We end the year with another sale

As we near the end of 2013, a further lodge sale means that we will welcome 2014 with a project in full swing.

The buyers are local investors, seeking to take advantage of the returns offered by holiday lets, which are undoubtedly far better than the current interest rates offered by banks.  Their investment was made more attractive by the fact that they were able to take advantage of one of our limited packages of extras, comprising free decking/landscaping and furniture, worth £10,000.

The design of the new lodge will be vastly different to that of the show lodge, and will consist of a 2 bedroom and 2 bathroom open-plan space. The different layout will enable visitors and prospective buyers to see some of the alternative interior planning styles offered by Retreat Homes, which may help them to reach a decision about which would be right for them.

The lodge sale is due to be completed in February next year.  

‘What should the accommodation be?’

Strawberryfield Park was redundant Strawberry growing land and a former farm shop when we bought it, we’ve since changed the use of the land to a holiday lodge park. 

Somerset is a very popular area for tourists and many companies or individuals in the county offer accommodation in the form of cottages, some of which are hundreds of years old. Tom and I wanted to provide contemporary lodges rather than cottages, and there are several reasons that make them attractive to customers - whether they buy one for personal use or as an investment.   

The first and most obvious reason is maintenance: old cottages, although beautiful, require a great deal of maintenance.  Secondly, lodges such as the ones at Strawberryfield park with floor to ceiling windows allow more natural light in, and with timber construction rather than stone walls and green roofs are easier and cheaper to heat in winter. This also makes the lodges an attractive year-round option for holidays. 

Our lodges from Retreat Homes come with a 10 year guarantee, removing concerns over high and unexpected repair bills. In addition Retreat offer a variety of designs, meaning that lodge owners can choose one to suit their needs and tastes without the need to compromise. 

 

Strawberryfield Park - The First Chapter

Strawberryfield Park was, until Easter 2013, a piece of land with a disused former farm shop at the front, situated on the A371 between Cheddar and Draycott.  My son Tom and I took it over, and after a great deal of hard work and investment we have transformed it into an exclusive, secluded holiday park.

We chose our lodge supplier carefully, and after looking at several different types we chose Retreat – their lodges are high quality and ecologically friendly, being built extensively from timber with floor to ceiling windows, and we added sedum roofs and decking. We also made the site secluded by planting thousands of shrubs  - and the warm summer has meant a lot of watering in the past few months! Our hard work has been rewarded, with a high level of interest and several sales so far.