disused property- how to go about "buying" it

ilcp

ilcp

ilcp

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Ok around my area, I have seen this property that has been in bad shape for like few years. I am thinking if i buy it off council (the land) and re-built a house.


Q. Is this a good idea? (in terms of money).
Q. Would it be cheaper to buy the land and then re-build the house than buying a house?
Q. Who do I go to, to find out who owns this property, whether it be the council or someone? I am thinking if it was someone (a person/man as opposed to council), they wouldn't have left it to rot?
 
Q1: It depends on what price you can negotiate on the house and what you plan to build on the land when you demolish the existing building.

I doubt you will need to demolish anyhow. Any rebuild will need planning if it differs from the origional.

Q2: See above. Also do you have any experience of property development or know people you can call upon for support. The industry is full of "bad eggs". A big project like this is going to be an expensive learning experience if it goes wrong.

Q3: You can find out who owns the property from the land registry.

It's not a bad idea, just make sure you go in with your eyes open.
 
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cheers. the thought didnt occur to me but my intention was purely to build a house.
 
A bigger house, the same house?

What sort of area is it? If it's a row of terraced/semi houses being able to demolish is unlikely unless it structurally unstable. It which case it probablly would have been demolished already.

Even if you are able to demolish, you'll probably only be allowed to rebuild the same house.
 
Start digging, literally.

It's a developers trick if they / we can't find who owns a piece of land we send a groundworker around to dig holes and fill them in again, 9/10 someone says "oi that's my land"
 
maccapacca said:
Start digging, literally.

It's a developers trick if they / we can't find who owns a piece of land we send a groundworker around to dig holes and fill them in again, 9/10 someone says "oi that's my land"
Click to expand...

This surprises me. Genuine question - Have you/your company never been taken to court for trespassing and digging up someones property or paid compensation for said deeds.

Maybe this is completely common and carries no punishment, I just find it odd.:p
 
Bromhead said:
This surprises me. Genuine question - Have you/your company never been taken to court for trespassing and digging up someones property or paid compensation for said deeds.

Maybe this is completely common and carries no punishment, I just find it odd.:p
Click to expand...

After the owner turns up, he gets the option to either sell the land for £1 or get buried alive, so no complaints ever come rly.
 
Ah, I thought I was missing a trick. Hence the Avatars we all use in this forum. :D

Edit - Sadly I am Fredo, I'll just stay away from fishing and boats for the rest of my life.
 
maccapacca said:
Start digging, literally.

It's a developers trick if they / we can't find who owns a piece of land we send a groundworker around to dig holes and fill them in again, 9/10 someone says "oi that's my land"
Click to expand...

Yeah let's all dig some holes in unclaimed land and if we are lucky like macca, we can grab that land and build on it.

Pictures B and q running out of spades (you know what i mean :p) today.

Greed prevails.
 
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ilcp said:
Ok around my area, I have seen this property that has been in bad shape for like few years. I am thinking if i buy it off council (the land) and re-built a house.


Q. Is this a good idea? (in terms of money).
Q. Would it be cheaper to buy the land and then re-build the house than buying a house?
Q. Who do I go to, to find out who owns this property, whether it be the council or someone? I am thinking if it was someone (a person/man as opposed to council), they wouldn't have left it to rot?
Click to expand...

It would depend on the property, if it's fairly old it's unlikely you'll be allowed to knock it down and throw up some modern trash.

In terms of money, it's entirely dependent on the cost of land and cost of restoration/ rebuild, how much work you're prepared to do etc.

It's often cheaper to buy and renovate or sometimes even buy a rennovated property than build an entirely new house, but with building a house you do get more of what you want. This is dependent on area and standard of finish you understand.

Ask the council, set up a meeting with whomever.

However you should bare in mind it's unlikely you'll get a mortgage to buy the land and a build your own mortgage with no prior assets or without a huge deposit. You'd really need to discuss this with your bank manager.
 
There is some law that says if you occupy some land or a house for a certain peroid of time with no repercussion from the landlord or the owner of the land you can apply to become the said over of the land. I know this happened in London a while back when some tramp had been squating in a house for 12 years. He was awarded the house in court and prompty sold it for over a million quid and returned home to scotland.
 
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maccapacca said:
Start digging, literally.

It's a developers trick if they / we can't find who owns a piece of land we send a groundworker around to dig holes and fill them in again, 9/10 someone says "oi that's my land"
Click to expand...


Lol are you serious, thats amazing.
 
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