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Original poster

Empty house - looking awful

15 replies

Hairyfairy01 · 26/12/2024 16:45

Does anyone know if there is anything I can do about a neighbouring property which has been empty for nearly 5 years now. It's owned, the owner moved in with elderly parents when Covid hit and has never moved back. They do get the grass cut thankfully, but large parts of the wooden fencing has blown down over the years. We are thinking of selling and fear this may put people off. Is there anything we can do? I suspect not but thought it was worth an ask.

OP posts:
70isaLimitNotaTarget · 26/12/2024 16:48

I won't put people off there;s an empty house in my street and houses still sell

I worry in case someone breaks in and squats or sets fire to it ,

Don't know if there is anything you can do though

RidingMyBike · 27/12/2024 09:58

Search for "empty house" plus the name of the local council. Some areas have schemes to get empty houses brought back into use - we got letters about this when we weren't living in the house we were renovating.

JollyHollyMe · 27/12/2024 11:11

are you in a double council tax area?

good96 · 27/12/2024 11:45

Hairyfairy01 · 26/12/2024 16:45

Does anyone know if there is anything I can do about a neighbouring property which has been empty for nearly 5 years now. It's owned, the owner moved in with elderly parents when Covid hit and has never moved back. They do get the grass cut thankfully, but large parts of the wooden fencing has blown down over the years. We are thinking of selling and fear this may put people off. Is there anything we can do? I suspect not but thought it was worth an ask.

Why would it put people off? It’s not anyone else’s business unless it is causing an environmental health issue.

There was a house on our street, about 10 doors down where the owner had died in 2001 but the owner’s son wanted to keep the house as a shrine but no one live in it. It was only sold back in 2023 when the owner’s son had died…. so had been empty for 22 years. Caused no EH issues and no one complained about, but everyone knew about it….

Totally irrelevant I know but the new owners have completely transformed the place but they spent £600k all in all!!!

Original poster
Hairyfairy01 · 27/12/2024 12:12

Thanks all. It appears our local council do have a scheme to help deal with this problem, so I'll contact them. At least then they can get in touch with the owner and hopefully they can do a few repairs. We do live in an area that has high council tax for second homes / holiday houses yes. I do think it will put people off. Their garden has a 6 foot fence all around it (front and back) and around half the fence panels have blown over a period of years. You get used to it living nearby, but it does look run down.

OP posts:
hideawayforever · 27/12/2024 12:16

has the fence blown down on your side? if so, I would pay to get it fixed.

Original poster
Hairyfairy01 · 27/12/2024 12:30

No, it's the house opposite so not directly linked in anyway otherwise I would (and have).

OP posts:
amoreoamicizia · 27/12/2024 15:33

I should stay out of it, it's not really your business what someone else does with their house. Or if you have to, just contact the owner.

everythingcrossed · 27/12/2024 16:44

amoreoamicizia · 27/12/2024 15:33

I should stay out of it, it's not really your business what someone else does with their house. Or if you have to, just contact the owner.

I think this is misguided. Empty houses are a blight not just on their neighbours but they're a valuable resource which is being squandered. A government survey a couple ofcyears ago estimated there were 1.5 million empty homes in England and Wales. And yet we have a housing crisis...

Original poster
Hairyfairy01 · 27/12/2024 18:05

I agree Everythingcrossed. Like most areas people are struggling to get on the housing ladder and the rate of homelessness is increasing. New houses are being build in green spaces. It's been nearly 5 years, that's a long time for any house to be empty, it would be an ideal family home.

OP posts:
amoreoamicizia · 27/12/2024 18:40

Maybe just contact the owner. Going directly to the authorities is a bit of a low move and noone has the right to someone else's property just because it's empty. This happened in my family after someone died and the interference caused a lot of bother. If someone owns a home they have every right to leave it empty for five years without other busybodies interfering.

Original poster
Hairyfairy01 · 27/12/2024 19:02

I would love to contact the owner, but she literally left a few days before the first lockdown and hasn't been seen since. Other neighbours said she was going to stay with her parents, and that the last we know of her, although someone else has told me she's still working the a main hospital, so is presumably still alive.

OP posts:
JohnofWessex · 27/12/2024 19:09

Empty properties can cause all sorts of issues for adjoining properties

Eg maintenance, vermin, crime etc etc so action against them is appropriate.

Do you want to be living in a semi with the house you share a wall with falling down, garden overgrown etc etc

everythingcrossed · 27/12/2024 23:10

amoreoamicizia · 27/12/2024 18:40

Maybe just contact the owner. Going directly to the authorities is a bit of a low move and noone has the right to someone else's property just because it's empty. This happened in my family after someone died and the interference caused a lot of bother. If someone owns a home they have every right to leave it empty for five years without other busybodies interfering.

Edited

But why would anyone want to leave a property empty for five years even in the case of a bereavement? No one's saying that someone should be forced to hand over their empty home but organisations such as Action on Empty Homes want to see the reinstatement of government grants to help people refurbish empty properties and make them suitable for rental via housing associations/local authorities. I repeat, there is a housing crisis.

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