A toast to the coast! Holiday or all-year round - the homes by the sea that do not cost a fortune

Published: 02:42 EST, 11 July 2015 | Updated: 02:42 EST, 11 July 2015

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The height of summer inevitably leads many of us to daydream about a beautiful home on the coast with a classic sea view and the outdoor lifestyle that goes with it. That idyll is simply too expensive for most people these days - or is it?

Many of Britain’s most popular caravan parks are in picturesque, prime coastal spots. These are well-equipped sites purpose-built for static caravans, also known as park homes.

Some sites are solely for year-round homes while others specialise in hosting holiday park homes designed as boltholes for weekends and longer vacations.

Take the Devon Cliffs holiday home park directly above the beach between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton on the East Devon coast. The location is idyllic and the facilities are perfect for families on holiday - there’s a £2.5million centre with indoor and outdoor pools, cafes and bars, plus the coastline on your doorstep.

Family favourite: Brynowen Holiday Park in West Wales is only five minutes’ walk from the beach

The park homes at this site typically have two or three bedrooms, double glazing and in some cases outdoor terraces with sea views. For one week starting tomorrow, the park even has a ‘try before you buy’ facility.

Homes at Devon Cliffs cost from less than £17,995 to more than £100,000, with annual site fees of £3,500 to £7,500, depending on the park home’s size, location and facilities. Sub-letting means the home can earn money for you when you are not using it yourself.

There are similarly well-appointed holiday home parks around the coast. Fir Tree at Bridlington in Yorkshire, for example, is for owners only - no letting out is permitted - and it’s near stunning Flamborough Head.

Meanwhile, Brynowen Holiday Park in West Wales is near Aberystwyth, with wonderful views over Cardigan Bay and the Cambrian Mountains.

Most holiday parks impose limits on how long owners can stay - some even close for one or two months each year, to meet local council requirements.

But if you want a permanent taste of living by the sea, there are also residential year-round parks.

Many of these are a little further inland. For example, Kernow Park Homes at St Columb Major in Cornwall, is dedicated to the over-50s and a short drive from Padstow and Newquay.

Permanent park homes on sale there now cost from £85,000 to £155,000.

Many previous worries about park home ownership and the costs have been addressed through the Mobile Homes Act passed in 2013. This has made the buying process much more transparent.

A budgeting rule of thumb is that in addition to the cost of the home itself, those wanting to live on a permanent park will also have to pay a one-off fee for the pitch, which may, in some cases, be more expensive than the home itself.

Residents may also be charged separately for utilities which the site owner may supply directly. The site owner may also be entitled to a commission, often about 10 per cent, should you eventually want to sell your home.

As with all property transactions, buyers are advised to use a solicitor and commission a survey.

But if you buy, you are part of a growing group. The Department of Communities and Local Government says there are now 84,000 park homes in England alone with 160,000 permanent residents. Countless more have holiday park homes, mostly near the coast.