Sadly, some people aren’t willing to take “no” for an answer. We won’t sell to people who want to live here.
Here’s an example of someone (we’ve called them Shaun) who was given an answer (our article), but couldn’t be bothered to read the short FAQ explaining this, refused to answer the phone when we called them multiple times to clear this up… and then lost their temper.
And the thing about being a family-run business – we are straight-talking and give as good as we get. We won’t swear or be rude like some people, but we will be firm! We are talking about potentially decades-long, multi-generational relationships with our holiday home owners, so the sales process is really discerning mutual fit. We treat everyone with all the respect they deserve.
Best of luck to this cheery soul – we hope they don’t buy somewhere to live on a holiday park and ultimately lose their home and savings.
Trying to live here: a correspondence
BCHP
Hi Shaun,
How are you? How was your time away?!
Just thought I would quickly check in to see if now would be a good time to pick the conversation about Holiday Home ownership back up?
We have new stock and some beautiful units for sale.
Let me know your thoughts!
Kind regards,
Sadie
Shaun
How much time can you spend in them
BCHP
Hi Shaun,
We are open for 11.5 months, closed for two weeks in January which gives you the flexibility to come and visit your Holiday Home all year round however, if you are looking for a place to live then we wouldn’t be the park for you.
Please see FAQ here – Can I live here? | Burton Constable Holiday Park
Kind regards,
Sadie
Shaun
Hi again. Could you be clear what the limits are exactly?
BCHP
Hi Shaun,
The article sums it up quite clearly. Give me a call if you would like to discuss further or have any other clarifications.
Thanks,
Jack
Shaun
This is what K I’m talking about. What article? It was a simple question and you duck and dive.
Offer a place for 11.5 months that you can’t stay in for 11.5 months. Make it sound one way and then won’t clarify what the limitations are. Sadie first, now jack. Too much messing around and sales techniques.
BCHP
Shaun,
I think you have misread the situation.
I am not sure what you are “talking about” – you asked a question, we answered it. “What article?” – which article do you think? The one Sadie sent that says “can I live here?”. Here it is again for your convenience: Can I live here?.
There are two sorts of people who ask how long they can stay on the park. The first is someone who wants to know if there are limits to how many nights per year the holiday home can be used by anyone because whilst they might to share it with their family and the total use might exceed e.g. 6 months a year. The second is someone hwo wants to live in the holiday home or “cheat the system” to live in a holiday home as a cheap form of living in a beautiful location.
The article answers the question for both people. I asked if you want a phone conversation to clarify anything and you accuse us of ducking and diving. You don’t answer the phone even though you reached out to us for information. “First sadie, now Jack” – yes Sadie helps me with sales; Julie helps me run the bar & kitchen, Lee helps me keep the grounds manicured – is that a problem for you?
In terms of “sales techniques” – the most important thing for us is making sure you don’t want to live here, then we’ll see if we want to sell you a holiday home. There are salesmen up and down the country on commission who go from park to park each year, and they tell people whatever they want to hear to sell them a caravan. They’ll say “it’s open all year round”, “register yourself as living with your brother”, “you just have to have a polling card”, “everyone lives here” etc. etc. – whatever it takes to sell you that holiday home. They don’t care that six months, a year, a few years down the line you’ll be kicked off the park because, whatever you were told, you will sign a licence agreement that says “this is not my main residence”. And you’ll be both made homeless and lose tens of thousands of pounds in value if you can’t sell it yourself and the park only gives you trade value for your holiday home – see this article. The salesman who sold to you will probably be working on another park and won’t care. We are not willing to compromise on this – for the good of the prospective customer, and for the good of the park (we want people on holiday in their happy place, not curtain-twitching NIMBYs).
You think we are trying to sell to you a holiday home – you have misread the situation. We are looking for long-term, multi-generational customers. This is a two-way interview, in which we are seeing whether we are happy for you to be on our park for decades. And so far my conclusion is either that you want to live here, or you are not the sort of person I want on my park. So if you want to continue the conversation, you are going to have to convince me that you do not want to live here and apologise for being rude. Maybe you’re stressed for whatever reason, or you’re frustrated by holiday parks, and email isn’t a good medium for communication. But whatever reason – an apology costs nothing.
If you are looking for a place to live, I would urge you from the bottom of my heart not to look to buy on a holiday park but to lookf for explicitly residential parks. Trying to live on a holiday park you will take all the risk to your home and savings – whatever anyone says. There are thousands of people who have been mis-sold or who have mis-bought holiday homes, their stories are all over the internet.
Yours sincerely,
Jack
Shaun
Blah blah blah. Can’t read all that bullsh*t. Your arrogance pours out like a horses diarrhea. Don’t contact me again
BCHP
Sorry you can’t read. Must be tough.
Shaun
How did I reply to you if I can’t read d*ck head!
BCHP
Got ‘im!!!! 🎣
Anyway, if you read the email you might learn something and not end up homeless.