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 Topic: Advice on selling our caravan
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28/3/2011 at 3:33pm
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Hi everyone
This is my first post and I hope someone can give me some advice. Sorry it's so long...I wanted to give as much info as poss.
We bought our very first caravan last summer - an 18yr old Compass Omega. We couldn't believe how clean and tidy it was when we viewed it - it does not look 18yrs old - so we jumped at it. We didn't want to tow so we got the previous owners to tow it to a seasonal pitch where we enjoyed some lovely holidays.
However, I'm now pregnant with twins and need to sell the caravan as we cannot afford the pitch fee when we won't be able to use the van for at least 2yrs.
We have the caravan up for sale on loads of websites and have been getting a lot of interest. However, after 4 viewings we're seriously worrying about the possibility of selling it.
All the potential buyers are being put off by the same things. Actually, they're problems that we never even noticed until we started showing people around.
Firstly, there is a small area of water damage on one of rear side wallboards. We've had it looked at by a professional and he said it was caused by water getting into a loose external rail (just the end was loose). It had been repaired by the previous owners but the repair guy took the sealant off and made sure it was properly sealed before fixing back on. He confirmed that it looked like an old problem that had been fixed - there was a very low reading on the damp meter - and he just said it's cosmetic. But when buyers see it they run a mile!!
The other problem is the state on the front seal rail that goes across the external width of the caravan above the front window. Actually, there are 2 rails - one right above the window and another further up. Both have been resealed with clear silicone (I know from reading repair guides that silicone shouldn't be used) and it just looks bloody awful. It's such an ugly mess that we're having the repair guy to come back out and do a professional job of repairing it. There are very slight marks on the inside of the van under the window and the wallboard seems a bit loose to the one side. This is also putting people off. But we're worried about throwing money (that we haven't got) at these repairs when we still might not sell it!
The very last problem is a spongy floor. I've read a lot on this and most sites say that it can be left as it isn't that much of a problem. None of the viewers have mentioned the floor - they seem more worried about the front seals and the wallboard.
Apart from that, the van is in immaculate condition. Very clean and everything works (brand new battery, pressure water pump and filter that we had to buy at the start).
We have it up for £1,950ono, which seemed reasonable at the time compared to what other people were selling the same model for and also given the fact that we didn't even know about these problems until we had to look more closely. The repair guy thinks that the price has nothing to do with it and it may not be worth us dropping the price as it depends on it being the right caravan for the right person. We've told all the viewers that we are open to offers but they still run a mile.
So far, we've spent £150 on petrol (as it is pitched approx 90mins drive away from us) and minor repairs so far and will be spending more on repairing the front seams. I just feel sick with the stress and this isn't good for the babies. I couldn't sleep last night as we only have until 23rd April to remove the caravan from the pitch and time is running out.
We thought about putting the caravan on ebay but as it's cash on collection we think we'll have the same problem when the winning bidder comes to collect...or when people want a viewing before bidding. We have been honest with the buyers and shown them the problems, we haven't mentioned the problems in the ads but have started to tell them when they ring/email to enquire. This is putting them off even looking at the van...which I can understand...but it makes me feel so stupid that we jumped at the van and bought it without even seeing these things!!
I'm looking for someone to advise us on the best way forward. We need to sell the van and I can't keep spending our time and money going up to get the same rejections time and time again. I have a nursery to prepare before I get too big and this is one worry we really don't need!!
I hope someone can help!!
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