Campsites for sale / lease ?

[Sparky2]

My wife and i are thinking about selling up and buying or leasing a campsite in Scotland (West coast/Skye area).

We have seen a couple for sale on daltonsbusiness.com but there doesnt seem to be many for sale on the web at all ?

We have tried asking the caravan club and the caravan and camping club (of which we are members of the latter) but they refused to help unless we wanted a franchise of theirs.

Does anybody know where all the campsites are advertised ??

or are their any specialist agents out their ?

Thanks

Mark

 

[Roger_5040982]

have a look at:

www.edwardsandpartners.co.uk

roger

 

[Sparky2]

Thanks very much, thats just what i was after.

You would think these companies would advertise more...nothing comes up on any of the web searches and nothing in any of the magazines.

Anybody know of any others ?

 

[emmitdb]

Hi sparky,

Here's another one for you

Foxleisure.co.uk

 

[Sparky2]

Another good site, thanks for all your help guys.

 

[Rioja]

Lots of sites change hands by word of mouth.You often find multiple ownership too.Apparently with the increased popularity of caravanning quite a few sites are being bought by pension funds.

You don't get much for even a million nowadays.

I would suggest anyone who fancy's owning and running a site gets a job on one first. You might change your mind or at least change your perspective of what you want. If you are going to try and run it with very little help, the less facilities you offer the better.

 

[Guest]

I think that is a very valid comment. Sitting at home 'pipedreaming' is one thing, actually having to go out in all weathers is another. Also dealing with 'Joe Public' can drive anyone to contemplate suicide after a while. The idea of buying a pub, and sitting chatting quietly to customers also can be appealing, till you find out the cellar work, not to mention the paperwork involved.

The suggestion to try a period of employment as an Asst Warden is also excellent advice, better to be disappointed than bankrupt.

My final comment would be that no-one normally sells a 'goldmine' so ask why it is for sale in the first place.

 

[cris_408518]

We used a now well known site in Cornwall many years ago, it had changed hands a number of times we were told. The owner when we went there was working about 20 hours a day along with his wife and kids in tow. Around that time a water shortage forced a lot to cancel holidays in Cornwall hence sites lost a lot of money.

We've since been told that the site changed hand at least twice before it was bought by people with a lot of money to invest and since than it has gone from strength to strength. Another near by site, the owners buit the site business by using the husbands building business that he ran for the first few years.

So he was running two jobs to start with.

 

[Sparky2]

Thanks again guys, we probably are being a bit naive...but we have looked at all the figures and talked it through with experts.

Hopefully our money will go that bit further in Scotland, we are looking for a run down site in a good location - but i suppose thats what everybody is looking for too.

 

[Guest]

'Hoepfully our money will go that bit further in Scotland'.

We could take offence at that part up here, do you think we are the cheap end of the vountry????? Especially when you discover the further 'out' you go, the higher the living costs. Highest fuel costs in Britain are awaiting you, just for starters.

And then of course, once we go independent...you will be liable to the 30% expatriate tax, and the border crossing tax, and of course the extra costs to watch Premier League football. They didn't tell you about those??? Oh dear, oh dear.

Seriously, go look, but remember what may seem a bargain is not always so, and do check carefully the legal side of things as there are different planning laws up here. Just ask Mr Trump from New York.

 

[Sparky2]

Oops, sorry Scotch Lad...i guess i should have mentioned i am originally from Yorkshire but have lived in Fife for the last 8 years. My wife is 100% scottish though.

We are looking into a franchise from the camping & caravanning club, they dont have that many sites in Scotland and the ones they do have always seem to be full. Still doing the maths at the moment.

 

[Guest]

OK, we will give you a 50% deduction.....hee! hee!

I also lived in Fife for a number of years in the 60's, in the northern half of the County. Some of the local villages were likened to 'mini Surrey's' due to the large number of arrivals from the south. By now I assume they are all naturalised citizens.

 

[Rioja]

Is it possible to be natural and from Surrey !!!!!!!!!!

 

[Guest]

Only you can answer that?? Only I suggest you keep the second head inside your jersey when in public???

 

[cris_408518]

A friends neighbour sold their modest detached Surrey Bungalow to builders in late 2005 and their neigbours sold their House and smallish garden to. The site now has 6 X 4 bedroom detached homes and the local builder thinks he sold them to cheap. The last one went in December for

 

[Guest]

Cris,

You need to re-read the posts. Sparky has been living in Fife for the last 8 years so I don't think he is benefitting from the Surrey property boom anymore. He has also had 8 years of fresh air in the Kingdom, unless he lives beside the gas plant.

Mind you if he is a property millionaire, I wonder if he needs some assistance (for a large fee of course) on his new site????

 

[cris_408518]

SL. I did read and fully understand but was just pointing out why some will have fled Surrey ;-)

 

[Guest]

Cris,

You will have to explain that one so i can understand.

Are you saying people are leaving Surrey because it is not the best place to live, or they wish to use the equity in their houses to 'lord' it over poorer folks oop north? Or do they feel us people oop north have a better quality of life and having allowed their own bit to get screwed up, they wish to move out?

Curiously many Scots I know who moved south in the 60's etc to find work, don't want to come back, and I recognise their points of view.

 

[cris_408518]

I took it that your "Surrey" reference was a generalsation Scotch Lad as was my post in its way. And as posted "the grass is always Greener".

South of France to 3 ago our caravan was next to families from the Lanc's Yorkshire and the Newcastle area and a Scottish Family. Somebody started the common Southerner gags in a friendly way. I was one who migrated to the South East as I couldn't get work in the South West, I did get on my bike!

Property price gaps around the country have closed up. But SE England is still over all the most expensive place to live.

On the French site we had an interesting evening talking of life and homes and the chap from the Newcastle area worked for the emergency services as a senior manager, he and his wife had considered moving near to her sister on the Surrey Kent. The guy had got to final interview for a better paying position in the area so they had started house hunting, their home near Newcastle had rocketed in price but by the end of a day in estate agents and viewing a couple og houses they realised that they would have to give up a nice sized garden for the kids, down size in house and wanting somewhere half decent to live they couldn't see how despite far better pay they could not afford or get the extra

 

[Guest]

All very true, but unfortunately many 'movers' seem to have the idea that they can move to another part of the country because it attracts them, and then try very hard to change it into the same thing as they left behind. As for the cash angle I think it is inevitable that someone who sells up at

 

[cris_408518]

I think you'll find SL that a lot of people are just jealous that others move into an area and afford the more expensive houses.

Local people could have bought our old house 20 odd years ago, but many in the village and local area considered it to much hard work including some builders. We put in the highest sealed bid and moved in with a our kids some food bought by our parents and no money and owed the damp treatment company