Do I need a solicitor to buy or sell a park home ?

This is a question that we are often asked. To deal with a slightly different question “Am I required to use a solicitor”, the answer is a clear “No”. However, there are some very good reasons why you should.

Very often we find that either the buyer or seller on the other side does not have any experience of buying or selling mobile homes and will try to muddle through, or will use someone to assist them who does not have sufficient knowledge or expertise. This can cause delays and also significant problems in the future.

The Leasehold Advisory Service, which is sponsored by the government, recommends that “if you are looking to buy a park home we recommend that you use a solicitor to guide you through the purchase“. The government’s own factsheet says “You are strongly advised to use a solicitor or some other professional in completing a purchase“. We have helped BBC Panorama in the making of their programme about problems that can arise in park home purchases, which gives some serious warnings about the risks of not checking properly. It is worth considering whether you would ever look to buy anything of such value without professional assistance or advice.

So what are the advantages ? Firstly, you have the benefit of someone who has completed the process many times and so knows many of the pitfalls. Some of them are not obvious but can ultimately lead to a sale falling through or a misunderstanding. For example, what exactly is it that you are buying ? With park homes, it is usually the home itself and not the land that it stands on, but does the sale include the garden shed, the cooker or furnishings ? These are things that we can take care of so that there is no confusion.

Having a lawyer involved means that the process is followed correctly. All too often we see problems that could have been avoided, for example because a form has not been completed or the home is a holiday one and not intended for residential use. These are things that can often give rise to disputes in the future, which are then stressful, time consuming and costly.

The last thing that you want is to buy a home and then find that you do not have the right to live in it, or that when you come to sell the sale falls through because the right documents were not competed.