Costs of Holiday Home Ownership

As a family-run group of Holiday Parks, we believe in transparency when purchasing a holiday home and this page sets out the costs of ownership with West Dorset Leisure Holidays, so there are no hidden fees or surprises further down the line.

Achieving the dream lifestyle of holiday home ownership should be an enjoyable and stress-free experience and we have over 600 happy holiday home owners across 6 parks. Check out our holiday home ownership video with testimonials to find out more.

With any big purchase, careful planning and consideration is required and all the details you need are set out below. If you have any further questions, please contact our team on sales@wdlh.co.uk.

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Pitch Fee

The annual Pitch Fee for 2026 varies from £5,370 to £7,999 and is dependent upon a number of factors including the holiday park and the area of the holiday park the holiday home is located within.

The Pitch Fee includes the following:

Water
Sewerage
Rates
VAT
Ongoing support
Ramtech alarm and annual service charge
Winter “drain down” and Spring “drain up”
Maintenance and upkeep of the park
Allowing you to site your caravan and lodge on its pitch within the holiday park

The Pitch Fee is payable in December (25% of balance) for the following year and in February (remaining 75% balance), or by a standing order spread over 7 months – this must be set up in December for the following year.

The Pitch Fee is reviewed annually and any price increases are based on a number of factors including inflation, charges outside of our control, changes in law or rate of taxation, capital expenditure and changes in operating costs.

Running Costs

Insurance

New-for-old insurance cover is mandatory. With our recommended insurance provider Compass*, the price varies from around £275 to £400 for Caravans, and £350 to £500 for Lodges, depending on the Holiday Home and the value of the contents you wish to cover. Alternative insurers are acceptable with proof of policy.

Electricity

This is invoiced at the end of the season. Current unit prices fluctuate – speak to us for more information.

Gas

This is invoiced at the end of the season. Gas unit charges are in the region of £1.78 per m3 and meter rental is around £27.50 +VAT. Some Caravans still use bottled gas which can be purchased from the Park Reception for around £105 per bottle.

Gas Safety Check

We strongly advise an annual safety check and service of your gas appliances. If you allow friends and family who are not listed on the Purchase Agreement to use your Holiday Home, then this is required by law and must be done by an approved fitter. The standard safety check is around £87, or £132 if you also include a service.

Wifi

Wifi is complementary at Larkfield and Eype Beach Holiday Parks. All other Parks may pay £90 for the duration of the season to use the Park’s service, or you may choose to set up your own network if you wish.

Finance

If you are unsure about the significant upfront investment, we have partnered with a local broker to offer finance on the purchase of a holiday home.

You could secure your holiday home with just a 20% deposit and pay back the rest over a period of 3 to 7 years. This means you could borrow up to 80% of the cost.

As a general rule, all new holiday homes can be financed, as well as pre-owned caravans up to 3 years old and pre-owned lodges up to 10 years old, however there are some cases where exceptions may apply.

Visit our Finance page to find out more, read FAQs and try out our monthly repayment calculator.

Visit the Finance page

Maintaining your Holiday Home

As a holiday home owner, you are responsible for the maintenance of your holiday home and decking. It is recommended you clean the exterior at least once a year.

You are also responsible for the cleanliness of your storage box and cutting the grass immediately around your holiday home, where our ride-on lawnmower cannot reach. Our maintenance team are able to cut the grass for an additional charge.

Storage boxes, should you wish to purchase one, start from £577 including VAT.

We supply a list of costs for our park maintenance team to complete various maintenance jobs on your behalf, as well as a list of local contractors we recommend for gas, cleaning, electric, plumbing, carpentry, ground works, decorating, repairs and TV aerials.

Pre-Owned Sales Support

If you decide to sell your holiday home, we will arrange for it to be inspected and provide you with recommendations. The Transfer Fee is 15% of the purchase price plus VAT on all caravan holiday homes sold and 7.5% of the purchase price plus VAT on all lodge holiday homes sold.

A separate client sale charge of £850 includes the following:

Gas safety check
Boiler service
Internal clean
External clean including decking
Administration – Purchase & Licence Agreement transfer, invoicing and servicing
Marketing – website listing and external photographs
Viewings – up to 5

Additional paid options are available for professional internal photographs and online listings on Right Move and On The Market.

If you allow your Licence to expire, there is a disconnection charge (currently £1,400 including VAT), which includes the disposal of the decking and storage box.

Additional Benefits

On the purchase of a holiday home, owners at all WDLH parks receive a complimentary 12 month membership for the swimming pool, sauna and steam room at Highlands End Holiday Park.

Your complimentary membership then changes to a pay-as-you-go membership, which allows use of the facility for a small, discounted entry fee or a heavily discounted annual charge for unlimited use.

A calendar of events runs throughout the year for holiday home owners, with events such as garden parties, live music, bingo, BBQs and an end-of-season party.

By downloading the WDLH app, holiday home owners can access exclusive discounts at local businesses, such as 30% off green fees at Bridport & West Dorset Golf Club, 10% off Palmer’s Brewery Tours and 10% off boat trips with Lyme Bay RIB Charter (subject to change).

Holiday Use and Subletting

Please note that holiday homes are designed for occasional holiday occupation and not for use as permanent residences. Both our Local Authority Site Licence and the Holiday Home Pitch Licence Agreements clearly state that holiday homes cannot be used as permanent residences.

Subletting your holiday home is not permitted. Your holiday home may only be used for holiday by you, your family and friends. The Purchase Agreement and Licence Agreement record that the hiring out of your holiday home is not permitted.