Gillis-park Brugse Heide Valkenswaard new owners chalets mold damage, Digi Mart USA News (Valkenswaard, Netherlands): The new owners of the Gillis holiday park Brugse Heide in Valkenswaard are shocked by the condition of the chalets. Walls blackened by mold, ceilings lying on the floor and rotting floors full of holes greeted them.
“We have to renovate everything, which is quite a setback.”
According to former owner Peter Gillis, the condition is the result of three years of vacancy. “I handed everything over neatly.” The holiday park was bought by two local entrepreneurs for just over 3.1 million euros through a forced auction.
No viewing day was held, as Gillis did not allow one, so the purchase was in effect a case of buying without looking.
The new owner, together with investor Tijn Overes, stands at the gate of Brugse Heide with mixed feelings. They started on a positive note.
Peter Gillis left all keys behind, shared contact details and even extended the internet subscription by one month. However, when they toured the closed park last week, they were dismayed.
From outside, the park’s roughly forty chalets already look like a former shadow of their glory: walls are warped, boards are falling down and rotten wood is visible.
Inside is worse. The black walls and doors immediately stand out, covered in mold.
Perhaps the least serious problem is that a ceiling has fully collapsed and there is a hole in the floor of at least one meter by one meter. “We cannot repair this anymore,” Overes said.
Gillis responded: “We knew it had been empty for three years and that not everything would be in perfect condition, but this really disappoints us,” said the investor. According to Peter Gillis, these specific chalets had even been empty for five years.
“Migrant workers lived here. It has not been ventilated all this time, so this is what you get.
And everyone knew that.”
Eighty other holiday units are also not in the condition the owners expected. Windows and doors are boarded up with wooden panels, and break-ins have occurred with items vandalized.
A fire extinguisher has been emptied, glass is scattered everywhere, refrigerators are destroyed and furniture lies broken on the floor.
Some chalets are also missing water heaters, cooktops and refrigerators. “I took those over the past years when we needed them at other parks,” Gillis said.
“I indicated that the chalets were no longer complete. They bought the park for a song, and now they are stabbing me in the back.”
Gillis did leave behind one notable item: forty of his own books. The new owners acknowledge that buying through an auction was a risk.
“We had expected to be able to renovate part of the chalets and open within the first two to three years.” That is not the case. “Our current estimate is that 50 percent is suitable for demolition and 50 percent cannot be used as we want.
That part will be sold.”
The setback is a significant blow for the new owners. “We have no regrets yet, we are going to make something beautiful of it.” Under the name Valkenrijk, they hope to partially open next year.
However, much must still happen in the coming months. Permits must first be applied for, and the municipality is conducting a Bibob investigation to assess whether the new owners are reliable.
After that, construction of the holiday park will begin, from the parking lot to brand-new chalets, and from the swimming pool to the café.
