Why so many are choosing park homes

A sponsored blog by EKOS Homes

A retirement choice worth considering

When you think of retirement living, you might imagine apartments or bungalows in traditional developments. However, more and more people approaching retirement age are making the move into park homes. These purpose-built communities benefit from a combination of comfort, affordability, and various lifestyle benefits.

For many, park homes offer a secure, low-maintenance home set in a friendly community, often in idyllic surroundings that would otherwise be far too expensive or come with a dated home and enormous move times. Park homes, instead, are purpose-built, with all the modern features you’d expect, and designed to make moving easy.

If you’ve not considered one before, you might be surprised by how well this option can fit into your plans for the future.

What is a park home?

A park home is a single-storey, detached property built to high residential standards (known as BS 3632 residential build standards). While they’re sometimes compared to holiday homes or lodges, park homes for residential living are designed for year-round comfort, with full insulation, double glazing, central heating, and high-quality finishes.

These homes are situated in private, well-maintained developments known as residential parks, typically gated communities, or with security measures in place, and designed for specific age groups. You’ll find that residential park homes are often exclusively for over-45s or over-50s, and will have different requirements depending on the site.

When you own a park home, you own the home outright while paying a monthly pitch fee for the ground it stands on. Pitch fees often cover park maintenance, communal areas, and sometimes extra services, meaning less for you to worry about.

The benefits of park home living

A Low-Maintenance Lifestyle

One of the biggest draws of park home living is the ease of upkeep. The homes are modern, energy-efficient, and designed for simplicity. The smaller footprint compared to a large family house means less cleaning and fewer repairs, freeing up your time to enjoy the things you love. Many developments will allow you to select your own finishes if it’s a new home, and even adjust the layout of various rooms, such as your kitchen or living space.

Affordability and Financial Freedom

Park homes are often more affordable than traditional brick-and-mortar properties in the same area, allowing you to enjoy scenic locations at a fraction of the price. Many buyers choose to downsize from a larger home, releasing equity that can be used to supplement retirement savings, travel, or simply enjoy life with more financial security.

A Ready-Made Community

Moving into a park home means joining a community of like-minded people. Since residential parks are age-specific, residents are often at similar life stages, making it easier to find common ground and form friendships. Many parks organise social activities, from coffee mornings to walking groups, so it’s easy to get involved if you wish.

Great Locations

Residential parks are often found in beautiful rural or coastal areas so you can enjoy all that the area has to offer, yet they’re well situated within easy reach of shops, healthcare, and transport links. Whether you dream of seaside strolls, countryside views, or being close to a lively market town, there’s likely a park in a location that suits you, your budget, and your interests.

Customisation and Comfort

New park homes can be tailored to your taste, from layout choices to kitchen finishes! Newer park homes feature beautiful, considered designs, with spacious, open-plan living areas, modern kitchens, stylish bathrooms, and plenty of storage. Depending on your park, perhaps you’ll find landscaped gardens, on-site pubs, ponds, social hubs and more. Many parks also provide the option to add decking to your park home for the perfect space to sit and relax outside.

The park home lifestyle

Downsizing to a park home is the perfect opportunity to embrace a new way of living. Many residents describe a renewed sense of freedom, with less to maintain, lower running costs, and the reassurance of a secure setting. When you move to a park home, you can enjoy spending your time and energy on what matters most.

Some residents travel more, knowing their home is safe while they’re away. Others spend more time on hobbies, social activities, or visiting family. The smaller scale of a park home can also make it easier to keep everything organised, and modern, energy-efficient construction means homes stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

Real stories from park home residents

While every resident’s journey is different, a common theme is the sense of contentment after making the move. Many say they wish they’d done it sooner.

Paul Kendall, 60, and his partner Sharon, 54, swapped their terraced house for coastal living at Castle View Court in Pevensey Bay, East Sussex. With their two dogs, they’re now just a short walk from the beach, where mornings often start with a stroll by the sunlit English Channel.

“It’s brilliant here,” says Paul, a retired dog handler with Sussex Constabulary. “Castle View Court is a very friendly place and, take it from me as a retired policeman, very safe and secure.”

Their two-bedroom home came fully furnished with a modern kitchen and stylish interiors, and they’ve added a decking area to enjoy summer barbecues and time outdoors. For Sharon, a recently retired member of the British Airways airside team, the location also offers travel opportunities. In fact, the couple will soon head off for a six-week trip to Spain, knowing their home is secure.

They’ve enjoyed every season since moving in, from crisp winter walks in the surrounding countryside to relaxing by the sea in the warmer months. As Paul says, “Nothing beats an English summer by the sea in Sussex.”

Is park home living right for you?

If you value comfort, community, and simplicity, park home living could be the perfect fit. It offers a practical and affordable route into retirement living without sacrificing quality of life.

To explore whether this lifestyle might suit you, the best next step is to visit a park, walk around, and talk to residents. At EKOS Homes, you’ll find residential parks specifically designed to benefit from their enviable locations, with either coastal access or stunning countryside, and always accessible to shops, doctors, transport links and more. Seeing the homes in person and experiencing the atmosphere can make it easier to picture yourself there.

If you’re interested in viewing a park home and exploring what locations EKOS Homes have to offer, you can take a look on their website, with available homes in locations all across England.