Sceptics turned converts: holiday lodges are a savvy lifestyle investment
South Devon holiday park Palstone Lodges has converted two retirees from lodge sceptics to converts in one afternoon as it is revealed they save roughly £10,000 on holidays every year.
Peter and Yvette Cheeseman, both retirees from Dorset, say they made a lifestyle investment when they purchased their Palstone lodge and claim their family saves £10,000 a year on holidays.
Located in Devon’s beautiful South Hams in the pretty village of South Brent, Palstone Lodges is a collection of contemporary cedar lodges set amongst landscaped grounds which boasts over a thousand species of rare and exotic plants, trees and shrubbery from around the world. Peter and Yvette spotted the lodges for sale in an estate agent’s window whilst they were on holiday in Devon and out of curiosity, they made an appointment.
“We really weren’t looking to buy” said Peter. “We didn’t have a very high opinion of lodges on holiday parks as they tend to be crammed in and are often rented out, so you get a variety of visitors, good and bad. Still, we took a chance, made an appointment and arranged to meet the owners Matt and Sally.”
“I wasn’t expecting much” continued Peter. “We had money available from our pension and we were trying to think about what we might be able to buy. We liked the idea of escaping to Devon to get away from our busy lives in Dorset where I still have business interests and Yvette competes with her horses.”
After the couple met with owners Matt and Sally Morgan, they were completely converted in one afternoon.
Peter said: “In one afternoon, we’d turned from lodge sceptics to complete coverts and that was all down to the inspiring and enlightening approach that Matt and Sally have to creating individual escapes planned over a quarter of a century to provide total privacy for their lodge owners.”
What really stood out for Peter and Yvette were the secluded plots the lodges were sat on and how they are exclusively for the use of owners, their friends and family only.
“That gave us the added confidence that we were making the right decision” said Peter. “It meant that we could have certainty and peace of mind that people buying at Palstone Lodges genuinely cared about their property and who stays there. That helps you to relax.”
Peter and Yvette’s four children also enjoy their Devon bolt-hole.
“For them, it’s a free holiday” said Peter. “We take pleasure in the fact that that we’re giving them something special as part of our family unit. If they visit three times a year, which they all do, that saves them around £10,000 in total. We took the view that if we use it for five days a month over the next 25-30 years, it would more than pay for itself. You’d easily spend that on accommodation and you’d have nothing to show for it, and certainly nothing to pass on.”
Co-owner Matt Morgan grew up on the farm where the lodges now sit and has been planning the site for over 30 years.
Matt commented: “I’ve visualised how Palstone Lodges would look for years. After a considerable amount of hard work and dedication, we now have an impressive garden-style holiday park that wows everyone who drives through our gates. When Sally and I met Peter and Yvette, we knew they weren’t that keen on the idea of a holiday park but after we showed them that Palstone Lodges wasn’t like every other park, they were won over with the idea of owning their very own patch of heaven.”
According to a recent report published by ABTA*, the number of Britons taking a holiday is on the rise with 72% of people taking a UK break between August 2016 and August 2017 compared to only 62% taking a holiday between 2014 and 2015.
Matt continued: “In this day and age, people need to take time out of their busy lives to enjoy some much-needed R & R. Work can easily become a top priority and whilst it is of course important to earn a living, it’s just as important to take a step back and just relax and unwind. Investing in a Palstone lodge is a lifestyle choice. It gives you a great work-life balance, even if you just want to get away for the weekend. Our beautiful corner of South Devon allows you to sit back and enjoy your private lodge whilst being surrounded by the colours of nature.”
A selection of lodges manufactured by Retreat Homes and Pathfinder Homes are currently available at Palstone Lodges. From two-bedroom lodges to spacious three-bedroom lodges with room for the whole family, lodges at Palstone start from £175,000. Alternatively, potential owners can reserve a plot and create a bespoke design of their own. Owners Matt and Sally frequently work with customers to design a holiday home that meets their needs, joining them on trips to the factories to oversee the finer details.
Peter commented: “The whole experience was great fun. It felt like designing your own house. Having been built off site in two halves, we knew the installation would be swift, but even we were taken by the fact that the lodge was erected in just one day.”
Providing a bolt-hole to unwind in on the southern edge of Dartmoor National Park, these two and three-bedroom lodges are all built for the exclusive use of owners, their friends and family. Each secluded and individual plot comes with a 125-year licence with no stamp duty or council tax payable. Open all year round, Palstone Lodges is just a 10-minute walk away from the village shops and pubs and provides easy access to the A38 and M5.
Dedicated to preserving the planting and wildlife which surrounds them, Palstone Lodges has received a silver David Bellamy Conservation Award for the second year running and is recognised as a Honey Bee Friendly holiday park.
Palstone Lodges is currently offering potential lodge owners up to £7,000 towards their furniture if they purchase their dream home in 2018.
Prices start from £175,000. Palstone Lodges is located on Palstone Lane, Exeter Road, South Brent, Devon, TQ12 9NU. To book an appointment with Matt and Sally Morgan, please call 07866 725035 or visit www.palstonelodges.co.uk
* https://abta.com/assets/uploads/general/Holiday_Habits_Report_2017.pdf