Buying a used mobile home: inspection checklist, red flags and what to look for
Inspect the chassis, roof and floors before buying a used mobile home: structural chassis corrosion and widespread damp are walk-away red flags. Properly inspected, a used unit costs about a third of a new one, and in current stock used units at Green Village start at £6,667 (median £26,625).
A used mobile home or static caravan typically costs about a third of a new equivalent — in our current stock, the median used static caravan is £24,292 against £75,167 for a new one. The catch: buying blind means inheriting hidden damp, a corroded chassis or a unit that costs more to repair than the saving was worth.
This guide gives you the full inspection checklist, the red flags that should make you walk away, which British brands hold their value, where to buy a used unit for Spain or Portugal in 2026 and what it costs delivered, and how Green Village inspects every unit before listing it.
The inspection checklist
Whether you inspect the unit yourself or rely on a professional report, these are the areas that must be checked — in order of how expensive they are to fix:
- Chassis and subframe — look for rust, especially on cross-members and tow-bar brackets. Surface rust is cosmetic; structural corrosion is a deal-breaker.
- Roof — feel for soft spots (sign of water ingress). Check the roof edge seals and any skylight surrounds. Water damage from the roof down is the most common and costly problem.
- Floors — walk every room and feel for spongy patches, especially around the bathroom and kitchen. Soft floors usually mean water damage to the chipboard sub-floor.
- Windows and doors — open and close every one. Check for condensation between panes (seal failure) and for draughts around frames.
- Plumbing — run all taps, flush the toilet, check under the unit for leaks. Ask when the boiler was last serviced.
- Electrics — check the consumer unit for trip switches, test every socket and light. Older units may need re-wiring to meet current standards.
- Gas — smell for gas, check the hoses and connections. Any unit with gas appliances should have a current gas safety certificate.
Units available now
Red flags: when to walk away
Some problems cost more to fix than the unit is worth. Walk away if you find:
- Structural chassis corrosion — the chassis is load-bearing and unrepairable once weakened.
- Widespread damp or mould — isolated patches can be treated, but damp throughout the walls or ceiling means the timber frame is compromised.
- Sagging roof or bowed walls — a sign the frame has moved, often irreversible.
- No documentation — no chassis number, no gas certificate, no provenance. It may be stolen or uninsurable.
Brands that hold their value
The major British manufacturers — Willerby, ABI, Swift, Atlas, Carnaby, Pemberton, Victory — use broadly similar construction methods. What matters more than the badge is the model tier (leisure vs residential), the age and the maintenance history. That said, Willerby and ABI hold the strongest resale value because of volume (parts are easier to source) and brand recognition.
French and Dutch manufacturers (IRM, Rapidhome, O'Hara, Trigano) dominate the continental market and are well-suited to southern European climates.
Where to buy a used mobile home for Spain or Portugal in 2026
There are three ways to buy a used static caravan or mobile home and end up with it on a plot or pitch in Spain or Portugal. A local dealer or a holiday park lets you walk round the unit before you pay, and on a park it may already be sited — but choice is limited to what is available locally, and a park sale is usually tied to a pitch agreement and the park's own rules. A private seller on a classified marketplace often has the lowest asking price, but you inspect on your own and book the transport and the installation yourself. An importer with stock abroad offers the widest choice of makes, sizes and years, handles inspection, transport and installation, and quotes one delivered price for your address with VAT shown separately — this is how Green Village works.
Before you buy, confirm where the unit will stand. On a campsite or holiday park, the park's own rules decide what it accepts (size, appearance, sometimes age) and what the pitch fee covers; on private land, the town hall decides what may be placed and for how long. Our guide to mobile home planning permission by country covers Portugal and Spain in detail.
The delivery timeline depends on where the unit is and is confirmed in your quote. Green Village connects the unit to the utility points already on the plot as part of delivery; preparing the plot itself (access, base, utility supply points) is a separate, owner-organised step — start it while the unit is on its way.
What changes when you buy from Green Village:
- Inspected and photographed — every used unit is inspected before it is listed, and each listing shows the year, floor area, number of bedrooms and real photographs of that unit, not brochure images.
- One delivered price — the listing shows the price of the unit; the delivered price we quote for your destination already includes transport to your address, organised by Mobile Home Logistic, and installation — placement and levelling — so there is no separate freight bill.
- VAT shown separately — whatever the origin of the unit, VAT is shown separately at the destination rate, which is 23% in mainland Portugal and 21% in Spain (source: European Commission, Your Europe — VAT rates table, europa.eu).
- See before you buy — units can be viewed at our showrooms in Maia (Porto), Ribeirinha (Azores), Vigo (Spain) and La Séguinière (France, by appointment); units still in their country of origin can be inspected by live video before you commit.
Used mobile home prices in 2026
Right now, Green Village has 577 used mobile homes, static caravans and chalets in stock (539 priced), from £6,667 to £147,708 with a median of £26,625 (table below). These are prices delivered to the UK, + VAT: transport is built into the delivered price and VAT is shown separately on the listing. The figures follow the used mobile homes page and change with the stock.
How that stock spreads across price bands, out of 539 priced units: 94 at up to £17,500, 248 at up to £25,000, 377 at up to £40,000 and 517 at up to £85,000.
Five things drive the price of a used unit. Age: the year is on every listing, so compare like with like. Make and model tier: Willerby and ABI hold their value best, and residential-spec units built to BS 3632 cost more than leisure ones. Size: floor area matters more than bedroom count — in the current stock, used one-bedroom units start at £11,583, two-bedroom units at £6,667 and three-bedroom units at £8,208. Year-round features: double glazing and central heating add to the price and are worth paying for if you plan to live in the unit through the winter. Condition: cosmetic wear is reflected in the price and shown in the photographs, never hidden.
How a delivered price is built — a worked example for a UK-origin static caravan listed at, say, €20,000 and delivered to mainland Portugal:
- The unit: €20,000, the price on the listing.
- Transport to your address — organised by Mobile Home Logistic, including installation and positioning — is quoted for your destination and included in the delivered price rather than billed separately.
- VAT at the destination's standard rate — 23% for mainland Portugal, 21% for Spain — shown separately, next to the delivered price.
- The delivered price covers the unit, transport and installation in one figure, with VAT shown separately, whatever the origin.
| Used stock (UK delivered, + VAT) | Units | From | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| All used units | 577 | £6,667 | £26,625 |
| Static caravans | 157 | £9,375 | £24,292 |
| Mobile homes | 357 | £6,667 | £27,083 |
| Chalets | 60 | £15,167 | £29,708 |
| 1 bedroom | 31 | £11,583 | £18,479 |
| 2 bedrooms | 384 | £6,667 | £25,667 |
| 3 bedrooms | 137 | £8,208 | £30,458 |
How Green Village inspects every unit
Every used unit listed by Green Village goes through a multi-point inspection before it is offered for sale. The inspection covers chassis condition, roof integrity, damp readings (with a calibrated meter), plumbing pressure test, electrical safety and cosmetic condition. The result is a detailed condition report with photographs, shared with the buyer before purchase.
Units that fail on structural issues (chassis, frame, roof) are not listed. Units with minor cosmetic issues are listed honestly, with the issues noted and reflected in the price.
In summary
- A used unit costs about a third of a new one — but only if you inspect it properly.
- Chassis, roof and floors are the three areas that can make or break a deal.
- Structural chassis corrosion and widespread damp are walk-away red flags.
- Green Village inspects every used unit and provides a condition report with photographs.
- Willerby and ABI hold the strongest resale value; what matters most is the tier and maintenance history.
- For Spain or Portugal you can buy used from a local dealer or park, privately, or through an importer such as Green Village that delivers inspected stock to your plot.
- In current stock, used units at Green Village start at £6,667 (median £26,625), delivered to the UK, + VAT; the delivered price for your destination includes transport.
- Whatever the origin, the delivered price includes transport and installation; VAT at the destination rate is shown separately.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to buy a used mobile home?
Yes, provided it is properly inspected. The key areas are chassis condition, roof integrity and damp readings. Green Village inspects every used unit and provides a detailed condition report with photographs. Units that fail on structural issues are not listed.
How much cheaper is a used mobile home than a new one?
A used unit costs about a third of a new one. In our current stock, a new static caravan starts at £40,917 (median £75,167), while a used one starts at £9,375 (median £24,292).
What is the biggest risk when buying used?
Hidden water damage. Damp from the roof or floor can rot the timber frame and chipboard, and the repair cost often exceeds the saving. Always check the roof seals, walk every floor for soft spots and ask for damp-meter readings.
Which brands should I look for?
The major British manufacturers (Willerby, ABI, Swift, Atlas, Carnaby) all build to a similar standard. Willerby and ABI hold the best resale value because parts are widely available. More important than the brand is the model tier (leisure vs residential) and the maintenance history.
Can I buy a used static caravan and have it delivered to Spain or Portugal?
Yes. You can buy one already in Spain or Portugal from a dealer, a holiday park or a private seller, or buy a UK-origin unit from Green Village, which inspects and photographs the unit, organises transport through Mobile Home Logistic, insured at 100%, and installs it on your plot or pitch, with transport and installation included in the delivered price quoted for your address and VAT at the destination rate (23% in mainland Portugal, 21% in Spain) shown separately.
Is a used mobile home worth it?
Usually yes, provided three things are checked first: where the unit will stand (park rules or the town hall), its condition (chassis, roof and floors) and the full delivered price, compared like for like. In current stock, used units at Green Village start at £6,667, with a median of £26,625, delivered to the UK, + VAT. If you plan to live in it through the winter, choose a unit with double glazing and central heating.
How long does delivery of a used mobile home take?
It depends on where the unit comes from; the delivery timeline for your unit is confirmed in your quote. Preparing the base and the utility connections is separate work and can run in parallel.