COVID-19 - reports that business buyers flock to campsites
Covid-19 has been described as the great leveller. Yet one thing has remained constant at BusinessesForSale.com – the platform that connects 1000s of buyers and sellers of small and medium sized businesses – and that is campsites for sale.
Year on year, the number of campsites for sale remains the same – at around 70 opportunities currently. They range from a majestic 60-acre site in Norfolk, yours for £5m, to a gorgeous caravan park near the picturesque Cairngorms in Scotland for £335k – and everything in between.
Each opportunity, currently for sale, has generated an average of three buyer enquiries for the month of March in 2020. The same ratio as in 2019. So even during the crisis, the demand has remained constant but against a fall in other sectors, one could argue that campsites have become a star attraction for those looking to run their own business.
This is positive news for anyone operating in this industry. If people are still looking to buy businesses then it indicates that the sector will thrive once again when we come out the other side of this pandemic.
BusinessesForSale.com spoke to some of these campsite buyers to understand their thinking. Why are business buyers still flocking to campsites and holiday parks?
“I think people are now scared or will be scared about going abroad,” says Adrian Hamilton, 54, and who has been searching on BusinessesForSale.com for the ideal opportunity as part of a retirement plan. “People may be forced to do staycations,” he adds. Adrian’s budget is around £400k.
Keith Jones, 63, originally from Coventry, is another campsite buyer using BusinessesForSale.com who concurs. “COVID has frightened people into not flying in case they get trapped abroad and this is the cheaper holiday option which will appeal to many right now,” he says. “Our own plans to buy are on hold right now as we live in the UAE but we are gathering as much information on the opportunities as we can,” he adds.
Keith, an ex Formula-1 mechanic, is a cash buyer with a budget of up to £700k and has camping in his blood. “We bought a 7-acre farm to start a certified location, but my work took me to the Middle East, so we sold the property. We constantly travel to sites in the UK and have nearly completed our round Great Britain road trip.”
Cath Hughes, a retired emergency services worker in her 50s from South Wales, who has a budget under £500k says: “With the economy hitting rock bottom, people will be tightening their belts and won’t be going on holiday this year. But I still expect prices to come down before going up again once we are out of lockdown.”
Ben Harding, 34, from Devon, recently relocated from Melbourne with his wife and young family. Previously, he worked in recruitment. He is looking at campsites for sale in the £500k to £850k range. By his own admission he is in a position to put down a “healthy deposit” but will still need to finance a big part of the purchase. “I have spoken with two commercial brokers who have said we are in a strong position to buy,” says Ben. “It was suggested we could borrow up to £1.3m but I’m erring on the side of caution. I think the industry will be hit this Summer and we may see more businesses come onto the market,” he adds. Ben, like most committed buyers, is prepared to wait until the right opportunity becomes available. “I’ve always wanted my own business and would love to build on an existing campsite which can be brought into the modern era. Most owners seem to be at retirement age and maybe have not had the ambition to grow the business, he notes.
If you are looking to buy or sell a campsite, holiday park or indeed any business, then visit
BusinessesForSale.com for more information.
