Private sector assistance
Selling your property
Zero Council Tax to pay, zero insurance and maintenance costs, zero headache of owning an empty home and not knowing what to do with it.
There are numerous online and high street estate agents that can provide a valuation, market your property, negotiate the sale price and manage the financial and legal process to help you achieve the best price for your property.
You may wish to sell the property yourself online or at auction where developers and DIY enthusiasts can offer a quick sale for properties that require work. For more information local auction houses can be found on the Future Auctions - East of England Property Auctions
Privately renting your property
Let your property work for you. Not only could you save on paying Council Tax renting your property can provide a reasonable income.
If you plan to rent the property yourself please read Renting out your property in England and Wales
Letting agents act on behalf of the landlord to find tenants, provide tenancy agreements and inventories and arrange gas safety checks. Some will go further and actively manage the property on your behalf by collecting rent, arranging repairs, in such cases you may never have any direct contact with your tenants.
- Local estate agents can be found in the Yellow Pages or equivalent.
Some letting agencies are members of self-regulatory bodies such as:
- The National Approved Letting Scheme
- Propertymark - launched in February 2017 combining five different associations into a single brand. The five associations (ARLA, NAEA, NAVA, ICBA and APIP) were dedicated to promoting the highest industry standards for over 50 years.
- The National Association of Estate Agents
Property guardian
There are a few companies that will offer a unique service of keeping your unoccupied property safe and secure by placing responsible occupants in your property for short periods until you are ready to use it again. The arrangements can be flexible and tailor made to you and offer financial benefits along with protection against vandalism and early identification of disrepair. As the council we cannot recommend a company and suggest searching the web for ‘empty home property guardian’.
Matchmakers
The council are often approached by developers interested in buying empty homes; however there are companies that specialise in matching buyers and owners. If you are worried about not getting the best value or attracting a buyer, a match making company can help.
A homes matching service could help pay for your repairs before you sell your property, find a buyer and even arrange the sales process for you. As the council we cannot recommend a company but as a starting point we are aware of Homesmatch which operates in this area.