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Caravan Park Market Review ( 01/02/2004 )
Our enquiry level from potential purchasers of caravan parks over the
last 6 months has been extremely buoyant with a large number of
caravan park sales taking place between Northern NSW and Cooktown.
It is interesting to note that generally speaking 80% of our Buyers
are Southern based, 80% are 50 years of age or older and 80% are first
time operators of a caravan park. Most buyers are motivated by a
change in lifestyle, climate and the opportunity of being their own
boss.
It is true to say that most of the potential buyers identified the
Industry as having excellent growth. However, it is equally true that
some of those buyers have drifted away of recent times because of the
perceived negative impact they believe increased interest rates will
have, the well publicised fuel price increase and the continuing
problem the Industry has with overnight stop areas. It is part of
human nature I suppose whereby a potential purchaser can be presented
with several positives and a couple of negatives and yet they will
concentrate solely on the negatives. That's life I suppose!
On the subject of overnight stop areas it is interesting to note that
despite the excellent united and concerted effort by QParks that most
councils still turn a blind eye to supporting the Caravan Parks in
their municipality.
I find it ironic that they encourage caravanners to stay in these
overnight stop areas, or the local showgrounds in direct competition
to the privately owned Caravan Parks in their area. These owners have
put their life savings into their Park and are forced to compete with
a ratepayer funded council that would have us believe that they are
merely trying to keep the travelling caravanner in the local shire so
as they spend their money there as well. Surely, doesn't it make
sense for councils that really want to achieve the same goals for them
to reduce considerably the development headworks costs for a new park
or for that matter have an incentive scheme encouraging established
park owners to develop more sites on their own existing parks surplus
land.
Regardless, there are still genuine qualified buyers in the market
place wanting to buy a Caravan Park and so if there are any owners
contemplating a sale there may never be a better time than right
now!
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