The Eden is a new model for the 2012 season from Willerby Holiday Homes and comes in a two and three bedroom version, the model reviewed here being the former. We should also point out that it incorporates a number of optional extras. It is a single unit measuring 35ft x 12ft with white aluminium cladding as standard. Built on a fully galvanised ‘fusion’ chassis it has a steel pantile pitched roof and aluminium gutters. What tends to stand out when you first see it is the overhang at the end of the lounge area and the three windows each of a different depth.

Internally, it is slightly unusual in that the shower room backs onto the centre kitchen with the bedrooms facing and to the right as you enter, and the lounge and dining areas to the left. Willerby describes the kitchen as a gallery kitchen but we considered it to have a fairly conventional parallel layout. What is unusual is that the doors to the wall and floor cupboards are sculptured – a theme which is carried through to doors elsewhere in the home. Although a novel idea we were not certain whether this feature would prove popular with some buyers.

To the left of the entrance is a long working top in which has been set a single stainless steel sink and drainer. In the wall above the sink is a window, either side of which are two cupboards. The sink unit comprises a number of cupboards two of which can take an optional fridge and wine cooler. Opposite the sink unit is the gas cooker which comes with a four burner hob and electronic ignition. What is missing but available as an optional extra, is an extractor hood. At high level to the right of the cooker is a housing for an optional microwave.

To the right of the microwave housing is the door into the shower room. Here there is a one piece fibreglass cubicle complete with a thermostatically controlled shower head, a ceramic pedestal washbasin, a low level toilet and an extractor fan. Above the washbasin is a large mirror and to the right, a number of shelves for toiletry and linen storage.

The lounge area has L shaped fixed seating incorporating a fold-out occasional bed. The long side of the L faces the electric fire and a corner unit for a TV and entertainment centre. Above and to the right of the fire is a wall unit with a slender mirror reaching to the vaulted ceiling. Between the corner unit and the short side of the L shaped seating is a further floor cupboard with open shelving. To the right of the fireplace is the dining area which like the lounge has some fixed seating plus a freestanding slide-away D shaped table and three upholstered cylinder stools.

Lighting in the lounge, dining and kitchen areas comprises ceiling downlights whilst instead of curtains to the windows, the home has wide wooden slat venetian blinds.

Facing the doorway as you enter the home is the door to the second bedroom. The bedroom is larger than some second bedrooms we’ve come across over the years and comes complete with metal framed bunk beds, the lower of which is wider than the upper one. Each bed has its own reading light whilst other standard fitments comprise a small wardrobe and a shaped folding table in the corner below the window.

The doorway to the main bedroom is immediately on the right of the entrance to the home. Standard furniture comprises a kingsize bed, a double sliding door wardrobe and wall mounted bedside cabinets. In the corner to the left of the bed is a small en suite toilet compartment. In addition to the toilet there is a ceramic pedestal washbasin, and a large framed mirror above it. Sadly, what is lacking is toiletry storage.

Verdict

Whether or not the Eden will prove popular with buyers depends on whether they go for the clinical white of the panelling contrasting with the woodgrain contoured doors, not to mention being prepared to accept items which would normally be standard being optional extras. But with an ex-works price of £22,076.33 including VAT, this home still represents extremely good value in our opinion. Bear in mind also, that under the latest budget, the VAT rate on holiday homes is due become 20 per cent so if you are a serious buyer, it will pay you to act now.

Ex works price: £22,076.33 (incl. VAT)

Please note: Additional charges will be made by Park Operators and/or Distributors for transportation, commissioning, siting and annual maintenance. These charges will vary dependent on a number of factors including geographical location of your chosen park. Please confirm total costs with your chosen park before completing your order.

For further information: Willerby Holiday Homes, Imperial House, 1251 Hedon Road, Hull, HU9 5NA. Tel: 01482 713838. Email: lodges@wwh.co.uk Website: http://www.willerby.com/

As you may already know, the Government’s latest budget revealed plans to apply VAT on static caravans and holiday homes at 20% from the 1st October 2012 – but with your help it’s not too late to stop it.

Stop higher priced caravans

With static caravans and holiday homes currently being exempt from VAT, the proposed change would likely mean that from the 1st October

2012 new ‘vans will become 20% more expensive to purchase.

Stop higher insurance costs

The proposed VAT change would force customers to increase the amount they have their caravans insured for so as to avoid being underinsured. This would increase insurance premiums.

Sign the petition to stop VAT on statics

Leisuredays and the National Caravan Council (NCC) are putting pressure on the Government to reverse their decision and to keep Static Caravans exempt from VAT.

To support us please take a few seconds to vote against the new tax proposal via the eGov petition here: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32781

Please vote by Friday 11th May

For further information read our  previous blog post on the proposed VAT change to static caravans.

The Melrose range has been one of Carnaby Caravans best sellers for many years so it isn’t surprising that there are nine models in the 2012 line up. We chose the 292B CL for this review, the letters CL denoting that it has a centre lounge. As a result, when we looked at the flank wall at the end of the static caravan, instead of it being a large expanse of windows normally associated with many holiday caravans, in this model the wall was almost fully clad there being only one fairly small window situated above the sink unit in the end kitchen.

This is a 30ft x 12ft static caravan which comes with UPVC double glazing and wet central heating as standard. Among the options available are a fusion painted or fully galvanised chassis, plastic cladding and environmental colours. All models have a pitched pantile steel roof. The one option which we think should be seriously considered is the fully galvanised chassis, especially if the holiday caravan is to be sited anywhere near the sea as salt corrosion could be a serious hazard.

Double doors lead into the centre lounge with the dining area immediately on the left. Opposite the doors is the lounge seating. The layout here is L shaped and includes an occasional sofa bed to increase the sleeping accommodation from four to six. The short leg of the seating is to the right as you face the sofas and runs along the party wall with the caravan’s toilet compartment.

In the corner of the static caravan, adjoining the left-hand end of the sofa, is the kitchen. This we have to report, is fairly basic as far as equipment is concerned having only a four burner hob, an extractor, and a stainless steel circular sink. On the plus side, there are plenty of work surfaces and floor and wall cupboards, together with a dedicated space for a 1300mm high x 570mm wide x 600mm deep fridge. On the wall at high level above the fridge housing, is a five bottle wine rack which we regarded as a nice touch.

Opposite the four burner hob is the party wall separating the second bedroom from the kitchen and dining areas. Adjacent to the dining area the party wall makes two right-hand turns to allow the holiday caravan’s electric fire and surround to be fitted. A storage cabinet has been fitted above the fire.

The second bedroom is just large enough for two divan beds, each measuring 1.83m x 0.685m with an aisle between them. On the wall behind the beds is a panel headboard, plus a pair of double door wall cupboards at ceiling level, whilst at the foot of the bed on the outside wall is a built-in wardrobe. Although room is small, bearing in mind that this is a holiday caravan, we felt that it was perfectly adequate, especially if being used by children.

Diagonally opposite the second bedroom and separated from it by the lounge and dining area, plus the static’s toilet compartment, is the main bedroom which comes complete with a 1.905m x 1.525m double bed. Behind the bed is a panel headboard similar to that in the second bedroom, plus a row of wall cupboards spanning the width of the room at ceiling level. In the corner of the room, opposite the foot of the bed is a large built-in wardrobe.

Which just leaves the shower room. This in fact, backs onto the main bedroom, access being via a door to the right of the static’s entrance. Here there is a good size rectangular shower cubicle complete with a thermostatically controlled shower head, and a vanity unit with a built-in ceramic washbasin. We were pleased to note that the vanity unit has plenty of space for storing toiletries.

In the holiday caravan only the ceiling in the lounge and dining area is vaulted, the remainder being level.

Verdict

Being at the lower end of the holiday caravan market the Melrose does not have the space or luxury of a high end model, but it will we believe, provide many years of happy holidays for its owners, and with the lack of windows in the flank wall will stand out from similar holiday caravans.

Ex works price: £24,965.92 (incl. VAT)

Please note: Additional charges will be made by Park Operators and/or Distributors for transportation, commissioning, siting and annual maintenance. These charges will vary dependent on a number of factors including geographical location of your chosen park. Please confirm total costs with your chosen park before completing your order.

For further information: Carnaby Caravans Ltd., Lancaster Road, Carnaby Industrial Estate, Bridlington, YO15 3QY. Tel: 01262 679971. Email: info@carnabycaravans.com Website: http://www.carnabycaravans.com/

The aluminium clad Willerby Isis range of three holiday homes is available as 33ft x 12ft and a 35ft x 12ft two bedroom homes and a 38ft x 12ft three bedroom home. All are built on a fully galvanised fusion chassis and have pantile steel pitched roofs, aluminium gutters, underfloor insulation and lagged pipes, plus an exterior light. Amongst the options available are PVCu double glazing, gas combi boiler and radiators.

This review features the 35ft model incorporating the optional Outlook French doors in the end wall.

The entrance leads directly into the kitchen and dining area with the lounge on the right. Here, there is a fixed two and three seater sofas, the latter incorporating pull-out occasional bed. The two seat sofa backs onto the kitchen divider whilst the three seater runs along the front wall opposite the stone effect fireplace facing it on the back wall of the home. Inset in the fireplace is an electric fire.

Other standard furniture comprises a mirror on the wall above the fireplace, a TV cabinet, and a coffee table. The dining area adjacent to the lounge and the entrance, comes complete with a freestanding walnut table and four chairs upholstered in the same fabric as the sofas.

The kitchen is nothing if not ergonomically compact. It has a gas oven and a four burner hob behind which is a small splashback. Above is the usual cooker hood although, somewhat unusually, it is black instead of normal stainless steel. Bearing in mind that this is a holiday home we felt that there was an adequate number of wall and floor storage cupboards plus a reasonable amount of granite effect worktops and upstands – although like the splashback behind the hob, the upstands are fairly minimal. Adjacent to the door to the home is space for an optional fridge/freezer whilst in a cantilevered unit above the worktop backing onto the lounge is space for a microwave oven. Lighting throughout the three areas comprises halogen lights in the vaulted ceiling.

The kitchen and daytime living areas are separated from the bedrooms by a door leading into a corridor with the second bedroom being immediately on the left and the home’s shower room facing it on the right. The second bedroom has two divan beds with cupboards and shelves on the wall above the headboards. At the foot of the bed on the outside wall is a small wardrobe with three drawers at the bottom, so that all in all, we considered that there was adequate storage for two peoples’ clothes.

In the shower room is a one-piece fibreglass shower compartment with a thermostatically controlled shower head. Next to the shower is a walnut vanity unit with an inset porcelain sink. Below the sink is storage for toiletries whilst on the wall behind it is a walnut panel and large mirror. The room tapers at the opposite end to the shower where the low level toilet has been fitted. Above the toilet is a further toiletry storage cupboard. Standard heating in the shower room and the two bedrooms is via blown air plinth heaters, radiators being supplied as part of the central heating option.

At the end of the corridor is the door into the main bedroom. This comes complete with a double bed with lift-up storage and concealed lighting above the bed. The lighting is incorporated on the underside of a series of cupboards and shelves which span the full width of the room above the bed. At either side of the bed is a bedside cabinet and a switched 13 amp socket. To the right as you stand facing the bed is a built-in two door wardrobe plus a freestanding six drawer chest of drawers. Each wardrobe door has an inset mirror, whilst immediately next to the wardrobe is a door leading into the shower room.

Verdict

The Willerby Isis is not a home which is going to set the world on fire. But it is a home which is backed by over 60 years of holiday home development and so we are confident that it will give many years of happy holidays to its owners!

Ex works price: £26,150

Please note: Additional charges will be made by Park Operators and/or Distributors for transportation, commissioning, siting and annual maintenance. These charges will vary dependent on a number of factors including geographical location of your chosen park. Please confirm total costs with your chosen park before completing your order.

For further information: Willerby Holiday Homes, Imperial House, 1251 Hedon Road, Hull, HU9 5NA. Tel: 01482 713838. Email: lodges@wwh.co.uk Website: http://www.willerby.com/

In the 2012 budget, which was released yesterday, it was announced that from the 1st October 2012 VAT (Value Added Tax) will be applied to static caravans, which could make your next holiday home 20% more expensive to buy.

Previously, static caravans were in what the government has referred to as a ‘Tax Loophole’, meaning that they were 0% tax rated. The new budget will bring static caravans in line with touring caravans, meaning they will be taxed at the current VAT rate of 20%.

Labour MP Diana Johnson (Hull N) has been quoted as being against the new tax rate as it will affect the economic strength of the Hull area, where many of the UK’s static caravans are made,

“This will have a real impact on the economy in Hull because we manufacture a great deal of the caravans in this country.”

She also added that the increase in price could have a negative effect on demand for statics,

“I understand it could almost reduce demand by 30%, another hammer blow.”

If the extra cost of VAT is passed on directly by the manufacturers then parks will have to buy static caravan holiday homes at a much higher price, and this cost could be passed on to the end user.

If you’re thinking about buying a static caravan for the first time, or upgrading your current one, then it might be a good idea to do so before October 1st in order to avoid the VAT hike.

Also bear in mind that the VAT rise will affect the amount of static caravan insurance cover which you need to have in place. Whether you have cover on a “New for Old” or “Market Value” basis, should your static caravan be damaged beyond economic repair and written off, from October it will cost more to replace. This means that you need to ensure you have a “sum insured” which is adequate to cover the new retail price (which includes VAT at 20%).

We want to know your thoughts on this one: If a static caravan which previously cost £50,000 now cost £60,000 would you be put off buying it?

To view the budget in full visit the HM Treasury website.

Update (12/04/12)

Leisuredays are proud to be supporting the National Caravan Council’s bid to stop the proposed VAT rate for holiday homes. We have also written to our local MP (Linda Riordan, Halifax) and asked for her support in the House of Commons.

If you don’t want the VAT rate to come into force then there is still time to stop it by contacting your local MP and asking them to fight against it on your behalf.