We have been asked for many years about the possibility of larger mobile homes, park homes and Lodges in France, Spain and Portugal. Until a few years ago it was extremely difficult to find a single place that would accommodate them, but it is changing albeit slowly!
This is mainly down to the fact that the general rule for France has been that a mobile home can only be 40m2 or take up 30% of your plot, and you certainly were not allowed to live in it! But now we have options….
Spain and Portugal have different rules again but are generally a little more relaxed. Finding available plots however can be hard.
It is still very hard to find a park that is truly residential, especially in France. However, there are some great sites that now offer large plots for lodges and larger homes as “maison secondaire” second homes. You can live in these homes without a problem, they just cannot be your official primary residence.
For 365 days a year access to a park and home, there are various scenarios.
Regular single unit mobile homes, on holiday style campsites or parks with plots to rent.
These may have a mix of tent, caravan and mobile home plots and you benefit from facilities and entertainment in high season. A good example of this is Campilo, a great “eco park” in the Vendee. It is open all year and you can just come and go as you please.
Larger single unit mobile homes with plots to rent.
Again, these are usually parks that have a mix of owners and holidaymakers, and you benefit from all the entertainment and facilities that come with such a park. These parks just have a different set of local regulations, allowing you to have a larger home and sometimes a twin unit.
Twin lodges with plots to rent.
As above but able to host twin lodges.
Freehold plots to purchase, for Large single unit mobile homes and twin lodges.
These parks are predominantly owners only, and do not have fleets of accommodation for holidaymakers to rent, or any tour operators on site. They generally won’t have any entertainment but will have varying facilities for you to use.
In all cases, very few parks (in France especially) are able to officially offer 100% residential status due to regulations. You are able to “live” there, however usually it must not be your primary address.
Full residential with official primary residence, either Freehold or rental.
These are few and far between. We did have Domaine des Lotus in France which unfortunately is now sold out of all plots. We do have a park in Portugal called Calico Park, here you can be a full resident, primary address and in the Portuguese system if you so wish. Watch this space for any more that we find in the future.