The Risks of leaving a house on market unoccupied?

jangor_2

My house has been empty since I moved out and put it on the market in January. I contacted the Council who gave me six months free of council tax as the property was unfurnished. I contacted my buildings insurer who did not have a problem at all, just questioned whether I would be checking the property on a reasonably regular basis, which I do. I switched the boiler and water off for safety reasons although did have the condenser boiler on very low during the Winter. I now have a buyer and am hoping to complete in August. I admit the property is in a fairly quiet village but I have had no concerns whatsoever. I did leave a key and my phone number with a friendly neighbour in case of emergencies. Not sure if this helps.

poppysarah

milliebear00001 wrote: »

We had paid for ours annually and just left it. We didn't inform anybody we'd moved out - as I say, it was a risk, but a fairly small one.

Waste of money paying insurance that you have deliberately voided.

They don't like paying out and if there's a sniff of you not living there they will void your policy.

lynzpower

Pumpkin7 wrote: »

Oh seems we psoted at same time! Thank you googler

I assume a squatter would also have no rights over a property on a market then?

Your wrong there

Squatter would have rights over the house until you undertake leghal process and evict.

Squatter is not going to let your viewers in! Or you or anyone else for that matter so if there are squatters in situ then it will be a legal battle to get them out before it can resume being marketed properly.

Is the property in an area with a high propensity for squatters?

milliebear00001

poppysarah wrote: »

Waste of money paying insurance that you have deliberately voided.

They don't like paying out and if there's a sniff of you not living there they will void your policy.

The post above yours would seem to suggest that's not always the case. Our policy only had a few months to run anyway, and when we took it out, we didn't know we would be moving.

nollag2006

Do you have a friend or a family member that might want to house sit, while the house is on the market?

An unoccupied house is more likely to get low ball offers from purchasers, as they are aware that the vendor will be keener to sell if they are paying a mortgage but not getting an income stream coming in.

D2007

When my mum sold her house her property was unoccupied for almost a year. It was on the market for that time.

My mum had the insurance with Halifax and had so for over 5 years. She basically just phoned and told them and they said they would be happy to continue to insure her. She did however get told she'd have to turn the utilities off and that, but we told them the gas was needed to keep the boiler on to ensure it didn't freeze and the electric was needed for the burglar alarm and they just accepted it.

I think initially they said 3 months then we phoned back and said it still hadn't sold and they said that's fine and extend it. Give your insurance company a call and see what they say. As for the council, I don't think they will just take your house without any sort of warning. if you are showing it's on the market they will leave you alone. It's the ones people forget they own that they go after as it drags the area down. So as long as you mow the lawn once a month and don't let it look like a tip they are unlikely to bother you.

Owain_Moneysaver

nollag2006 wrote: »

An unoccupied house is more likely to get low ball offers from purchasers, as they are aware that the vendor will be keener to sell if they are paying a mortgage but not getting an income stream coming in.

OTOH, some buyers who are keen to move quickly (perhaps because they don't want to lose a buyer for their own place) will find an unoccupied property more attractive.

Fortheloveofmoney

I sold my house unoccupied last year. It was empty from July through to November. I did inform my insurance company and they could no longer insure me so I had to take out an unoccupied insurance policy. It wasn't cheap but it was worth it for the peace of mind it gave me.

I didn't turn any of the facilities off as I thought it may put buyers off.

I had a full asking price within 2 weeks but the sale took from beginning of August through to end of November to go through. This was despite the buyer not having a chain.

stevwarn

I have an unoccupied bungalow that has been on the market since March 10. We had one buyer who pulled out after the survey picked up some problems e.g. inadequate vent for gas fire and possible asbestos in the artex ceilings.

We have specialist unoccupied house insurance that requires someone to visit/inspect the property every 30 days (this can include the estate agent or a neighbour).

My only concern is squatters and break-ins. I have been told that if squatters move in they have to post a note stating that if the owner/s don't return within 30 days then they gain squatters rights. I have fitted a dummy alarm box, random lights and asked the neighbours to keep an eye out.

Has anyone any other cheap security ideas?

RAS

make sure the grass and hedges are cut regularly and get the dustbins moved around.

if youy have a front garden, every few weeks do something visible that makes it look occupied; plant a few flowers, cut a shrub, anything.