Meet one of our happy lodge owners at The Cove
Owner Spotlight
Nigel Wimpenny
Lodge Owner at The Cove
Lives in St Helens, Travel Time 1.15hrs
Owner Since July 2021
Why have only one or two holidays a year when you can have one or two a month?. There are many benefits to mention, the flexibility to get away whenever you want a holiday break, no searching the internet for holiday accommodation that might not be as good as it looks, no packing everything but the kitchen sink, no airport hassle. Jump into the car and in an hour or two you’re on holiday, in your own home from home. And family and friends can stay at no extra cost. And dogs can come too (as long as they behave themselves!).
I believe that there are four golden rules to making a success of your decision to buy a caravan or lodge:
- Choose the park that’s right for your whole family
- Choose the right park owner
- Choose a caravan/lodge that suits your needs and budget
- Use it frequently
Holgates is a family owned company that’s been providing the highest levels of service, standards and value in the industry to generations of holiday makers and holiday home owners over many years. So, you’ve got the peace of mind that you are joining a quality park with a sound reputation. Holgates own a group of nice parks in enviable locations with a range of static caravans and lodges for sale. I chose to buy a lodge on the Cove at Silverdale because I wanted a seaside retreat with access to the great facilities of the holiday park.
With rising property prices, static caravans and lodges can offer great value for money. Caravans have changed a lot over the years. They are cleverly designed to make the most of the available space. Central heating, double glazing and insulation keep you warm. They have modern appliances and good quality furnishings. I chose a lodge and wanted a three bed unit with two bathrooms for those times when the family are all there. The lodge is 800 sq ft, larger than many apartments. We have a good size decking for sitting/eating outside, weather permitting.
Holiday homes are maintenance free and Holgates look after all of that. There is domestic quality broadband wired into the lodge allowing us to enjoy reliable internet access as well as streaming data-hungry programmes such as Smart TV, Netflix, iPlayer etc. We particularly like to grab takeaways from the restaurant across the way and order these on the Holgates app and eat in the comfort of our own lodge (I also enjoy croissants from the bakery most days). Big shout out to Simon and his team who run the food & beverage operation so well!
The process of buying a caravan/lodge is very straightforward. You don’t need a lawyer. The professional sales staff will explain everything in an honest and transparent manner. I’m very pleased with my decision to buy a lodge on The Cove last year. It’s improved my quality of life more than I thought possible. And it provides great value for money because as a family we use it so much.
I’ve been working part-time from home for a few years, so now I often drive up to the lodge for a mid-week ‘workation’ where I can enjoy a change of scenery. While I’m there I use the gym and pool everyday, so it feels like I’m on holiday while I’m working, and that has helped my physical and mental well-being. My wife had a serious health issue last year: staying at the lodge has helped her to recuperate and relax, enjoying the peaceful ambience, the change of scene and the views across Morecambe Bay. My daughter-in-law enjoyed happy childhood holidays at Holgates Silverdale in her parents’ tourer since the age of 2, and now she brings her own young children to stay in our holiday home as often as they can, now making their own happy family memories. Whilst the family all manage to relax at the lodge and enjoy the facilities of the park we also venture out to visit local attractions such as The Lakeland Wildlife Oasis, Greenlands Farm Village or The Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway which the grandchildren absolutely love. Having lived around Windermere some years ago, I’m well aware of the attractions Bowness and Windermere has to offer, we all like to spend time around the Lake.
We’ve also got to know some nice people on the site. There’s no hire fleet or sub-letting on The Cove, which adds to the sense of community. I did buy the lodge with the plan of having more time during my upcoming retirement to relax, though my family are using it more and more making less time for us to escape on our own. My son and his family come up in the school holidays and weekends: his kids love the lodge and the facilities of the park. My son occasionally works in The Lake District which is only 30 minutes or so away so he stays in the lodge the odd night too. My daughter’s job includes hybrid working which she combines with using the lodge as a base to go fell walking in the South Lakes area. The only problem we’ve had with the lodge as a family is agreeing who gets to use it!
