So their homes will likely be occupied during the working day when many homes on a traditional housing estate…
24 Hour Emergency Assistance Service
Many park home residents are elderly and vulnerable, and many residential parks are in isolated rural locations where it is often difficult to find a competent tradesman, especially in an emergency. The park home policies available from Paul Baker Insurance Services include a 24-hour Home Emergency Assistance Service, which ensures that a trusted, the reputable…
Park Home News Magazine 2021 Edition
The 2021 edition of Park Home News magazine, now in its 15th year, is now available, packed as usual with loads of news and views about the park home lifestyle; it is a highly recommended read, especially for those thinking of buying a park home. The magazine is posted to around 6,5000 park homes in England,…
Advice: Refurbished Park Homes
An increasing number of older park homes are being refurbished. The results can be amazing, literally transforming a tired and dated property into the equivalent of a brand new home. Quite honestly, it can often be very difficult, if not impossible, to tell the original age of the property due to the exceptionally high standards…
FAQs about Park Homes
Whilst we primarily park home insurance specialists, we have a very wide knowledge of the park home lifestyle, the park home community and issues and challenges that are faced by park home residents in their daily lives. We’ve compiled some frequently asked questions in the hope of answering your queries. If you have a question…
Security and Community of Park Home Associations
One of the attractions of park home living is the sense of community that living in a park brings with it often, there is a park manager or warden, but more importantly, because most residents are retired, there are always people about Another benefit is being part of an Association that can bring extra benefits…
Unoccupied Homes and Covid-19
In these unprecedented times, many people have found themselves stranded away from home in all parts of the world; we have policyholders currently stuck in New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain and Portugal whose homes have now been unoccupied for 60 days or more. There are two elements to this, what policy terms apply when homes…
How to keep your Park Home Secure
Whilst incidents of criminal activity in residential parks are fortunately rare, we are all spending a lot more time at home now, and some of us are looking for things to do to occupy our time. One activity could be to make some home improvements if you can do without breaking lockdown rules. Making sure…
Does your Park Home Insurance cover damage caused by Vermin?
It is estimated that there are about 10 million rats in the United Kingdom. They are secretive and rarely seen, and most of us will never have an adverse experience of them or their behaviour, but rats and other vermin like mice can cause considerable damage to our homes and property. In 2017 Paul Baker…
Insuring Older Park Homes
The design and construction of park homes have improved beyond measure in the last 20 years, and today’s modern ones bears little resemblance to the ‘caravan’ style homes built in the 1960s and 1970s. Pitched tile effect roofs, double glazed UPVC doors and windows, central heating, underfloor and wall insulation, the latest appliances, walk-in wardrobes,…