Selling an empty house

TexasChainstoreMascara

Hi All,

I'm looking for some advice on keeping the costs down while selling my house.

As a bit of a background, I own the house with an ex-partner. I moved out 18 months ago to live with my now wife and stepson in an area close to the youngsters school. Luckily my sister was looking for a house at the time while she saved for a deposit for her own home. (The mortgage company were cool with me having a close relative occupying the house). Now she has bought and moved into a house she has bought and my property is empty. It has been on the market for several weeks and has had a steady stream of viewers thus far with no offers as yet.

Now that the house is empty and we're into a new month all of the costs of the house and utilities rests with me until it (hopefully) sells. As I'm sure you can all understand, paying for the empty house and the home my wife and I rent will be tough going. Thus, I am looking to keep the costs down and appreciate any advice I can find.

The breakdown of costs as far as I can see is as such:

Mortgage Payments. Not too bad as the mortgage is interest only and at Bank of England rate. I have stopped voluntary overpayments while the house is waiting to sell.

Life Insurance. Attached to the mortgage, I cannot get any payment breaks or any such like. I either have the cover or don't. Not a risk I wish to take.

Home Insurances. I have landlord cover at the moment, it is fairly cheap and the company have told me once the house has been empty for a certain time frame I am eligible for a reduced cost.

Water. I would like to keep the water on as I will be going back on occasion to clean and maintain the garden pond. The house is not on a meter and the provider (South Staffs) have informed me that the rate will not change from the current price attached to the property account. That's £35 per month for hardly any water being used.

Gas and Electric. I have not got a price as yet but I do have the final meter readings to sort this out. I assume there will be some kind of standing charge and I want to leave it hooked up to run the filters on the garden pond.

Council Tax. The local council is saying there are no discounts for an empty unfurnished house as of April 2013. In fact, if the house is empty for 2 years the cost is 150% of the going rate. I always thought you wouldn't have to pay more than one lot of council tax but that must be a myth. Being a married man I am still unsure if I can even claim single occupancy in such a case.

Is there anything missing here? Does anybody know how I can reduce any of the costs or if I am eligible for any discounts that the providers won't voluntarily inform me of? Is there anybody who has been in a similar situation?

Thanks in advance for any help.

highguyuk

As your family are not living in the property (no one is!) I'd definitely be claiming for CT Single occupancy.

TexasChainstoreMascara

I will definitely be trying to get whatever discounts may be applicable. I have contacted them but they are useless. So slow to respond and when you try to call them it is almost impossible to speak to an actual person. I kind of wish I hadn't bothered now, and let them chase me if they could be bothered. I still find it hard to stomach that I should have to pay anything at all when I won't be using any of the local services that the council tax is supposed to pay for.

CIS

As your family are not living in the property (no one is!) I'd definitely be claiming for CT Single occupancy.

A 25% single person discount cannot be claimed as no one is resident in the property as their 'sole or main residence'.

Mr_Moo_2

Looks like a fairly comprehensive list.... tot all that up and see how much it might add up, and whether you'd be better off dropping the asking price to get the place sold pronto?

tiger_eyes

TexasChainstoreMascara wrote: »

I still find it hard to stomach that I should have to pay anything at all when I won't be using any of the local services that the council tax is supposed to pay for.

I see your point, but I think it's meant to be punitive - they don't want properties sitting empty, so they penalise owners of empty properties by still charging them full council tax. It encourages the owner to rent the place out.

somethingcorporate

TexasChainstoreMascara wrote: »

I still find it hard to stomach that I should have to pay anything at all when I won't be using any of the local services that the council tax is supposed to pay for.

Your house will still be benefiting from the "security" the local bobbies will be providing.

TexasChainstoreMascara

I'd be quite happy to rent it out Tiger, but the mortgage company will not allow me to due to the equity (or lack of) that I have in the house. Maybe the council should take it up with my lender? But then again if it takes them a week to respond to me they might never get around to that.

The options were laid out to me that I either sell or move back in.

tim123456789

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Your house will still be benefiting from the "security" the local bobbies will be providing.

As that charge is a completely separate amount on the same bill how is the rest of it justified?

tim

LEJC

Your list of utilities looks very similar to the outgoings we have had over the past year whilst a property we were renovating was empty.

Most council tax consessions have indeed stopped since april 2013 and its just something we have had to accept.

In terms of the home insurance,check with your provider...if the property is empty and unoccupied for more than 60 days then you may find that the insurance becomes invalid....each provider is different and you may have to transfer to a lower cover on the property which is sometimes a higher premium...that was certainly the case with us...our home insurance didnt reduce in price,in fact it went up but our cover reduced!

with gas and electric if you anticipate the property to be empty for some time try and switch suppliers to one that doesnt have a standing charge...or opt for a higher unit charge to reduce the standing charge...thats what we did because whilst you are not living there you will find the gas and electric consumption also goes down to minimal.

Rental is not always the answer either as most tenancies are for at least 6 months and you will have the additional expenses of gas safety checks,EPC certification,letting fees etc etc.

Cant really give you much more advice other than that im afraid...although you might want to consider a lower offer than your asking price if you can and the buyers are able to proceed quickly if only to minimise your outgoings!!

jackomdj

It is justified as they consider people with second homes as able to afford it. They do not have less lighting bills, less rubbish bin collectors etc just because your property is empty. So litho ugh you don't use it the councils overheads are often not reduced.

If the house presented as best as it can (decoration assuming it is empty).

Could you reduce the price?