A static caravan home project

Improving the quality of life and care for an elderly Mother

Location, Yatton, North Somerset

Size, 8.2m x 5.4m, 38sqm inside

Materials, British cedar, standing seam metal cladding, and natural wood fibre and FSC timber materials throughout

Type, Twin-unit static caravan [mobile home] with a flat roof

This is a warm and efficient static caravan (mobile) home for an elderly customer with daily assisted living needs. It is located in the large garden of her daughter’s house. We have designed and made this home to be an accessible open plan space with all the necessary assisted living features.

What is a static caravan v mobile home?

These terms are interchangeable. In this project, the structure was constructed as a high-specification twin-unit static caravan. We manufactured two sections in our workshop in two sections, mounted on a steel chassis with wheels, and then loaded onto a low-loader truck. Once on site, they were rolled into position and bolted together to create a complete home.

Our customer engaged Cabinmakers to design and make a twin-unit static caravan as it met all of their needs;

The customers did not want a permanent structure such as a bungalow. A twin-unit static caravan is not a permanent building, as it can be moved or split apart and sold at a later date.
The garden location allowed for a mid-sized static caravan, perfect for a two-bedroom home for an elderly family member with daily care needs.
Building regulations do not apply, as this is not a permanent building. It can be moved on-site. However, we built this structure to a very high efficiency and thermal insulation standard for the comfort of the customer’s elderly mother.

“I love my new home and it’s so lovely to be near my daughter. I’m very happy here”

Designing a warm and healthy home

We used all-natural, non-hazardous materials to construct the two sections of the mobile home. Thick wood fibre insulation, which is multi-layered, was used throughout. This insulation type uses waste FSC wood from the timber industry, making it fully sustainable, reusable, and compostable.

The thermal efficiency (U Value, where lower values are better) for the walls, roof, and floor is excellent when using this type of wood fibre insulation layering. It is far better than that of most standard static caravans. We achieved these U values for an efficient and wam home;

Walls – 0.18
Floor – 0.14
Roof – 0.14
Window, double glazed – 1.4

The caravan does not use gas so a fully electrical system was installed.

Heating is via an efficient infrared ceiling applied film. This gives a gentle warming heat over the whole the entire interior and eliminates large wall mounted electrical heating panels.

Hot water is supplied by a compact water heat battery that can be connected to solar in the future. This removes the need for large and complex plumbing and water tanks.

WARM

EFFICIENT

Working with trusted tradespeople

We arranged for trusted local specialist tradespeople to install the water, sewage, mains electrical, and data connections. We would especially like to thank Kenvyn for fitting the bathroom, kitchen, access steps, and more.

Lawful Development

As this is not a permanent building a Lawful Development Certificate [LDC] was gained with the local planning department through a specialist planning consultant.

An LDC is not essential for a static caravan/mobile home but as the Planning Portal suggests, “It is not compulsory to have an LDC but there may be times when you need one to confirm that the use, operation or activity named in it is lawful for planning control purposes.”

In this case, the use is limited to property owners or their direct family as a condition of approval of the LDC.

An extra home for your family in your garden

With the cost of property being as high as it is, an additional liveable home on your land or garden is a significantly more affordable option for many families. For our customer, a static caravan/mobile home was the best fit for a non-permanent home.

More permanent “outbuildings” can be designed and built by Cabinmakers – a granny annexe or garden lodge are terms generally used for these permanent liveable garden buildings. These would likely require full planning permission and compliance with all building regulations.

If you want an outbuilding to be used for AirBnB, private renting, or business letting, it can also be designed and constructed, but it will have more regulations and planning limitations.