Why are they empty?

Melissa177

sooz wrote: »

Please feel free to squat anywhere owned and left empty by such companies.

Just don't come and try and squat in my house, when I go away for 3 weeks and leave the builders (apparently) working! It was only the window cleaner who noticed that the putty had almost completely been removed from one window.

Ah, so other people's houses are okay to squat in, but not yours?

silvercar

Two houses near me have been empty since before we moved in (Summer 2006). One went on the market, then had plans for an extension submitted, is now on the market with PP for extension. The other had been refurbished, 99% finished and now sits empty. Looks lovely, 5 bed detached, 150 foot south facing garden, deserted.

I can't understand why anyone would leave such a house empty, on the market it would fetch 800k-1m, so why leave all that equity standing empty?

sooz

Melissa177 wrote: »

Ah, so other people's houses are okay to squat in, but not yours?

No - that is not what I said. Mine was not empty...just having some work done. I did not buy my house for the express purpose of leaving it empty.

seven-day-weekend

There was a house in our street that was empty for several years, and also in very poor condition, virtually derelict. The old lady, Miss A, who had lived in it all her life had gone to live with a friend several years previously and the house had had nothing done to it since it was built in 1890!

She was approached by the Council (presumably Social Services) and offered advice on what she could do and help she could get to remedy the situation. The Council wanted the house lived in and in decent condition. Miss A didn't want to do anything to it as 'that had been how her parents liked it'. (Aww!). Suffice it to say, nothing was done and the house got worse and worse, much to the dismay of the neighbours whose house adjoined it (Miss A's house is end of terrace).

Anyway, after about ten years she died and her house was sold by her relatives to a BTL landlord. However, I'm glad to say this person has renovated the house to a good standard and it has been a family home ever since.

Just one story of one empty house.