Mobile homes have turned on the style. Today, says Helen Parker, (intrepid reporter!) they offer patio, gazebo, sprinkler system, cable TV, internet access and spacious open-plan living room - and an alternative way of life as far away as Morocco and southern Spain..
 

Plots of gold: (clockwise from above left) Linda Ryllo inside and outside her home, the Brabins permanent base in Tenerife, the Williamsons' mobile home in southern Morocco and another Hotspotz home arrives on site on the Costa de La Luz..
 

..and below Hotspotz homes being prepared for installation near Tarifa / Gibraltar on the Costa De la Luz, southern Spain.



 

A Hotspotz Home nearing completion of installation at Tarifa / Gibraltar


 

Beautiful historic town of Vejer near the Hotspotz Tarifa / Gibraltar site
 

Sitting on his two-tier decked terrace, gazing out at the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada, John Ryllo describes the clouds as "kissing the tops of the mountains". It is a poetic aside from a fairly pragmatic man. But there is something about the change in lifestyle of John, 53, and his wife, Linda, that renders this turn of phrase perfectly in character.

John retired in 2006 from the West Midlands police and now the couple spend more and more time in Andalusia. Two years ago they bought an £80,000 park home at Monte Vista, 45 minutes drive from Granada and 60 minutes from Malaga with Breakaway homes.
 

"After I retired, we began to think about spending more time abroad," he says. "We looked at villas and apartments in Cyprus and France, but as soon as we visited Spain we fell in love with the place. The site was in the early stages of development and we had a good choice of plot, so we picked one with the best views. We're now considering staying for longer and renting out our house in Britain."

Park homes, the upmarket version of a mobile home, are just like bungalows but without the bricks and mortar. They are, in essence, "delivered to and installed on" a site of your choice, rather than built, so there are no legal fees with this type of holiday home.

The Ryllos' one came in two sections, which were joined together on site. It has two bedrooms, a large, open-plan living area, a bathroom that wouldn't look out of place in a modern bungalow and a kitchen complete with American-style fridge/freezer.

The beauty of buying a manufactured home lies in its simplicity. Ron Cooper and his wife, Carol, have just bought a two-bedroom mobile home on the Costa de la Luz, in southern Spain, with British company, Hotspotz. "We chose it on the internet," says Ron, 74, adding that it will be sited fully furnished and connected to water and electricity in Tarifa, near Gibraltar on the southern tip of Spain. They paid £27,000 in total and intend to spend most of the year there on the edge of a national park, minutes from the sea on the Costa de la Luz.

Harry Samuels, sales director at Hotspotz, says demand is currently exceeding supply. Consequently, the company has brought forward plans for five Italian locations, including two in Sardinia and Sicily. "It's not just about sunshine and a lower cost of living," he says. "Security and community spirit are also important."

Barry and Barbara Brabin agree. They have embraced mobile-home life wholeheartedly, having sold their home in Liverpool and moved permanently to Las Galletas, in Tenerife. "We've been here for 13 months and the only thing I miss is tickets to the football," says Barry, 63, an ardent Liverpool fan. "And family, of course. But Barbara's sister has since bought a home on the same site, so our four children and nine grandchildren take it in turns to visit."

The Brabins paid just under £60,000 for their unit, which included a patio, gazebo, plants for the garden, outside lights, sprinkler system and fencing. Barry shrugs when the word "depreciation" is mentioned. "The children jokingly said they didn't mind us spending their inheritance, so we went ahead. But I think it will hold its price for a few years."

The Ryllos are not too worried about depreciation, either. "Short-term, I think our park home will increase in value," says John. "There's the added advantage of the long lifespan of a park home in Spain. Thanks to the mild climate, there isn't the rush to replace homes every 10 to 12 years, as there is in Britain."

Most buyers of this type of second home are investing in a change in lifestyle rather than a place that will make money. "We've holidayed in Tenerife for 14 years and we have no regrets about coming to live here permanently," says Barry. "In fact, when we visited the UK recently, we realised why we'd left. The Spanish are much more family-orientated, and we like that. It suits us."

Morocco certainly suits Jack Williamson and his wife, Brenda. They have been spending winters here for 17 years, long before the country became trendy. They would simply get in their motor home and go. "In the early days, it was real donkey-and-cart country and took us five days just to get from Tangier to Agadir. Now, we do it in two," says Jack, 65..

The site, which is 15 miles from Agadir, in southern Morocco, isn't a residential site, but that matters little because it is not possible to stay longer than six months in Morocco anyway without becoming a resident. Even stays of three months or more necessitate becoming a temporary resident. "We get round it by popping over to Tenerife for a week in the middle of our holiday," says Jack..

They used to own a hotel on the Isle of Man but sold it 17 years ago. "We intended to go travelling for 12 months initially," says Jack. "But then we discovered Morocco; the weather, the people and the food are all wonderful and we feel safe here; there are no threatening teenage gangs. I'm not religious, but I admire the nation's devotion and, most important, they revere their parents."

Back at Monte Vista, Spain, John Ryllo watches the sun go down.. "As we see it, it's much more difficult to make an expensive mistake buying a park home than it is buying bricks and mortar” he says.
 

Fact file

• Mobile homes are single units up to 14ft wide, with an aluminium frame and uPVC cladding. Park homes are, in essence, the next level up. They are built to British Building Regulations standard, have a wooden frame and better insulation. They are available as a single unit, but more usually as two and joined together on site, so they can be manufactured up to 20ft wide and 48ft long, sometimes even bigger. With a park home it is possible for the owner to design the interior themselves, choosing kitchen worktops, furniture and even the layout of the Rooms. (Note: Hotspotz can also have tailor made mobile homes manufactured)

• None of the companies featured manufactures the units itself, although Hotspotz is able to offer custom homes and special needs units from either Uk or Spanish manufacturers. They match clients with a suitable home and find the site and plot as part of the package. Most manufacturers of mobile homes do not deal direct with the public.

• Both mobile homes and park homes can, in theory, be moved to another site of the client's choosing. With a mobile home, this is a much more straightforward process as it can be moved as one unit. The park home has to be separated, transported and then joined together again. In reality, this rarely happens. There is an active market in second-hand mobile and park home sales sold in situ, which the companies mentioned here can advise on.

• Park homes, such as the Ryllos', vary in price from £75,000 to £90,000. They are much bigger than mobile homes and offer flexibility in design and interior fit. John and Linda pay €4,700 site fees per annum on a 300-square metre plot. There is a restaurant and pool planned for the site, as well as cable television and internet access..

• Hotspotz offers homes in Italy, including Sicily & Sardinia, France, Portugal, Spain, Tenerife. Prices start at under £30,000 delivered, fully sited and installed. For more details, phone 0870 7563700 / 2.