The summer holiday season is over but caravans are still coming in handy for many families.
Caravan owners are using their mobile homes to help them save money while their finances are stretched, new research shows. According to a survey by Towergate Bakers, caravans are increasingly being used as studies, children's play rooms and even student accommodation as homeowners look to avoid bigger mortgage costs.
The insurance firm is urging mobile home owners to check their caravan insurance policies to make sure they are fully covered against theft and damage should they choose to transform their caravans into an extension on their property.
Its survey reveals that 16 per cent of those who own a caravan plan to turn it into a play area for their children, while a further 16 per cent intend to use it as a place to study or work from home. As the cost of student accommodation rises, almost one in ten caravan owners said they would rent out their mobile home to students looking for cheap digs.
Paul Havenhand, a spokesperson for Towergate Bakers, said: "Our new research shows that once people have a caravan, they tend to put it to domestic use between holidays. As the UK's leading caravan insurer we encourage people to make sure they have the right cover in place and have their mobile homes safe and protected from caravan thieves, whatever use they might be putting it to."
Caravans are also being used for their intended purpose, as separate research from Towergate Bakers shows that 20 percent of Brits planning to take a break in the UK over the next year will opt for a caravan holiday to save money on their trip.
