Empty house

Norts

I pass a house every day which has been empty now for 2 years, windows boarded up etc.

It's a lovely looking house, victorian/edwardian at a guess, but it is looking very tired.

What happens to these houses?

Who owns it?

Is there way I can purchase it (I admit i am hoping for some sort of bargain here!!)

Anybody have any insight or knowledge I would love to understand.

Cannon_Fodder

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1474815
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/493618
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/278387
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/32233

mrcol1000

Without going through all the above links these houses are often just forgotten about by the owners. Addtionally they are brought as an investment (often as a way to channel money into something that can be sold without raising suspicon about where funds have come from). Or they are just subject to bitter disputes which take years to sort out.
You can check the owners on land registry and write to them. If you fancy buying it some councils if you contact the right department will contact the owner and pass on your detials as someone willing to pay. These empty properties cause a headache for everyone. The local council will often be very eager for someone to buy it and take it on to avoid the anti-social behaviour that they attract.
If the owner can't be traced if you maintain the property for a set number of years eventually it becomes yours but your need to get some more detialed info on that. It also takes a long time and you run the chance of an owner suddenly appearing.

Looby_Lou

If you do buy a house that has been empty for some time, then there is a reduced VAT scheme for any refurbishment that you do.

PasturesNew

I had a neighbour that had lived in the house since it was nearly new. She must have been born about 1905 and lived there with her aunt, her aunt bought the house brand new in 1870-1900 when it was built. She inherited the house from her neighbour - and she came from a wealthy background, houses used to be belonged originally by people with a few quid. Over the years nothing was updated... it was original. Then she went into a nursing home. That was before I moved there, so in the late 90s she must have gone. She always thought she'd go home. Meanwhile, back at the house, it was burgled 2-3 times, had some squatters in - neighbours would call the police and chase off people sniffing about ... but it sat and sat and sat. She had enough money in the bank to pay for the nursing home without needing to sell it.

Then one day I heard it had been transferred to her niece and it was cleared out and sold off.