Last updated 10 November 2026
There are two ways to own a holiday home at Whalesborough, near Bude in North Cornwall, and they work differently. Our lodges are held on a licence. Gwelva Holiday Homes are held on a 999-year lease. This page sets out what each one means, what you pay every year, and what happens if you sell. Every home is for holiday use: none can be used as a permanent or main residence.
Lodges: a 99-year licence
Gwithva and Trelowen lodges are built to BS 3632, the residential-standard specification for holiday homes. You own the lodge itself, and a licence agreement gives you the right to keep it on its pitch for 99 years. The site holds a 12-month holiday licence, so you can use your lodge in every season.
Gwelva Holiday Homes: a 999-year lease
Gwelva homes are sold on a 999-year lease, with a 12-month holiday licence so the home can be enjoyed all year round. The terms for our cottages and other Signature homes are set out in each home’s sales particulars.
What you pay each year
| Cost | Lodges (Gwithva, Trelowen) | Gwelva Holiday Homes |
|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | Pitch fee: £7,500 a year if in the letting programme, £9,000 a year if kept for your own use | Service charge: £3,600 a year |
| W Club spa, pool and gym | Included in the pitch fee | Available as a separate membership |
| Estate upkeep, landscaping and refuse | Included in the pitch fee | Included in the service charge |
| Ground rent | None: the pitch fee covers your pitch | Set out in your lease |
| Gas and electricity | Metered: you pay for what you use, where applicable | Metered: you pay for what you use, where applicable |
| Water and sewerage | Set out in your fee schedule, shared at viewing | Set out in your fee schedule, shared at viewing |
| Wi-Fi | Included in the pitch fee | Set out in your fee schedule, shared at viewing |
| TV licence | Not needed | Not needed |
| Insurance | Arranged by the owner. Proof of cover is checked each year (£35 + VAT check fee unless you use the park’s recommended insurer) | Arranged by the owner |
| Annual gas safety check | Arranged by the owner, by a Gas Safe registered engineer, where the lodge has gas | Arranged by the owner, where the home has gas |
| Repairs to the home itself | Owner’s responsibility; the estate grounds are looked after for you | Owner’s responsibility; the estate grounds are looked after for you |
| Council tax or business rates | None: lodges pay no council tax or business rates | Business rates apply |
| Letting management fee | Only if you join the letting programme; terms are given before you join | Only if you join the letting programme; terms are given before you join |
| Furniture and contents | Supplied fully furnished; replacing items over time is the owner’s cost | As set out in the sales particulars |
The pitch fee is reviewed once a year, with one month’s written notice of any change. For new Trelowen lodges, the first year’s pitch fee is included in the sale.
Letting your home
Letting is optional. Owners can keep their home for their own use, or place it in our managed letting programme, run with Landal, and block out the dates they want. We’ll give you letting projections for the specific home you’re considering. We don’t quote a headline income figure.
If you sell
You can sell at any time, through our ownership team or privately. When a lodge is sold privately on its pitch, a transfer fee of 15% of the sale price, plus VAT, is payable. The terms for Gwelva and the cottages are set out in their documentation.
Before you buy
Ask us for the full fee schedule for the home you’re interested in at your viewing, and we’ll talk you through every cost before you commit.