New house will be empty on weekdays

marliepanda

es5595 wrote: »

Check up the rules for single persons council tax, you may be able to claim that if one of you “moves” from your current location to your new location.

You cannot "move" to claim single persons discount. That is fraud.

The rules are it has to be your MAIN residence. Pretending to live there doesnt count.

martindow

Ozzuk wrote: »

Why not get a lodger - you aren't there much to worry about privacy, the house will be safer (if they aren't an axe murderer), won't have to worry too much about pipes freezing. Even better find someone who only needs it during the week.

Nice way to make some extra cash and lower risk.

I'd be cautious with this. If the LL is rarely there and their main residence is elsewhere you could be setting up a tenancy rather than having a lodger.

Smodlet

martindow wrote: »

I'd be cautious with this. If the LL is rarely there and their main residence is elsewhere you could be setting up a tenancy rather than having a lodger.

I think, if it is not the OP's main residence, they would be letting to a tenant rather than to a lodger.

warby68

Sorry OP but as put, it was a daft question and also a potentially daft situation where you seemingly bought a house 200 miles away without looking into the basics.

However if what you really meant was how do I minimize my bills when not yet living there full time, then hopefully you have got some help. Hopefully you also have it insured appropriately for your circumstances and have notified the utility companies with the readings and the date you took over. Most people plan these bits a little in advance of purchase but, in the context of your post, thought it was worth checking. Insurance is vital and you don't want to be left with the former owners' bills to sort out.

If it is to be your 'weekend' home for a while, not sure you will be able to count it as unoccupied for any purpose either.

AlexMac

If Sarateegee hasn't already been scared off, I'd like to offer some unsolicited advice!
As well as doing the obvious (changing the locks and arranging insurance, and, if there's an alarm, getting this re-commissioned) I'd check the integrity of the locks and window catches. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but in my street, several newly bought homes have been burgled in the first few weeks. As was ours because althought the window catches looked robust, they were attached to the timber frames with puny half-inch screws which popped under the leverage of a crowbar. It was alarmed, and this stopped them from stripping the house but they got away with a few valuables from the entry- point; an upstairs bedroom (yes, a neighbour had helpfully left an unlocked ladder out!). Now all my entry points are bomb proof; a few hours' DIY.

As the place will be empty a lot, maybe a thought?

As as regards your OP' you could check if your local Council tax office offers a discount for "Unoccupied and unfurnished", or similar. Policy varies Council to Council We got a few months discount for a holiday home we were renovating; although they did come round to check, so you probably wouldn't qualify.

Or you could lie and say only one of you was living in each property during the transition for the 25% CT discount for sole occupancy... but porkies aren't the best policy?

CIS

In respect of unoccupied and (un)furnished property in England each local authority has to offer a discount - the catch is that the rate can be set at 0% and the local authority set the length of the discount (the rate and length of time are the only parts of the discount that the local authority has discretion over).


It is possible to get a 25% discount for single occupancy providing it is done correctly but it is something which must be done carefully to ensure that it does not lead to problems further down the line.

lisyloo

Or you could lie and say only one of you was living in each property during the transition for the 25% CT discount for sole occupancy... but porkies aren't the best policy?

Your car insurance, job, HMRC account may well say you live somewhere else.
In this day and age it's not smart to commit fraud, too much data out there.

CIS

lisyloo wrote: »

Your car insurance, job, HMRC account may well say you live somewhere else.
In this day and age it's not smart to commit fraud, too much data out there.

Yep, councils are very good at data matching exercises these days to cross reference and query discounts.