Sales of caravans, motorhomes and holiday homes are being driven by an increasing number of people who are realising that working from home means they now have the choice to work from anywhere in a mobile office or holiday home, research commissioned by the Swift Group shows.
Being able to work from anywhere is creating new work-life trends, such as working while on holiday (‘workations’), and blending work and leisure (‘bleisure’) by adding some holiday to work trips, or becoming ‘digital nomads’ and work from anywhere while based in a leisure vehicle.
An increasing number of people are combining this new work-life balance with the freedom and flexibility of being able to work from anywhere with a touring caravan, campervan, motorhome or holiday home.
Combining a familiar environment to work from with the option of a change of scenery and more time to be outdoors with your partner, children or, maybe, your dog, has seen many people buying or renting campervans, motorhomes, touring caravans and holiday homes for the first time.
This has fuelled a dramatic increase in demand for new and used models, as confirmed by John Lally, director general of the NCC (National Caravan Council): “In the UK, caravans – of all types – are experiencing almost unprecedented demand.
“For example, at the end of 2021, sales of new touring caravans had grown by 23.5 per cent (to 17,639 units), motorhomes and campervans by 12 per cent (to 14,074 units) and holiday caravans (“static caravans”) by 38 per cent (to 19,624 units) compared to 2020.
“Data and anecdotal evidence from both dealers and parks is that this growth is being driven by new entrants to the market with a lower age profile who can use their new caravan to facilitate working from anywhere.”
Swift Group’s deputy managing director, Amy Archer said: “Lockdown gave many people the opportunity to experience a dramatically different way of life and a new work-life balance.
“As a result, people are finding new ways to work, including creating mobile office spaces in leisure vehicles that can function as both holiday vehicles and mobile workspaces with the comforts of Wi-Fi, a washroom, cooking facilities and heating.
“The joys of remote working means work can be done where and when you choose it to be.”
This is exactly what Phil and Victoria Pond have done: “During the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021, we realised how easily we could run our business with the whole team working remotely.
“When and where we worked suddenly became irrelevant. When things tried to return to normal after the lockdowns a layer of stress came back into daily life. Instead, we took our business on the road and bought a touring caravan.
“It had everything we needed: a kitchen, dining room, an office space, a lounge and a bedroom with an ensuite bathroom.”
“We christened the caravan, ‘Suzy Quattro’, to reflect her real name: a Sprite Super Quattro by Swift.
“We now love being surrounded by nature, watching animals and the changing seasons in an altogether more engaging way, and have suffered considerably less illnesses than we usually do.
“The sense of still, calm, quiet and peace that we felt in times of lockdown is now an everyday part of life for us on the road in Suzy Quattro,” they continued.
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