A husband and wife team from Wiltshire will be launching their brand new luxury lodge development, Acorn Farm Lodges, at this year’s Caravan Camping and Motorhome Show at the NEC.
Patrick and Nicky Chambers will be unveiling the beautiful lodges including the stunning Pathfinder Homes Tuscany, available at Acorn Farm – which is tucked away in a breath-taking corner of the North Devon countryside – at the Birmingham show on Tuesday, February 21st.
The couple will be on hand to give visitors a glimpse of the stunning location and some of the luxury lodges available as holiday home or investment opportunities. This includes a unique new crowdfunding concept which enables would-be investors to own a share of a lodge for as little as £5,000, with guaranteed returns of 6.25% after costs.
Patrick and Nicky have been working in the residential park home and luxury leisure lodge market for several years and have long dreamt of developing their own exclusive lodge park. They were just waiting for the right location to come along when they stumbled upon one of Devon’s best kept secrets.
Patrick said: “It has been our intention to purchase a park and develop our own luxury lodge development for some time. We have been trying to find the right location; somewhere we would want to purchase a lodge and where we would want to visit for long weekends and holidays.
“We wanted it to be in a beautiful area, but not isolated. It would be easily accessible and the village would have a shop, pub and restaurant within walking distance. We also wanted there to be golf courses, fabulous walks, fishing and seaside resorts nearby. It had to have 12 months’ unlimited use and be in a stunning location. Not too much to ask!”
Incredibly they found somewhere that ticked all the boxes in the village of Dolton, set in the scenic Torridge Valley.
All planning permissions are in place for Acorn Farm Lodges and the first lodges are due to be available from April. The site has space for just 30 lodges, in keeping with Patrick and Nicky’s ethos of maintaining the peaceful, unspoilt and exclusive feel of the park.
As well as offering stunning retirement lodges and holiday homes for people to escape to throughout the year, Patrick and Nicky wanted to introduce investment opportunities to suit all levels of investor.
Through the second part of their business, Investment Lodges, people can buy lodges outright as a buy-to-let opportunity, with yields of around 8%, or they can join a unique new crowdfund concept in which they share ownership of a lodge with a group of other investors.
Patrick said: “It’s a great time to invest in a holiday lodge. UK tourism is booming, the pound is at an all-time low and holiday homes attract fewer fees and start-up costs than traditional property investments.
“Purchasing a holiday lodge outright couldn’t be easier or cheaper. There is no stamp duty or legal fees and the rental income is subject to significant tax breaks. With our managed lodge rental scheme option, lodges are let through Hoseasons with minimal input from investors.
“However, we also wanted to extend the opportunity out so that more people could benefit from a lodge investment but for a lower stake and lower risk.
“We’ve made this possible through our crowdfunding model, which is offering impressive yields that are often much higher than you’ll currently get from a bank or savings account. There are no start-up costs or legal fees and all the management, maintenance and insurance is covered for you. Investments start at just £5,000 up to a maximum of £50,000.”
Both investment models include the option for investors to enjoy holidays at Acorn Farm.
Interest is already high with several investors on a waiting list to join the first crowdfund when it becomes available at the end of the month.
The long-term aim is to add more lodges in stunning, hand-picked locations across the UK.
Patrick and Nicky will be on hand to tell people more at the NEC show on Tuesday, February 21st.
For more information, please visit www.acornlodges.co.uk, www.investmentlodges.co.uk
