Hello, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ian and I am still relatively new to the whole “mobile home living abroad” dynamic and in the last 8 months I have been given a crash course in learning all about the parks, the mobile homes, the lodges, the layouts and floor-plans, furnishings, insulation and cladding to name but a few. To be honest, when I first heard the word ‘cladding’ my initial thoughts were of peanut butter stuck to the roof of your mouth but now I am the proud owner of knowledge that means I can talk about maple cedar chips and how they offer the best protection compared to the regular stuff (I use the words ‘regular stuff’ when I cannot remember the actual name of it)

Where was I? Right, what I have learned about mobile home living in Spain in 8 months comes down to 2 simple steps:

1. In the almighty words of Kirstie Allsopp & Phil Spencer…. “Location, Location, Location”

For some people, the right location means a 24 hour bar serving your favourite tipple next to a heated pool on a ‘clothes optional’ residential park. For others, beefy security men and gated entrances are the most important thing. To be honest, everything has to wow you, from the moment you get out of your preferred transport to the moment you develop your photographs, the experience has to be warming, welcoming and you have to feel like you fit there, like the final piece of a carefree lifestyle jigsaw puzzle.

Obviously the best people to talk to when visiting a park are the residents themselves. You will be able to tell alot about the park from who you see and who you talk too. For example, if you run into a pink mohawk’d gent nicknamed “Apocalypse” you probably need to rethink your options,  but at least you will get a clearer picture on what life is like living on that particular park. This is an ideal way to see if what they experience everyday mirrors the things you enjoy or at least offer a glimpse into a lifestyle you could enjoy adapting to your own.

Meet with the park owners if possible, you can get a better idea on the type of people you will have governing your park and take note of the clothes they wear, light bright colours means they can be bent to your will and soon you will rise up and take control of the park and lead your nation into…. whoops, wrong forum…. Meeting with the park owners is a good way to know that if you do encounter any problems, you are confident the person in charge of the park can meet your needs.

So, to recap, Talk, Talk, Photo, Photo, Talk, Talk, Photo, Photo - Repeat until camera full.

2. In the almightly words of Honda - “The Power of Dreams”

So the park is amazing, the plot is pitch perfect and the position of the sun (yes, one of the most important factors) will turn your skin into expensive leather in no time at all. The question that remains, which home suits me?

If your a man, as long as the TV fits perfectly and SKY Sports is available, you can hand off the torch to your spouse and let her run wild with dreams of life size dolls houses and most of the companies in the UK will offer a bespoke service so that the home is built and designed to your needs and requirements. Some people will find a model from a company that fits their ideal vision without any alterations and you will find that many of the companies offer a unique style and will capture your imagination and expand your ideal on what a mobile home actually is.

Spend as long as necessary on the home until you are happy, and once ordered, the magic begins and like that advert where they built a Skoda out of cakes and sweets, your home will be put together by Austrian children singing “A few of my favourite things” day and night until your dream home is built and ready. It will then be transported safely to the park and plot you pre-chose, and then it will be sited by strong muscular men and once everything has been checked and confirmed by the company of your choice, your new lifestyle in the sun begins.

I know that this is more of an inventive relaxed view on buying a mobile home for a park in Europe, but the principles of location first, home second make sense no matter how you view it, whether your buying a mobile home or looking for a palace with 8 bathrooms, you have to make sure that they will be in a place that offers you a relaxed carefree lifestyle each and every day.

I work for one of the best UK companies serving residential parks in Spain and I would like to make it clear that everyone else in the company is just as dedicated as I am but probably more professional. I come from a family holiday background and my fun page at Bolero Holidays offers a better insight into this.

Enjoy your new life in Spain and thank you for reading… on a totally unrelated note, why does the spell-checker always want to use American Dictionaries! It’s spelled “Colours” and not “Colors”

Ian