Buying empty house?

kelloggs36

Hi, there is a house in my street which is empty. The old lady that lived in it sadly died and it has been empty ever since (at least a year). I would like to know how to go about finding out who now owns it and if I can try to buy it and do it up as it hasn't been done up at all since it was built in the 1930s so it needs a lot of work doing. it would be my first purchase like this and I would like to sell the house on after having done it up or possibly rent it out.

I have looked online at the Land Registry but there are no details on this house - I think probably because it is so old and has never been sold since it was first bought. The old lady lived in it with her parents from when she was 3 years old and inherited it from them when they died. Her sister also died, leaving only her. I do not know if there are any other members of her family who may have inherited it since, or if it is left 'unowned' so to speak.

If the lady had no family and left no Will (I can apply for a standing search to see if she left a Will that required probate to see if she left the house to anybody specific), who would be the owner of the house and how would I go about applying to see if I could buy it?

Has anybody got any experience of this sort of thing?

Thanks

cattie

If she had no living relatives, no matter how distant & had willed the house to nobody then the house goes to the state.

kelloggs36

So who do I contact about buying it?

mountainofdebt

I know someone who was interested in buying a house in a very similar circumstances.

What they did was write a letter, addressed to the executors of the person's estate expressing their interest and asked them to contact them about perhaps arranging a private sale. I think they sent it to the property but not 100% sure on that.

Even if the lady had no family, she may have willed her estate to a charity or something similar and I would imagine that the executors are duty bound to get the best price for the property.

If the property has been left vacant for more than a year, there is the possibility that the local council will complusory purchase it

hth

dealornodeal_3

You could try the Council Offices, because after 6 months of becoming empty; even if a property is on the market for sale. Then Council Tax is due. So ask the Council if anyone is paying Council Tax on that Property!

Tassotti

Build a fence around it live in it for 12 years and its yours