Tag Archives: BS 3632 Commission Skim

BS 3632 Park Homes – That “Appreciate”

The BS 3632 Betrayal: Why Most Park Homes Are Built to Fail & How Factory Cabins LTD Constructs Legacy Investments That Defy Obsolescence

The dream is straightforward: a lovely, serene, and high-quality residential park home. A home of your own that is made for comfort, constructed to endure, and is a wise investment for the future. You search eagerly for the BS 3632 stamp – the British Standard for residential park homes – hoping that it will stand for quality and durability. You sign on the dotted line, thinking you’ve made an excellent decision.

Then reality bites. Hard.

Within years, sometimes just months, you start to hear rumours of “new regulations,” “future insulation standards,” “compulsory design revisions.” Your brand-new park home, allegedly constructed to the latest BS 3632, all of a sudden seems compromised, possibly non-compliant in the not-so-distant future, and most importantly, valued at a lot less than you purchased it for. Why? Due to the fact that the ugly reality is this: a lot of the park home industry is established on a basis of planned obsolescence and borderline deceit.



It’s a sector full of players who see the BS 3632 not as a mark of excellence, but as a minimum requirement to just get over. They construct to the standard, not above it. They utilize materials and designs engineered to pass today’s tests with the least expense, with no thought for tomorrow’s unavoidable tightening of standards. They are, in effect, waiting for the government to inform them what not to construct next year, making your present investment outdated. It’s a cycle of built-in depreciation, an intentional robbery of your hard-earned capital the instant you invest.

The BS 3632 Loophole: Designed for Obsolescence, Not Legacy.
Today’s BS 3632 standard is a critical minimum, providing essential safety, structural integrity, and basic thermal performance for park homes in the UK. But it is just that – a minimum. As with all building standards, it moves on. Climate change pressure, technological innovation, and a better grasp of energy efficiency and occupant health continually push revisions.

The industry’s dirty secret? Many manufacturers see these inevitable updates not as a challenge to innovate, but as a business model. Here’s how the betrayal works:



1. Bare Minimum Build: Park Homes are built to specifications and materials that barely comply with the minimum BS 3632 standards. Insulation is at the minimum acceptable level; heating systems are rudimentary; glazing is standard double rather than enhanced triple; air tightness is acceptable, not outstanding.
2. Zero Futureproofing: No investment is made in technologies or designs that pre-empt future legislation. Why pay extra now when the government will make everyone do it later (so they can bill you again)?
3. The Depreciation Trap: The moment a new standard is suggested or implemented (e.g., increased U-values for insulation, obligatory renewable energy integration, more demanding air permeability goals), houses constructed merely to the earlier standard instantly lose considerable value, up to 90%. They are viewed as outdated, inefficient, costlier to operate, and less easy to sell or finance. The depreciation is intentionally created by short-sightedness on the part of the manufacturer.



4. The “Snake Oil” Sales Pitch: Purchasers are usually sold on price and aesthetics, with the BS 3632 compliance being presented as a comforting badge, hiding the reality that the house is constructed to a standard already on the way to obsolescence. Claims of “quality” are hollow when the underlying agenda guarantees speedy devaluation.

5. Mother Nature? An Afterthought: Most standard BS 3632 houses, while satisfying basic structural loads, are not well prepared to actually exist and survive in the face of more extreme weather – protracted heatwaves, violent storms, driving rain, or harsh cold snaps. Resilience is traded for affordability.

The outcome? You, the purchaser, are left with a park Home that quickly loses value, potentially expensive retrofits to comply with new codes, and that might not provide the long-term comfort, efficiency, or durability you anticipated. Your investment loses value from day one. This is the theft.

Factory Cabins LTD: Shattering the Cycle, Building BS 3632 Legacy Homes

At Factory Cabins LTD, we saw this systemic breakdown and said no. We posed a basic question: Why can’t a park home be a true, appreciating asset? Why can’t it be constructed not only for compliance today, but for leadership tomorrow? Why can’t it be a fortress against the elements and a bastion of efficiency for generations?



The response is: It can. And that is precisely what we construct. Our BS 3632 Residential Park Homes are not merely compliant; they are the antithesis of the industry norm.

1. Surpassing Standards Today, Defying Obsolescence Tomorrow:

We don’t construct to the minimum BS 3632; we construct above it, foreseeing and incorporating the technologies that will be required in 2030, 2050, and beyond. Your Factory Cabins Park Home isn’t awaiting an update to a government specification; it’s already there.
 Thermal Performance: Gone are the minimum U-values.

Our Park Homes has advanced structural frames with ultra-low thermal bridging, next to none, combined with substantially higher levels of insulation (typically 50%-60%+ above current standards) in walls, floors, and roofs. We use the latest materials such high-performance mineral wool systems. This is not merely a matter of comfort; it’s about keeping your home’s energy efficiency well ahead of the game long after standards tighten, safeguarding its value and your ongoing costs.


 Air Tightness: We attain exceptional air permeability rates (that shatter the BS 3632 requirements) through careful design, accurate manufacture, and sophisticated sealing systems. This is not only important for heat retention but also for moisture management and indoor air quality – aspects under growing scrutiny in future regulations.
 Glazing: Triple-glazed units with low-emissivity coatings and argon fills are the norm, not a costly upgrade. This offers better thermal and acoustic performance, futureproofing against energy and noise standards.
 Smart Systems Integration: Our homes are pre-wired and structurally prepared for the easy integration of tomorrow’s smart home systems, renewable energy technologies (solar PV, battery storage), and ultra-efficient heating/cooling options such as advanced air-ground source heat pumps. We don’t simply leave a space; we create the pathway.



2. Net Zero Ready: Where the Government Fails, We Deliver

The difficulties of the UK government to retrofit current housing stock to net zero are well documented. It’s complicated, disruptive, and costly. We address this issue at source. All Factory Cabins BS 3632 houses are designed as a Net Zero Ready Platform.

 Inherent Efficiency: Super-insulated, ultra-airtight envelope radically lessens the need for energy in the first instance. This is the foundation of true net zero.
 Renewable Foundation: Building structure and electrical systems are designed for optimal integration of enough roof-mounted solar PV and battery storage to provide a large fraction, or even all, of the remaining energy need. We quantify this potential at design time.


 Low Carbon Heating: Compatibility with the newest high-efficiency, low-carbon heating technologies (such as next-generation heat pumps) is designed in.
 Future Fuel Independence: By drastically reducing demand and facilitating renewable generation, your home is shielded from volatile fossil fuel prices and positioned perfectly for the inevitable full transition to a renewable grid.

Where others wait to be compelled, we create the solution now. Your house is not a part of the climate issue; it is an integral part of the solution, making it more attractive and valuable as net zero goals become mandatory.

3. Engineered Appreciation: Your Home as a Growing Asset
By constructing years ahead of the present standards and incorporating future-proof technologies: Demand Outstrips Supply: As codes tighten, existing homes (constructed to the bare minimum) quickly lose value and attractiveness. Homes like ours, already surpassing future requirements, grow rare and more desirable.

Buyers pursue them to escape the expense of retrofits and lofty energy bills.
 Lower Lifetime Costs: Substantially lower energy bills and little need for future upgrades mean big long-term savings, which make your home less expensive to live in and more appealing to future buyers.  Superior Quality Perception: The visible application of high-tech materials, better construction methods, and included technology provides a physical impression of greater quality and durability, warranting a higher price.

 Resilience Premium: In a time of climate uncertainty, a dwelling that is proven to resist extremes is a prized refuge, once again enhancing desirability.

We don’t merely arrest depreciation; we create the conditions for true appreciation. Your Factory Cabins home is a legacy asset.

4. Designed to Withstand Mother Nature & the Test of Time:

BS 3632 specifies structural loads. We design to surpass them, with resilience engineering:


 Improved Structural Integrity: Strong framing systems, detailed connections, and material selection strategies provide enhanced performance in high wind loads, snow loads, and soil movement.

 Weatherproofing Fortress: In addition to minimum requirements, we use high-performance breathable membranes, enhanced cladding systems, and careful detailing around windows, doors, and roof edges to provide a watertight barrier to driving rain, humidity, and extreme temperature variations.

 Durable Materials: We specify materials not just for initial cost, but for proven long-term performance and resistance to weathering, UV degradation, and wear. This includes high-performance composites, treated timbers, and premium finishes.

 Precision Manufacturing: Constructed in our factory environment, which is controlled to minimize errors, each component is cut, assembled, and sealed to millimetre precision, removing the weaknesses and irregularities present in conventional on-site construction. Quality control is strict and continuous.



Your house is not merely “compliant”; it’s a lasting refuge built to safeguard you and your investment for generations.

Stop the Theft. Invest in Legacy. The decision is clear. You can play the industry’s rigged game: purchase a home designed to fail, see its value collapse as codes evolve, endure increasing bills, costly upgrades, and the pain of betrayal. Or you can end the cycle with Factory Cabins LTD. 

We won’t construct obsolescence. We construct BS 3632 Legacy Homes: Future-proofed strongholds of efficiency, engineered for appreciation, with net zero performance today, and built to remain unshakeable in the face of whatever Mother Nature and the years bring. 

Don’t buy just a park home. Buy a legacy. Insist on the specification that safeguards your future: The Factory Cabins LTD BS 3632 own Standard. It’s more than a home; it’s a statement that you won’t be a victim of an industry constructed on deliberate failure.

Let’s create something that really endures, and really grows. Contact Factory Cabins LTD today. Feel the difference that real foresight, uncompromising quality, and honest engineering makes. 

Become the owner of a home that defies depreciation and shapes the future.

BS 3632: The Great British Park Home Swindle

The Great British Park Home Scam: How BS 3632 Updates Engineered a £4 Billion Wealth Transfer

Graph showing 90% depreciation of BS 3632:2015 houses in comparison to conventional housing)

Seventy-three-year-old Margaret traded her £185,000 Sheffield home in 2016 for a “luxury” BS 3632:2015-standard park home. Eight years later, ill health forced a sale. The price? £14,000—a 90% depreciation brought about by regulation trickery. 

Hers is not an unusual case. Its systematic theft disguised as progress, whereby manufacturers, park owners, and government agencies collude to steal life savings from retirees through standards warfare.

Processes through Which the BS 3632 Process Sustains Planned Obsolescence

The British Standards Institution (BSI) updates BS 3632 on an 8–10-year cycle (2005, 2015, 2023).

Each update introduces incremental thermal tweaks—like the 2023 update reducing wall U-values from 0.35 to 0.30 W/m²K and floors from 0.35 to 0.26 W/m²K—with no consideration for retrofit viability. 

They are not concerned with habitability. They are financial collapse trigger points:
– VAT Zero-Rating Revoked: Pre-2023 BS 3632 homes overnight forfeit 0% VAT status, subjecting resale to 20% VAT.


Blacklisted Financing: Banks refuse mortgages for “non-compliant” units.
Park Exile: 72% of parks exclude older models, locking owners in.

Table: How BS 3632:2023 Deliberately Devalues Older Units


| Element | BS 3632:2015 | BS 3632:2023 | Implication |

| Wall U-Value | 0.35 W/m²K | 0.30 W/m²K | “Energy inefficient” label |


| Floor U-Value | 0.35 W/m²K | 0.26 W/m²K | Impossible retrofit (foundation demolition) |


| Park Acceptance | Universally acknowledged | Required | Prohibited in most parks |

     
| Resale Value (10 years later) | £100,000 | £10,000–£30,000 | 80–90% loss of value |

 The Depreciation Playbook: How Parks Weaponize BS 3632
Parks knowingly sold off aging BS 3632:2015 stock in 2022–2023, even considering the forthcoming 2023 update. Why?
Predatory arbitrage:
1. Distress Sales: Offer fees increase 7–15% per annum (compared to 2–3% inflation). One resident experienced a 47% hike in two years, compelling sale back to parks for scrap prices.


3. Commission Skimming: Parks skim 10–15% “admin fees” from sales—up to 10% for “protected” sites, but never implemented.

 Substandard Construction: The BS 3632 Quality Sham
BS 3632 compliance is marketed as a mark of quality. Reality?
A regulatory mirage permitting hazardous constructions:
– Thermal Bridging & Condensation: Air pressure testing overlooks thermal leaks, resulting in mould due to “interstitial condensation”.
– Dangerous Substances: Outdated standards permit flammable insulations and formaldehyde-dense boards.
– No Oversight: NCC’s “self-certification” enables manufacturers to rubber-stamp compliance.

“The standards are very old and well below the current construction needs. Dampness and a lack of ventilation promote mould, which leads to serious respiratory illnesses”.

 Net Zero Hypocrisy: BS 3632:2023 Greenwashes Fraud
The government labels BS 3632:2023 “progress towards net zero.” Yet its U-values (0.30 W/m²K walls) are 3× worse than true net-zero building (0.10 W/m²K). Why? Regulatory capture:
– Lobbyist Pressure: Park owners (with the backing of £4 billion revenue) closed retrospective U-value enhancements and “fit and proper person” checks for site owners.
– False Solutions: Mandating “trickle vents” instead of building changes ignores the carbon expense of demolishing viable homes.
– Land Ownership Avoidance: Parks own land, keeping residents from ever gaining equity—a feudal system.

 Breaking the Scam: Your Survival Guide
1. Steer clear of Park Homes: Go for leasehold flats or small bungalows. They retain their land value, unlike BS 3632 buildings.

2. Demand Legislation: Support the Holiday Park Action Group’s call for:
– Grants for U-value retrofits

– Pitch fee caps tied to inflation

– Elimination of resale commissions.

3. Choose True Net Zero: Prefabricated wooden homes (U-values: 0.10 W/m²K) utilize Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) and triple-glazed windows—BS 3632 certification is unnecessary.

 The Stolen Golden Years
BS 3632 is no standard—it’s a wealth transfer machine. Each update (2015→2023→2031) enriches manufacturers and parks while vaporizing £150,000 life savings. Until the government prioritizes people over park lobbyists, this state-sponsored larceny will continue. As Margaret whispered: \”They called it ‘fair market value.’ My security—gone\”.

Wake up, Britain. Demand justice for the 85,000 families trapped in this scam.

Factory Cabins ultimately uncovers building scams. Share to StopBSScam. Visit www.logcabinslv.co.uk for net-zero alternatives.
[11:57, 23/06/2025] Kevin Langham:  Break Free from the BS 3632 Trap: How Net-Zero Timber Frames Open Up Appreciation (Rather Than Depreciation)

(Image: Craned split-section timber frame house onto park foundation)

The cruel genius of the BS 3632 cycle is its deliberate devaluation – trapping owners in depreciating assets while parks profit. But what if your park home could defy this engineered obsolescence?

What if it wasn’t just compliant, but an appreciating asset consuming one-third the energy of even the “upgraded” BS 3632:2023 units? This isn’t fantasy. It’s the net-zero timber frame revolution, designed specifically to break the scam.

 Reasons Why Timber Frames Disrupt the BS 3632 Depreciation Model

BS 3632:2023 prescribes modest thermal adjustments (0.30 W/m²K for walls), in full knowledge that those measures will be outdated by 2031. Our timber frame solution renders this frustrating cycle irrelevant:


2. Resale Monopolies: Contracts outlaw private sales. Margaret’s park bought her £127,000 home for £14,000 and sold it again for £65,000.

1. Future-Proofed Performance: With 350mm insulated walls (U-Value: 0.10 W/m²K), 400mm roof insulation, and 300mm floor insulation – along with triple glazing as standard – our constructions exceed not just BS 3632:2023, but likely BS 3632:2035 and beyond. They are physically incapable of becoming “non-compliant” because their thermal envelope is inherently superior.

2. Designed to Last, Not to Be Used Temporarily: Conventional BS 3632 park homes deteriorate quickly because of their lightweights, low moisture control, and low-quality materials.

Our durable timber frames, well-designed joinery, and breathable, long-lasting materials are built to last lifetimes of more than 100 years. 

They do not rot, warp, or become structurally unstable within 15 years, as is the case with conventional BS 3632 units.


3. Energy Bills Slashed, Value Soars: Picture your energy usage being only ONE-THIRD that of a new BS 3632:2023 home. These are not marginal savings; they are revolutionary. 

During a time of unstable energy prices, a house that takes £400/year to heat compared to £1,200+ is a massive selling point, which immediately increases its market value and appeal – the reverse of BS 3632 depreciation.

4. Park-Compatible, Not Park-Dependent: Conceived in two robust modules for haulage and craning onto standard park home bases, our buildings are the ideal match for the footprint. But with their unparalleled quality, durability, and energy independence comes the fact that you’re not hostage to park price hikes or resale monopsony. Genuine asset ownership.

 

The Factory Cabins Advantage: Profit, Not Plunder Whereas parks market BS 3632:2015 timber knowing its value will reduce significantly, 

investment in a Factory Cabins net-zero timber frame turns this narrative:

 Appreciation Potential: Superior build quality, century-long durability, and drastically lower running costs create inherent value retention and growth potential. Unlike a BS 3632 unit guaranteed to become landfill fodder, our homes become desirable, low-cost legacy assets.

 Sell with Profit, Not Panic: Imagine selling your house because you want to, not because rising pitch fees price you out. Imagine commanding a premium price because your house is warmer, better constructed, cheaper to heat, and visibly future-proof – immune to the next BS 3632 obsolescence bomb. This is genuine security.

 Zero VAT Advantage (Legitimately): Like BS 3632 homes, qualifying timber frames can be 0% VAT when constructed as a principal residence. The kicker? Ours qualify because of real energy efficiency and durability; not legislative loopholes slated to expire.

 The Government’s Net-Zero Hypocrisy (Again)

The Government heralds BS 3632:2023 as a progressive move towards achieving net-zero emissions; yet the standards set (0.30 W/m²K) are extremely low. Our timber frames consistently achieve or better 0.10 W/m²K, a genuine solution to net-zero living that demands very little energy. Its adoption on a large scale would:

 Lower National Energy Requirement: If every new park home only used one-third of the energy of a BS 3632:2023 unit, the reduction on the grid and carbon savings would be enormous.  End the Disposable Housing Scandal:

No more piles of decomposing BS 3632 carcasses tipped every 10-15 years. 

Homes for centuries equate to sustainable use of resources.  

Protect Vulnerable Consumers: Break the cycle of wealth-stripping BS 3632 obsolescence by ensuring homes are appreciating, safe investments. 

Why will they not legislate for this? Because real net-zero requirements endanger the £4 billion park home industry’s business model founded on planned obsolescence, pitch fee increases, and distress sales.

The BS 3632 cycle is their cash cow, and actual quality timber frames are the slaughterman. 

Break Free:

The BS 3632 system is rigged to steal your security.

Factory Cabins’ net-zero timber frames are engineered to protect it. They aren’t just compliant; they are superior. They don’t depreciate; they appreciate. They aren’t disposable; they are heirlooms. 

Do not exchange one depreciating box for another. Invest in a future-proof heritage. Demand better. Demand timber. Demand Factory Cabins. EndBSScam Net Zero Homes Timber Frame Revolution www.factorycabins.com

(Call Back: Margaret looks at her £14,000 offer letter. Picture her instead with a valuation of £170,000 on her 10-year-old, dry, warm, near-zero-energy timber frame house. That’s the future we’re building.)

Please call us on +44 208 226 1564