Abandoned house - i want it.

SideWinder

SideWinder

SideWinder

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Just wondering what the best plan of action would be with regards to an abandoned houses that is in my local area.

I'd like to know why it is abandoned, whether i could buy it and who to contact to get this type of information. I'm assuming the local council but any ideas which department?

Anyone bought an abandoned houses before and done it up themselves?

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...d=dYXC1FDeqZb8xB0u1MbFgg&cbp=12,95.14,,0,1.67

Ta-da. 2 houses there, the link should work. I love Streetmap. :p
 
check with land registry who they are owned by. if they are unregistered then you could put a claim in for them if you're feeling cheeky. if they ARE owned by someone, make them an offer.
at very least you could knock them down and re-build in their place. as it's not a change of use it should be easy to get planning.

we bought an old mill about 10 years ago and did it up
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&s...rOsXcTjev6FBow&cbp=12,10.185522999999932,,0,0
 
It's probably been bought by some super-rich as an investment, predicting that houses/land in London will only go up in price. I think you can squat there and if you don't get evicted after a number of years, it becomes yours. Obviously I don't recommend doing that :)
 
You can actually just move in and claim it, although its shady, but as mentioned, if the owner doesn't kick you out you can claim if after a while :p
 
Try the land registry section of your local councils website. You should be able to purchase a pdf copy of the deeds for the property which should list the current registered owner.

Here's an extract of the one I got for mine recently:

Title Number : XXXXXXXX
This title is dealt with by Land Registry, XXXX Office.
The following extract contains information taken from the register of the above
title number. A full copy of the register accompanies this document and you
should read that in order to be sure that these brief details are complete.
Neither this extract nor the full copy is an 'Official Copy' of the register. An
official copy of the register is admissible in evidence in a court to the same
extent as the original. A person is entitled to be indemnified by the registrar
if he suffers loss by reason of a mistake in an official copy.
This extract shows information current on XX APR 2010 at XX and so does
not take account of any application made after that time even if pending in the
Land Registry when this extract was issued.

It lists the registered owner as well as any Lenders.
 
Nitefly said:
Beaten like a dissapointing ginger son :(
Click to expand...

Awwww :p

The law came in during a period where there was a LOT of unoccupied flats in big cities in the 70's owned by the rich and some people moved in as there was a severe lack of available housing.

If i recall correctly I think Lord Denning made the key judgment in that case.

edit - yup

McPhail v Persons, Names Unknown [1973] Ch 447 at 456
 
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Beautiful houses, and yeah worth a mint, I imagine the land alone could support 15+ flats in a new building.

Contact the land registry find a name and contact details for owners and off you go...
 
Raymond Lin said:
Awwww :p

The law came in during a period where there was a LOT of unoccupied flats in big cities in the 70's owned by the rich and some people moved in as there was a severe lack of available housing.

If i recall correctly I think Lord Denning made the key judgment in that case.

edit - yup

McPhail v Persons, Names Unknown [1973] Ch 447 at 456
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with that one, with regards to adverse possession we were really only concerned with anything post LRA 2002. I did have to write an essay on adverse posession... it wasn't particuarly great :p

However, whilst on face value 'squatter's rights' seems a gross injustice, at least I can appreciate why such laws exist, even if nowadays it is pretty difficult to gain a freehold estate by those means.
 
Well, there's a concrete house in my local town of Bridgwater which was entered in the program; "Restoration". It had a huge amount of historical integrity and interest, and value.

I'm trying to say that it had proper value, it wasn't just a generic house.

It sold for £1. :p

Obviously there were considerable structural problems that you would be taking on by purchasing it, amongst other things, but it's not a bad price. ;)
 
gorgeous house. the hoarding would lead one to assume that someone owns them, so they're vacant but not abandoned. i would guess the owners have applied to demolish and build apartments but the planning has been rejected so they are now biding their time or going in with a new plan of attack. but imo houses like this need people in them, they're too well built and full of character to become delapidated! of course, i would never suggest you move yourself in, it just wouldn't be the safe or right thing to do ;)
 
There is a house down the road that has been boarded up for about 8 years at least since i've seen it. Must be 2/3 bedroom, recent build with a garage attached.

some of the windows are put it/cracked by the looks of it, and roof looks like it needs some work at the gable end but it wouldn't take me long.

i should really set about trying to find out who the owner is see if they would take an offer, as it is clear no one has any interest in doing anything with it.

Edit: Here is a pic of it, the house can't be any older than 10-14 years i guess. Since I moved to the area when I was 18 the house has sat like this.

wastedhouse.jpg


I've had a close look, doesn't look like any fire damage anyway..
 
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I'd put money on a developer owning them and waiting to get permission for the land, or waiting for their condition to deteriorate so they can pull them down.
 
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