Serenity Sets Out Growth Plans In Park Homes Market

Serenity Sets Out Growth Plans In Park Homes Market

Park homes operator, Serenity Parks has announced ambitious plans for expansion following the success of its first two ventures in the North West. A newcomer to the parks homes market, Serenity Parks was established just over twelve months ago after founder’s and Director’s Gary Burns & Andrew Wilson seized an opportunity to acquire the two prime sites in the Cheadle Hulme and Frodsham.   Following major investment, both parks have achieved strong sales with a GDV of £4 million and just a handful of plots remaining. Burns, who also owns long established and successful £14 million turnover civil engineering business NMC Group with Wilson, said, “Through our many civil engineering contracts we have long been involved with infrastructure and development works for many residential park home estates throughout the country. Given the steady increase in this market and changing perceptions of park home living, we identified a strong opportunity to diversify our business interests and this has proved successful.” Chesters Croft in Cheadle Hulme near Stockport was acquired by Serenity Parks in November 2016 and has since seen major investment in surfacing, drainage, curbing, landscaping and further plot allocations. Serenity bought back a number of plots to upgrade the new homes for sale. The location is arguably one of the most desirable in the North West and as such only five plots out of 47 remain available for sale. Alvanley Park, also in Cheshire, has undergone major upgrade with new homes leaving just 4 remaining for sale out of 40.  It sits in a prestige location in the Cheshire countryside and next to National Trust woodland but with easy access to amenities in Frodsham. Now Serenity Parks is seeking new site opportunities with the cash already in place for the right opportunities.  Gary Burns continues, “There has been a seismic change in perceptions of park home living, especially among the over 50s who are placing more importance on leisure and the freedom that park home living can give them.  The changes to housing policy last July also means that residential park homes are now accepted as a dedicated form of housing giving us more confidence in planning policy for more plots. “According to research by Sanderson Weatherall, over 60% of park home sales have been in the South East and South West with just 30% in the rest of the UK.  I see this as a fantastic opportunity to pursue the roll out of more luxurious, high end park homes in the North but our interest remains national. “We are ready and able to invest in redevelopment opportunities where we can transform tired sites to offer prestige park home communities in desirable areas.   We have set out ambitions to double the size of our portfolio year on year over the next three years and promote the Serenity Parks brand nationally. Serenity Parks is an independent park home operator and developer which focuses on making luxury living affordable. It is accredited by the British Holiday & Homes Park Association (BH&HPA) as a fully compliant park operator. www.serenityparks.co.uk

Willerby’s new Juniper lodge allows owners to wallpaper its durable walls

Willerby Juniper lodge bed

A new luxury lodge that enables customers to tailor their own unique model, decorate the super-durable walls and gain a more restful night’s sleep was revealed by Willerby at the Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show, Birmingham NEC. The Juniper lodge is the second installment from Willerby’s luxury Botanical Collection. With configurability at its core, the lodge offers owners options to shape their space, including panoramic bi-folding doors, two colour schemes and four-bed layout.  For those with mobility requirements, the Juniper offers the option to adapt the bathroom to provide users with wheelchair-friendly access, a feature which is complemented by the extra-wide doors and hallways throughout the lodge. Customers can also decide how to utilise the third room to suit their lifestyle. At the NEC show, the marker leader unveiled the Juniper’s unique new wall system. Impressive in its high durability, the Oslo Wall Syste can be painted, plastered and wallpapered again and again. It is also much stronger than plasterboard, with up to 40kg hanging from a single nail, meaning owners can hang pictures and mirrors wherever they like. The Oslo Wall System, exclusive to Willerby, is also highly insulating and proven to improve heat retention by 20%.  Willerby’s marketing director Kirsten Bolton explains, “Both the Juniper lodge and our new wall system are a response to the growing desire of our customers to be able to shape their holiday homes to suit their own needs and tastes. Owners can now create the space, look and feel that works for their lifestyle.” Willerby also provided advice from “The Sleep Geek” James Wilson, who was on hand at the NEC to answer all questions sleep related, after the company teamed up with British mattress makers Hypnos to offer two bespoke upgrade options. A survey recently conducted by Willerby revealed the extent to which Brits enjoy a good night’s sleep on holiday, with 74% saying a comfortable bed is top on their list of priorities when it comes to holiday accommodation. So its Simply Better Sleep option offers either the Hypnos Cranborne luxury pocket sprung mattress in double or king-sizes, as well as the Super Sleep Singles range. In addition, to celebrate the launch of the new Juniper lodge, Willerby has made a pledge to support the plight of the Juniper berry that has faced near extinction in recent years, by planting bushes in a number of holiday parks across the UK.  To find out more about the Willerby Juniper lodge, please visit willerby.com/holiday-lodges/juniper    Willerby’s CEO Peter Munk on the new Juniper lodge  Caravan Industry & Park Operator’s sales representative Lisa Ryder spoke with the delightful Peter Munk, CEO of Willerby, about the new Juniper lodge. Peter was very excited to introduce the Juniper, saying, “This beautiful lodge is very unique in the industry as it is not only finished to the highest quality, the walls are made from OSLO Wall. This is a different materiel used than that of other park homes.  “The Oslo wall is so strong that owners can hang heavy items – including bike racks – on to the wall and be reassured that the walls will not be damaged. Owners can also decorate the interior walls to their preference, including painting and wallpapering.” Peter added that the lodge comes with an option of packages to create a home-from-home feel. He said, “This includes the ability to re-position the furniture to taste, additional third and fourth rooms which can conveniently be a bedroom, a study or utility room.”  The interior has a luxurious and stylish finish with a choice of soft furnishing styles, and Willerby designers have even teamed up with Hypno Mattresses to give the owners a relaxing sleep while on holiday. Willerby have also ensured the Juniper is suitable for those needing accessible holidays, with wider door frames for wheelchairs. The Juniper can also be fitted with the additional Simply Pawsome pack, which will provide a holiday for the four legged family members as it offers a ‘pup gate’, stable door, and outdoor tap to stop mucky paws bringing in the dirt.  Whilst at the show, Peter shared the news that Willerby had already made a sale to Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay, Cornwall. Meanwhile, the NEC show proved a huge success with its selection of park homes, lodges, touring caravans, motorhomes, campervans, Glamping and camping. They included all the big names in the industry plus a fantastic array of latest products and accessories.  The Caravan, Camping and Motorhome Show had a holiday park layout to really create the excitement of planning the next family getaway – it was fun for all the family. Highlights included activities for the children such as a climbing wall, creche area and bush skills work shops, as well as dog agility shows, guest speakers – including the explorer legend Ranulph Fiennes – cooking demonstrations and the opportunity to practise the skill of towing.