Residential Mobile Homes in Scotland - Scottish Government

3.36 Four respondents in park homes had bought dehumidifiers to help clear the level of
moisture in the air. Two park home respondents reported poor standards of work that had
been undertaken during the occupation of their home by previous owners. For example, the
exterior of one park home had been cladded and the person who undertook the work covered
up all the vents. In another instance, a park home had been boxed in, but insufficient
ventilation meant that air had not been allowed to circulate underneath the park home.
3.37 Four respondents who lived in individual mobile homes reported the presence of
damp,
“We have the usual problems with condensation and damp. It’s a lot better
than it could be because we’re not using the gas fire and we just open up the
windows every morning. I certainly couldn’t dry any washing in the caravan.
If you’re careful and have ventilation when you’re cooking then it’s not so
bad. With damp, we’ve got a few spots – the bathroom’s always a problem.
But I clean that up with vinegar and bicarbonate of soda, and that keeps it at
bay for a couple of weeks. You wouldn’t be able to store any clothes that
you’re not wearing all the time” (owner; owns the land).
“You do get problems with condensation, especially in the winter time it’s
pretty bad. Just try and get the place aired. That’s why we use electric
heating. Caravans often have gas heating, but people don’t use it because it
causes the condensation” (owner; owns the land).
Space
3.38 Most respondents reported that the space in their homes was adequate for their needs.
Only four respondents in park homes stated that space was a problem. However, six of the
respondents in individual mobile homes felt that space was inadequate, as noted by two
respondents,
“There’s no work surface to prepare food on. I just use the top of the fridge.
There is a table, but all my belongings are piled up on it” (renter).
“We usually shift some stuff from the house into the spare room. You haven’t
got much room in it. We’ve also got to do the laundry for the self catering in
the caravan, so it’s not really ideal. We get used to it. You’ve just got to put
up with these kinds of things” (owner; croft).
3.39 These results need to be placed in the context of the group of respondents who took
part in the research, who tended to be single people or couples. The small number of families
who took part in the research tended to be more circumspect about space. Nevertheless, it is
also important to note that a number of other respondents stated that they had more space in
their current accommodation compared with their previous ‘bricks and mortar’ homes, which
had often been flats.
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