24 March 2026
When buying a park home also offers a seamless level of service across different disciplines
Bella Brodie reports
When buying a residential park home, there’s no better advice you can take than from someone who has already been through the process. In this case, our buyers Carol and Colin Reed could have chosen the cheapest service providers, but chose to pay a little more for good workmanship, quality and a seamless all-round service from the Omar Group and their subsidiary businesses; Omar Refurbishment Services and UK Sundecks.
As readers will already know, the Omar Group incorporates several brands, and our buyers worked with these three to deliver their ideal park home solution at Forest Edge Court in Norfolk, with a great result, as they explained when I popped in to see them at their home recently.
THE START OF THEIR BUYING JOURNEY
The couple originally lived in Essex, and when Colin initially retired seven years ago and their children had all left home, they decided to downsize, moving to Hickling Broad in Norfolk, where they lived for seven years. Then the children started to move, and they found visiting them all a bit more of a stretch distance-wise. So, they decided to think about moving again. Both worked from Hickling; Carol in a community shop and Colin at East Ruston Gardens, although after Carol had a health issue to contend with last year, they felt ready for another lifestyle change.
They spotted Forest Edge Court park on Facebook and when Carol raised the topic Colin said; “I am not living in a caravan!” The only experience they had of park homes previously was that Carol’s aunt lived in one, but as it was a lot older it was obviously very different – park homes have changed almost beyond recognition in the past few decades. However, they also realised that Forest Edge would be about an hour equidistant from each of their children’s homes, so decided it was worth a look. He adds; “We were nervous about losing money coming away from bricks and mortar but decided to look anyway”. In the car on the way home Carol said she liked the look of it and Colin agreed. They went on to visit the park a couple of times, viewing their current home, an Omar Middleton, just after it had arrived, and talking to a few other residents who had already moved there.
They made the decision to move in September using the part exchange scheme, and moved in at the end of October, so it all happened fairly quickly. Initially they didn’t take the first offer made on their last home, but agreed to the second, and although at the time of our visit they’d been in their new home for five months, their old home is still on the market for a similar price as they got for it, proving that their decision was an astute one. Another benefit of the move was that it released a bit of equity which they could use to make a few changes to the home and add decking, with enough to also help with living costs until Carol reaches pensionable age, making a complete lifestyle change possible that bit earlier. Carol says; “I was ready. If we hadn’t part-exchanged we’d still be sitting there waiting to sell it now. We wouldn’t have been as close as we wanted to be to all our family, and I would probably still be working.”
INTERNAL CHANGES TO THE HOME
Once they had moved in at the end of October, they started thinking about the changes they wanted to make to the home. They spotted on the Omar website that there was a Middleton on another park in Scotland which had French doors, and they liked that idea, with decking out to the front which would add more living space. They also wanted a modern media wall to match some of their own furniture rather than the fireplace there originally. Although they did start to get local quotes at first, they wanted to ensure that the tradesmen were familiar with park home construction and could see the benefit of making sure everything matched the park home perfectly, so went to Omar Refurbishment Services for the media wall and French doors, and UK Sundecks for the decking. Carol explains; “They were a bit more expensive than the lowest quote, but we wanted the peace of mind that they knew exactly what they were doing. As part of the Omar Group who built the homes, we already knew they were good on customer service.” She continues; “The Omar Refurbishment team were on the ball with their communications, both the girls in the office and the guys who came out. While measuring up they mentioned that Omar Group also did decking, so we got in touch with Sharon at UK Sundecks who was also excellent – keeping in touch with both us and the site manager.” The work started in January, and once the wall was finished, they replaced one of the bay windows to put the patio doors in on one side, ready for the decking to be installed, which followed the next week, so it all happened fairly quickly.
SIMPLE CHANGES – MASSIVE DIFFERENCE!
The media wall is stunning and feels much more modern, so we think that was an excellent call. One of the snagging issues was a ruck in the carpet join from the lounge area to the dining room, and Omar offered to replace it, but the couple chose to have oak-effect flooring to the dining area instead; another good call practically and visually. They were just as impressed with UK Sundecks, as the decking area blends perfectly with the home externally and it has handy storage space underneath. It’s a bit of a departure from the styling on other homes on the park, but in a good way – we think it looks absolutely stunning, and perhaps a bit more modern in keeping with the home design.
ENJOYING THEIR NEW HOME
Carol adds; “We love it here. There’s a wooded area directly behind us, nice walks and Highland Cattle on neighbouring land. There’s even a clubhouse used by residents for meetings and social occasions. The park has recently changed hands to Regency Living, and they are responsive and let us know if anything is going on.” Colin adds; “The first time it was icy the contracted gritters came at 8 at night, we were really impressed as they were obviously playing on the safe side looking after the residents.”
Each little cul-de-sac or row has a lovely name, and one of the aspects the Reeds noticed when they moved in was how all of the residents in their row were of similar age and like-minded, which they could also see had happened with earlier sections of the park. They are part of a Whatsapp group, so neighbours help each other with anything they need, such as groceries if one of them is nipping out.
A FANTASTIC RESULT
It’s a different pace of life, and it’s clear that they are relaxing into it nicely with their little Jack Russell dog Pickle. Now their internal changes have been completed and the decking added, they can look forward to spring and summer sitting on the decking when it’s sunny, which will no doubt make them feel as if they are on permanent holiday as it’s combined with full retirement and relaxation. I did notice that they were busy getting stuck into making the most of their outdoor space and were well ahead on potting and planting, so they should have a lovely garden to enjoy too once that’s fully established. Their adult children are impressed, and think their ‘set up’ is pretty amazing now, although they inherited a few items in the downsizing process such as family photos and other items they didn’t really have space for. Although de-cluttering was a challenging part of the move, the couple hired a storage container so they could take their time going through things without stress. As part of the Part Exchange process they were also given two weeks’ grace to move out, although they didn’t really need it, so they had all angles covered.
ABOUT FOREST EDGE PARK
Regency Living’s Forest Edge Court is a very pretty park for adults aged 45 and over, set within 20 acres of woodland on the edge of Thetford Forest. The setting is ideal for anyone who enjoys the outdoors, with miles of forest trails, local gardens, and wildlife-rich areas just steps away. If you fancy a trip to the seaside on the North Norfolk Coast, that would only be an hour away, and Thetford is brilliant for shopping, with several retail parks to explore and there’s even a cinema in the town centre.
ABOUT THE OMAR GROUP SERVICES USED
Omar Group brings together park‑home manufacturing, professional refurbishment, and specialist decking to give homebuyers a genuinely seamless experience. Together, these services create a rounded, end‑to‑end solution that helps buyers not only choose their ideal home but also personalise, maintain, and elevate it with confidence, knowing that neither the build or visual integrity of their home has been compromised in the process.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
About Regency Living and Forest Edge Court park www.regency-living.com
