Cash in on Camping
Rural homes that come with small campsites will generate extra income
oNe consequence of the Covid crisis is that the demand for country homes with a campsite in the grounds — be it for camping, glamping or caravans — has gone through the roof. ‘People want to escape to the peace and quiet of the countryside, but money is often an issue,’ says Carol Peett, of West Wales Property Finders. ‘A small campsite can be merged with childcare or working from home to provide an income stream.’
James Warner Smith, who edits the website Cool Camping ( coolcamping.com), which has seen its bookings increase by 500 per cent since 2019, believes that camping is perfect for these troubled times.
‘Covid transmission is low outdoors,’ he says. ‘And people yearn for the camaraderie of the campsite after being locked up all year.’
Demand for properties with campsites is strong, partly due to a relaxation of planning laws in england and Wales, allowing campsites for tents to operate without planning permission for up to 56 days, doubling the previous limit.
However, calculating exactly how much income you can expect to make from a campsite is tricky, as much depends on the location and outlook.
For a six-person pitch close to, say, a beautiful stretch of a river you may be able to charge £40 a night, while offering no more than a compost toilet by way of amenities.
But it pays to be resourceful. One site in Leicestershire gets over its lack of bathroom facilities by making arrangements with the local pub for the campers to take their morning shower there.
Glamping throws a glitzy spin on a camping theme and holiday-makers cannot get enough of it. Sites come in all shapes and sizes, from converted doubledecker buses to fire engines, and from converted jets (all available on eBay) to the ubiquitous shepherds’ huts.
Tree houses, which have to be booked well in advance, are particularly popular, with Cool Camping receiving 1,600 searches for every one they advertise. The average for a night of glamping in high season is £160. Again the rates are not solely down to the amenities; it is the ‘experience’ that matters. One glamping site in Berkshire offers little more than a tiny cabin in a wood, yet London-based businessmen and women are happy to fork out more than £100 a night to de-stress there.
Camping sites with homes can be bought on the main property portals and on specialist websites. It is worth noting that some agents report 40 per cent of sales falling through, probably due to buyers’ last-minute jitters.
Should you get pipped at the post with an offer, it is worth following the sale through to get in quickly in case it comes back on the market.
Caravans — both touring and static — are also enjoying a revival in popularity. New research from investment holding company MBH Corporation shows 9 per cent of people plan to take a caravan holiday in the UK for the first time this year as tourists worry about contracting Covid when on holiday. That is three times the number who took a caravan holiday for the first time last year and indicates that caravans will soon be more popular for holidays than UK hotels.
Some site owners offer back-to-basics caravanning, but the more imaginative have swimming pools, hot tubs and some kind of takeaway.
Like glamping, caravans offer the opportunity to grow a site into a substantial business, as has happened to Lesley Shorefield and her family.
‘My father, Dr robert Pollock, was a volatile man with a very busy professional life,’ says Lesley, 68. ‘His way of dealing with stress was to take his caravan down to Mudeford in Dorset for the weekend.
‘But one weekend Dad didn’t book ahead and the site was full. He absolutely blew his top and the site owners said if he felt that strongly why didn’t he buy the site at Milford on Sea that had just come on the market? So he did.’
Dr Pollock went on to create Shorefield Holiday Homes, which now runs eight sites across Hampshire and Dorset.
Most new site owners, however, are looking for a sideline more than an investment opportunity.
‘They want a little cottage where they can grow their own food, keep a few animals and look after the environment,’ says Warner Smith. ‘It’s a lifestyle thing.’
WANT to breathe new life and energy into your home? Wallpaper is a quick way to make a big difference to your decor, and might just cheer you up, too. Sales of wallpaper have seen a healthy uptick over the last year, and gone are the days of people trying to retain a neutral palette. Lockdowns have encouraged us to be bolder and more original.
‘What we’re seeing is people being more true to themselves,’ says Fi Douglas, founder of the Scottish design studio, Bluebellgray ( bluebellgray.com). ‘It used to be all about property and selling, whereas now it’s about people embracing the home they have.’
The idea of wallpaper might call to mind 1980s wall-to-wall Laura Ashley chintz. And while there’s a time and a place for florals, wallpaper is no longer the wallflower it once was. From maximalist prints to soft wallpapers that add texture and depth, there’s a wallpaper style for everyone.
MAKE A STATEMENT
MAXIMALIST wallpaper is enjoying a revival; grand-scale prints adorn walls like a piece of art. And there is a huge array of wallpaper producers making these bold prints.
Traditional printers such as Lola Design, Sanderson and Morris & Co ( sanderson designgroup.com) produce rich colours, dazzling geometric patterns and beautiful botanical designs, while trained artists have become the new wave of wallpaper manufacturers, turning their skills to work on a much bigger scale.
‘Bold, patterned wallpaper is a quick way to update a space; you can have a dramatically different room quickly and easily,’ says one such artist, Lucy Tiffney (lucytiffney.shop).
Tiffney was a finalist in BBC2’s Great Interior Design Challenge in 2016, and has since set up her own design studio.
her wallpapers are a gorgeous riot of colour. ‘ My inspiration comes from everywhere; a lot of it is botantical and from the natural world.’
Bluebellgray is another studio. Its papers are inspired by nature, both in abstract and more realistic depictions.
‘All my wallpapers start life as a painting and you can see that in the wallpaper,’ says owner Fi Douglas.
GO BIG AND LIVE A LITTLE
SOLD on going for a bold print, but unsure how to make it work? Lucy Tiffney encourages her clients to embrace bold prints on one wall rather than a whole room.
‘One customer used my Penang wallpaper on a huge feature wall. Because the wall was so big the wallpaper actually looked almost like a texture.’
‘I love a wallpapered ceiling,’ says interior designer Katie Knight, director of interior design firm Katie elizabeth Design ( katie elizabethdesign.com). ‘It can make the room still feel simple and sophisticated at eye level, but have a party on the ceiling.
‘I also love to use a bold wallpaper in more hidden places that surprise and add a fun element, such as on the back of bookshelves and dressers, or inside cupboards.’
Complementary furnishings can help showcase your wallpaper.
‘I recommend using wallpaper as a feature wall, but then make other elements of the room calmer,’ says Fi Douglas. ‘If you’ve got the palette, which starts with the wallpaper, pull other colours from it.
‘If you do that then everything else will feel coherent.’
PARED-BACK PERFECTION
IF MAXIMALISM is not for you, a minimalist print might appeal. A subtle wallpaper with texture adds depth and interest to a room, creating shadow and warmth that you can’t get from paint.
‘If a wallpaper is a subtle colour, it’s all about textures. This adds depth to a room,’ says emily holder, co-founder and director at Wells and Maguire ( wellsandmaguire.
Layering textures and colours on other items will set off a minimalist wallpaper.
‘Wallpapers with texture add depth — whether that’s silk effects or suede — they’re so neutral. And then we layer items in the room on top of it. We could go bolder on things like the cushions,’ adds Danielle Marsh, fellow director and co-founder of Wells and Maguire. ‘Or if you want to keep it more neutral and focus on texture, then lovely cushions, chunky throws and rugs are great.’
With textured wallpaper, clever lighting is key. ‘Good lighting and subtle or textured wallpaper go hand in hand. It catches the light and adds that extra dimension,’ says Katie Knight.
Whatever you choose, you can’t go far wrong with wallpaper, says Natasha Bradley, interior designer and colour expert at wallpaper designer Lick ( lickhome.com/wallpaper).
‘Wallpaper is wallpaper; you are adding a detail to your space. Your eyes will be drawn to it, no matter what.
‘So, whether you decide on a subtle stripe or bold floral design, you will make an impact either way.’