Following the recent Cop26 summit in Glasgow, we’ve all got the planet on our minds. James Sumner, associate director at Warfield Park, in Bracknell Forest, Berkshire, examines whether the construction of mobile homes helps or hinders…

Park homes have been around for many decades. Although traditionally popular with older or retired people looking to downsize and move into a community of like-minded people, their appeal is growing with other age groups and demographics too. There are currently approximately 92,000 park homes on around 2,000 licensed sites across the country. The sector is certainly growing as park homes are proving increasingly in demand.

Major decision

Buying any new home is a major decision for anybody; more so for a park home as they are significantly different to bricks-andmortar properties – they are constructed using different materials and the legal processes are not what people are used to. Buyers want to be sure they are acquiring a quality product; one element that’s often questioned, especially with current concern over global warming, is how sustainable a park home is. Will it be warm enough and how much will it cost to heat? Many will be surprised to learn that most new park homes are more energy-efficient than the vast majority of existing housing stock across the country.