Veggielover Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I plan to downsize my house (less need, less cost and realise some equity) and buy a motorhome, but where to store it? Alongside the house seems convenient (within sight, easily accessible, potential use as spare room etc) and no-cost, as opposed to storage elsewhere, but it's absence when touring could indicate an empty property. The decision could affect type of propertyt/where to live. How have other members decided what to do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerC Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Security and advertising absence is one thing to consider as you already have but you might like to look into any 'covenants' on the property. Ours has one which says 'caravans' are not to be parked on the drive. We ignore it because our neighbour is really good and it's not a caravan but that might just be a little close to the 'legality' if it really came down to our actual 'legal' position. Addition to my first.....these covenants are normally put in place by the builders/developers to ensure their new shiny development doesn't have the 'look' spoiled by caravans etc 'littering' the place, In all likelyhood if you did park it there unless your neighbour gets uppity over it and takes legal action you should be OK. This does not constitute actual legal advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spadge Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I have a large drive next to my house and had the same thoughts as yourself. We chose to store for two reasons. It identifies the fact that your away from home + respect for my neighbours. As they say 'Your choice'. Enjoy the planning you will love it ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Well if you have a car that you leave if front of the house it's not immediately obvious you have gone away. unless the villains have been keeping an eye on you. We have neighbours with parking in front of their house but only one car and when they go away every few weeks they get someone who has no parking to park in front. Win win. I suspect the biggest risk is being seen preparing the van so I always do that as quickly as I can. We use our van a lot and it would be a nuisance to have to go to a storage site. I was checking a local gold star site recently and they told me that even with all the security they had some thefts so that is not a perfect solution either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Strachan Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Hi and welcome to the Forum, unfortunately we have to store our van when we are not away, I would much prefer that we could keep it at home but we cant. I disagree with your comment about storage and touring indicating that your house is empty. That is much more obvious if your van is normally sitting on your drive. On a storage yard the only person who should know your address is the operator! I hope one day soon you realise your dream and get a van, and time to use it. Enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliB Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 When we planned the purchase of our motorhome it was always going to be parked on the drive. Even although I measured the driveway and knew it would fit - which it did - it looked huge. The neighbours did not complain but I knew they did not like it so we decided to take a slot at the local storage park. Welcome to the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wooie Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 This has got me wondering what i should do with the curtains then ? Do i leave them open thus advertising we are away when they remain open throughout the night ? Do i leave them closed thus advertising we are away when they remain closed throughout the day ? Do i get someone to come in every morning to open them and every evening to close them ? Do i set the lights to come on and off with a timer ? What about the Bins ? Do i leave them out thus advertising we away when they are not put away behind the locked gates ? Do i not put them out thus advertising we are away when they are not out with all the others ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowie Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Hi, and welcome. I wouldn't dream of paying for parking when not in use; as I've got the space, and I'd rather the van was on our property. All you can do is take sensible security precautions, van house and outbuildings, and maybe stick a couple of cameras up. Stay friends with your neighbours and tell them when you are going away. Unless you advertise wealth and possessions you should be ok. That's our experience; and these days we've nowt worth nicking, Take care alan b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ips Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 For me keep it nice and safe at home if you can, sod the neighbours its your driveway/yard. As for security it seems to me that the majority of burglaries are commited whilst the house is occupied, mainly for your car keys due to vehicle security being so good now, so I would not personally be too concerned particularily if you take sensible precautions whilst you are away like informing your neighbours (if there still talking to you cos of your ruddy great MH in your drive :-D ) and installing an alarm. If you are lucky enough to live in a nice and or rural area and are equally lucky to have a local Plod then a friendly word and they will keep an eye on your property. Above all enjoy as s***t can happen when your at home or away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Wooie - 2013-04-11 3:29 PM This has got me wondering what i should do with the curtains then ? Do i leave them open thus advertising we are away when they remain open throughout the night ? Do i leave them closed thus advertising we are away when they remain closed throughout the day ? Do i get someone to come in every morning to open them and every evening to close them ? Do i set the lights to come on and off with a timer ? What about the Bins ? Do i leave them out thus advertising we away when they are not put away behind the locked gates ? Do i not put them out thus advertising we are away when they are not out with all the others ? You too? From experience in our road the one that really matters is having lights at night. The kids drive around till they find a dark house, it's not a sophisticated process . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JENIAN Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Due to the local pikeys using our Ford Transit based Duetto as a spare parts kit i.e.:- Nicked starter motor, then 8mths later, the alternator, when parked outside the house. It was a 'no brainer' to have our Duetto stored in Cassoa gold standard storage facility near our home. Piece of mind is a wonderful thing. Regards Ian ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Our neighbour's nose was put out when we moved in with our short wheelbase Renault Trafic camper,you can guess how happy they are now with our 6.8metre van.We live in a 'nice' area so apart from snooty neighbours we have no real security concerns, as yet. Unless you are happy with your security arangements,you will have many sleepless nights wondering what's going on outside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Hi - welcome to the mad house! :-D You may find a property that has rear access so could possibly put your MH there, then no-one passing on the road would know if you were there or not. As we live on the edge of our village we have a similar concern, but we have a very large drive so have never considered putting any of our MHs in storage (plus they are expensive!). We have good neighbours who aren't affected by us having our MH so no problem there, but they do keep an eye on our property for us when we're away and my FIL comes round and waters the plants and checks everything is okay at least once a week, we also have a friend would happily do this for us too if needs be. When we are away from home it is pretty obvious to anyone who goes by, as we don't leave any vehicles out on our drive, but we do have an alarm and make sure that anything that would be difficult to replace is well hidden away (deeds, car keys, spare PC back-up hard drive with all our info on, etc, etc), so that even if someone did get in and nick stuff, we could replace it - that's what the insurance is for. Yes it would be a hassle, and having been burgled twice (once here many years ago and once at a previous property), I can confirm that it certain is NOT nice, but I'm not going to let it stop me having a holiday ... even going out to work during the day, or for a night out, leaves your home unattended and a possible target for burglars regardless of whether you have a motorhome on the drive or not. We do take other precautions though, such as putting up a net curtain across the lower half of the front door which has upper and lower glass panes in, that way no-one can see what post etc has been popped through the letter box, we have Venetian blinds so can partially close them which makes it difficult for anyone to see if we're in or not. Most importantly we have timers on the lamps in the lounge, hall and kitchen and have these to come on and go off normally when we're at home, not just when we're away (energy saving bulbs so the cost isn't massive to leave them on) so there isn't any change to the lighting when we're on holiday. Don't leave stuff on show if you don't need to, that way it wouldn't be as tempting to a burglar anyway, and don't leave it pristine either, an unmade bed (if you have a downstairs bedroom), and a few newspapers and a bit of clutter, leave some pots and dishes out next to the sink for example to make it look like there's washing up to give the impression that someone is there, a few clothes scattered around etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matrix Meanderer Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 We store our at a CASSOA site and very good it is too. The site security is strong but with the gate codes it's easy to come and go. The owner and his family are vigilant and have invested heavily in security. Plus of course we get a 10% discount on insurance. We very much value our relationship with all our neighbours and don't want to blight them (and us) with a large white box permanently at the front of the house. Even though we live in a cul de sac I am firmly of the view that the absence of the big white box is a beacon to the low life. Obviously it all depends on the parking arrangements at your property but unless you can get the vehicle round the back/out of sight - take it to a storage site and sleep easy in your motorhome bed when you are away! So we are firmly in the - "store it away from the house in a proper site" - group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Wooie - 2013-04-11 3:29 PM This has got me wondering what i should do with the curtains then ? Do i leave them open thus advertising we are away when they remain open throughout the night ? Do i leave them closed thus advertising we are away when they remain closed throughout the day ? Do i get someone to come in every morning to open them and every evening to close them ? Do i set the lights to come on and off with a timer ? What about the Bins ? Do i leave them out thus advertising we away when they are not put away behind the locked gates ? Do i not put them out thus advertising we are away when they are not out with all the others ? You can get electric curtain tracks that work on a timer ;-)...............although we rarely draw ours as we spend our time home at the back of the house in the sun lounge, huddled around our log burner with one low voltage bulb on a timer and the tv :D.......................so our house always looks empty (lol)........... Although last year we had all our apples nicked >:-( ...........we suspect the people who were doing next doors pvc guttering as they'd be able to see into our back garden and could tell no one was home *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bolly1965 Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I would love to keep our motorhome at home but space does not really permit. If you can get your motorhome at the side of the house then how about some large gates in front of it, so potential burglars can't see if it's there or not? Maplins do a four camera security system which records and streams live to a smart phone or laptop (so you can keep an eye on your house while you are away) and for less than a year's worth of storage! If you get on well with your neighbours they'll keep an eye on your property for you. I guess we probably use the motorhome less than if it was at home - would be tempted to go out more weekends if it was at home. Bit of a hassle getting in and out of the storage compound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muswell Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 pelmetman - 2013-04-11 6:25 PM Although last year we had all our apples nicked >:-( ...........we suspect the people who were doing next doors pvc guttering as they'd be able to see into our back garden and could tell no one was home *-) The unpleasant person who lives opposite was very agressive towards some people working on the house next door, complaining about dust. A bit rich considering the dust created when his house was worked on. Next day his Mercedes was parked on bricks and the very expensive special wheels were no longer there :D . But then a few weeks later I watched some people rifling the skip for metal and the next day the spare wheel from my VW had gone, in spite of the VW locking wheel nut. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 I can understand any concerns about security and possibly annoying neigbours, but having your van at home makes a world of differance, it's so much more convient for spur of the moment weekends away or day trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 colin - 2013-04-11 7:37 PM I can understand any concerns about security and possibly annoying neigbours, but having your van at home makes a world of differance, it's so much more convient for spur of the moment weekends away or day trips. I quite agree, if I couldn't keep my van at home, then I probably wouldn't own one. The idea is to use them as much as possible, to get your full (!!) value from them. Also when I had a Caravan in storage, very small smelly burglars (field mice) broke in and 'Trashed' the place. This way, keeping it at home, I can keep the power connected, small oil filled radiator on, Van packed 'ready for the off'. We have very good neighbors who keep an eye on the place, and are not paranoid about 'white boxes', (the Welsh where we live, are very 'Live and let Live' , which is why we live there). Unlike Bedfordshire, where we lived before, the slightest break of 'the 'Village Rules' set tongues wagging, and a 'White Box' was a definite 'No,No' , funny how they didn't complain about Boats on trailers or bloody great Horse Boxes though ??? strange that. SO, I'm in the 'Keep it at home' group, just make sure that your house insurance is up to date. You cannot live your lives 'at the Whim' of the 'Low Lifes' otherwise you would never leave home at all. Ray Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 The best option is without doubt a garage...............I built a garage at our last house, and this house fortunately had one big enough..............If I were looking to buy another property I'd be looking for somewhere with at least space to build a garage ;-)..............A garage does wonders for keeping your camper in good nick B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rudders Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Veggielover - 2013-04-11 2:52 PM I plan to downsize my house (less need, less cost and realise some equity) and buy a motorhome, but where to store it? Alongside the house seems convenient (within sight, easily accessible, potential use as spare room etc) and no-cost, as opposed to storage elsewhere, but it's absence when touring could indicate an empty property. The decision could affect type of propertyt/where to live. How have other members decided what to do? We also downsized some two years ago and initially parked our motorhome in the main rosd, however eventually we had thieves pinch our catalyctic and then someone put a large hole in the rear window so all in all an expensive payout, we were able to park our m/h in the driveway of our old house which was very handy for charging and keeping an eye on, so we looked around for storage and found a cassoa reg site about 20 mins from home and have since stored our new motorhome there, however it does seem a bit of hassle as the m/h is not at hand to keep an eye on, i am talking here about batteries etc throughout the winter months, and its a bit of a bine having to bring it back home to load up etc, so my advice would be to downsize with a driveway, hope this helps!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arthur Brown Posted April 11, 2013 Share Posted April 11, 2013 Hi You need good neighbours to look after your house when you are away. You also need them to look after your goods when you are at home. I am fortunate, we live in a cul-de-sac which has three motor homes. We do not have any covenants preventing parking at home. Our drives are sufficient to take the motor homes and our neighbours (without motor homes) do not object to their presence. All of us help each other in moving mail away from the door, checking property on a daily basis and generally making sure things look normal. I use other drives for my car and they do the same so we all look after each other. I repeat, we are fortunate. However, a few words with neighbours may prove to be fruitful in that they are more than willing to look after your goods. The major problem today is that people do not speak to each other. Try it, you may benefit from the experience. It also takes care of insurance problems where your house has someone in every day, or near enough, to extend your holiday beyond the 30 days some insurance companies insist upon. We all have different requirements but I am of the opinion that if you can keep your motor home at the door then that is good. Remote parking is ok but no one can off one hundred percent security. However, the street outside is not the answer. Either home or secure parking are the only two options for your very expensive asset. Art Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Veggielover Posted April 12, 2013 Author Share Posted April 12, 2013 Many thanks for all the thoughtful comments. It has been interesting hearing all the experiences of other members. I will bear in mind everything that has been said when looking for a new house. Chris ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minstrel Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 rudders - 2013-04-11 9:14 PMVeggielover - 2013-04-11 2:52 PMI plan to downsize my house (less need, less cost and realise some equity) and buy a motorhome, but where to store it? Alongside the house seems convenient (within sight, easily accessible, potential use as spare room etc) and no-cost, as opposed to storage elsewhere, but it's absence when touring could indicate an empty property. The decision could affect type of propertyt/where to live. How have other members decided what to do? We also downsized some two years ago and initially parked our motorhome in the main rosd, however eventually we had thieves pinch our catalyctic and then someone put a large hole in the rear window so all in all an expensive payout, we were able to park our m/h in the driveway of our old house which was very handy for charging and keeping an eye on, so we looked around for storage and found a cassoa reg site about 20 mins from home and have since stored our new motorhome there, however it does seem a bit of hassle as the m/h is not at hand to keep an eye on, i am talking here about batteries etc throughout the winter months, and its a bit of a bine having to bring it back home to load up etc, so my advice would be to downsize with a driveway, hope this helps!! We are currently trying to sell our Euramobil while awaiting our new Murvi Morocco. As this is now registered we needed insurance, all sorted easily, but Comfort were adamant that either motorhome may not be on the road unless we are cleaning it/loading etc. Our Euramobil is kept at a rural storage area (Not CASSOA, but very secure) and we have always brought it home for a couple of days to load it and generally sort it out before an early start to go on holiday and the same at the end of a holiday. So we are very pleased that our new van conversion will fit on the drive - the Euramobil certainly didn't, due to walls either side of the driveway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noodles Posted April 13, 2013 Share Posted April 13, 2013 We have to literally squeeze our MH on our driveway as we only have 400mm lengthways to spare between the garden wall and the house :D. We took down half of the garden wall because to leave some of it up makes the MH more secure. Our neighbour across the road the other day told us that people stand in front of our MH scratching their heads wondering how we get it in and out of our driveway even though we've now had it a year. The postman can't get his head around it either. The neighbours either side of us hate it but we couldn't give a toss cos they moan about everything cos they are sad, jealous and need to get a life :D :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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