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To buy or not to buy - that is the question. Now here we are talking about mobile homes, static caravans if you like, but we are not discussing the more solid brick/stone/fabricated homes often found in parks and termed as Park Homes. Why? Precisely because I know sod all about Park Homes, their good and bad points or values, zilch in fact.

You have been thinking of buying a mobile home for some considerable time and you have some spare cash to squander. You are seriously considering a buy situation now because we are in recession and you just might get a better deal than you would have done this time last year. Your partner isn't at all keen because he/she thinks you should hang on to the money in case it's needed for an emergency, and in any case, there's a recession on isn't there? There certainly is and the only way we will come through it is when we all start spending again, so gofrit!

You should be able to buy the mobile home of your dreams right now, a real bargain! There are stacks of them about, both new and used, here in the UK and most certainly in France, Spain and Italy. The end of the holiday season is always a good time to be looking around as the holiday companies, tour operators, WHY are replacing some of their old stock of on site mobile homes with new, and they need the cash from their old mobiles to go towards the new stock.

We may have a recession and a mobile home may be cheap to buy just now, but if you haven't got the spare money to buy it then forget the whole thing until the economic climate becomes more favourable. It is not my place to advise you what to buy or not to buy but I would be wary of borrowing any significant amount to finance the purchase of anything at present, mobile home, boat, car or whatever because neither you nor I nor Gordon Brown really knows what's round the corner, especially Gordon Brown.

OK, finance apart then: What exactly do you look for when you are going to buy a mobile home? My guess is that you would look at a purchase of this sort much the same as you would when you're going to buy a car. The age and condition come into it in a big way, and both affect the price you are going to pay. After that you should be looking at the interior appointments  to see if it offers anything out of the ordinary. Are there any obvious signs of leaks like brown stains down the walls from the ceiling?

Does this beast represent what you personally regard as value for money? Remember that some sellers are professionals who may have upped the price so that you will feel good as you haggle it down to what is the price they wanted in the first place. You need to know what you are doing when you go out to buy a mobile home, and if you are in any doubt whatsoever that you can conclude a satisfactory deal then it is well worth taking someone with you who is more used to wheeling and dealing, especially if that someone knows anything about this particular market.