Abandoning a house

aardvaak wrote: »

I thought only rented props., could be condemned

No, structural integrity will condemn a property (in the eyes of the insurance)…..

It is often cheaper to bowl a property over that's in a state than refurbish (not always), not only do new builds have the unexpected by also all the VAT can be reclaimed...

You would be foolish to demolish a property completely as it will keep the land live as dwelling and far more valuable.

There are steps you can take to have the property empty and remove it from council tax etc, This can serve some advantage in the future as again a dwelling that's not been lived in (with proof) for 9 years iirc can be eligible for a VAT reclaim to convert it back to a dwelling.

I have some experience with this, but rules do change so id actually spend a couple of hundred quid talking to a rural planning specialist (accorus springs to mind) on the best steps to take.

aardvaak wrote: »

Most of those have Plan. Perm.

You are just looking for any excuse to do nothing.

If you look there is a wide verity of sites that are getting new planning, that makes them worth a bit more but not that much if they already were residential

Yours has a house so would get planning for a replacement on the same footprint or a refurb job using some of the existing structure.

A developer would know if the site could be developed further.

A little bit of research would tell you what is getting approved beyond like for like in your area if there is space.


If you think a house is hard to heat wait till you have had a winter in a caravan.

I think your best option would be to find a developer (especially if the land is big) to redevelop the land and give you an apartment and free service charge for life within the complex plus some money - and he can then sell off the remaining flats to to other people.

I can sympathise that living in a house you consider a liability can cause anxiety and depression. I lived in my previous house for 35 years and it had deteriorated and was cluttered with my husband's collected (hoarded) stuff. When he developed dementia I despaired of ever getting it cleared and in a saleable state. I became very depressed, lots of tears and even had a few panic attacks.


I contacted a local auction house and a lovely chap came and started to sort through some of the stuff, catalogued it and took it away to auction. Some bits were quite valuable and were put into collector's and antique sales, the dross went into general sales and the cheques started rolling in! I sold or gave away some real rubbish through Facebook marketplace - broken chairs, mismatched crockery, chipped paving slabs - lots of people are into recyclng and upcycling stuff nowadays. A local estate agent valued the house and it was put on the market, warts and all. It took nearly 6 months to get a sale, but in the end I had several offers. I had to organise everything myself and felt quite overwhelmed at times, but managed to get our belongings packed up and moved to a new home in June. The relief at being in a smaller, warm, structurally sound home has lifted all the weight off my shoulders and I'm happier than I've been in years. Life isn't perfect, but I'm much better able to cope nowadays.

So, it can be done, it's just really hard to get the impetus to start the process. Maybe seeing a GP could help - anxiety about the house might seem more manageable if you can medicate the depression. It could give you a fresh perspective on how to proceed. I don't think your house can be anything but an asset, a means to an end to get better accommodation and hopefully some peace of mind.