[Help] Has anybody ever left a house or flat unoccupied for a year or more?

[m20gull]

What I would say is that is very hard to get property insurance for a permanently empty property.

I can't vouch for permanently empty but you can buy unoccupied property insurance. We used it for my Mum's empty house when we were selling it after she died.

 

[Neville's Breakfast]

If you pay me decent money I could live in a tent just outside your house and keep an eye on it..

I’m imagining that said in a scouse rather than a Swedish accent

 

[Wardy's twin]

And, I guess, there must be an app to cut the lawn, put the bin out and check the mail, shirley?

well he might not have real grass but if he did he could gat a rc robot grass cutter. No rubbish so no bin? Mail ... mmmmm redirection service?

 

[Wardy's twin]

I have always previously rented out my property whilst working overseas. Recently I have had quite a bit of work done and although I have never really had any problems with tenants I am not sure this time if I want to rent it.

I was wondering if any one has done this themselves. I realise certain things like it would not be possible to get contents insurance for a prolonged absence (although they could be left in secure storage) but I wondered if there are companies who would provide some kind of monitoring service just to keep any eye on things whilst it is empty. I would intend to return once a year.

Would be grateful to hear anyone's experience of doing this.

whereabouts (roughly) is your place?

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I will point you in the direction of two films, home alone 1 and home alone 2, both portray the risks and often the solutions to house security.

If neither are helpful a concierge service would be my first Avenue.


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[Petunia]

I have always previously rented out my property whilst working overseas. Recently I have had quite a bit of work done and although I have never really had any problems with tenants I am not sure this time if I want to rent it.

I was wondering if any one has done this themselves. I realise certain things like it would not be possible to get contents insurance for a prolonged absence (although they could be left in secure storage) but I wondered if there are companies who would provide some kind of monitoring service just to keep any eye on things whilst it is empty. I would intend to return once a year.

Would be grateful to hear anyone's experience of doing this.

I would check out the Empty Homes legislation before proceeding. Obviously I don’t know where your property is located but it is national legislation so I’ve added the Adur-Worthing link as an example.

https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/ho...y-property/how-we-deal,with-empty-properties/

 

[Papak]

Rental properties are in VERY short supply around here and monthly rents are at a premium so you might want to reconsider.

The flip side is that evictions are not being heard in court atm so landlords have no way of getting possession under any circumstances until that changes.

Just noticed that OP appears to be resident in NYC so my advice is largely irrelevant

 

[BN9 BHA]

Another concern would be a water leak going unnoticed.

Needs a plumber to keep an eye on it......

Where abouts is it? Does it have a nice garden? My misses keeps saying we need to move to somewhere with a garden..

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[Lyndhurst 14]

I would check out the Empty Homes legislation before proceeding. Obviously I don’t know where your property is located but it is national legislation so I’ve added the Adur-Worthing link as an example.

https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/ho...y-property/how-we-deal,with-empty-properties/

Thanks for this, I was not aware of this legislation being in place

 

[LamieRobertson]

No I haven't and neither would I unless i could get a reliable security company to monitor the property. My late brother used to do 3 or 6 month stints in the Falklands servicing helicopters. He used Securicor guardian services and a local garden maintenance firm to keep the lawns mown. Long grass is a dead give away for empty property. The serious possible outcome is obviously the potential of squatters breaking in, squatters rights etc etc ad nauseum.

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I’d offer my services but the OP seems to be in USA

 

[LamieRobertson]

Where abouts is it? Does it have a nice garden? My misses keeps saying we need to move to somewhere with a garden..

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You should take her out on a few of your jobs..she could sit in the garden while you plumb

 

[AZ Gull]

Just noticed that OP appears to be resident in NYC so my advice is largely irrelevant

I’d offer my services but the OP seems to be in USA

I read the OP to mean that the house is in the UK (with the poster working overseas in the States) but I could be wrong.

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I read the OP to mean that the house is in the UK (with the poster working overseas in the States) but I could be wrong.

That's right AZ Gull