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Empty homes
If you own an empty property, you may be having difficulty deciding your best options. We have a dedicated advice and information service for owners of empty homes. There may be a good reason why your property is being kept empty or it may have become 'stuck' as an empty home. Whatever the reason for your empty home, we want to help bring it back into use. We can provide advice and information on the following:
For any empty property enquiry please contact emptyhomes@aberdeenshire.gov.uk.
General maintenance
Even if your empty property is in good condition now, it can be subject to deterioration, increased risk of vandalism and criminal damage, and ongoing maintenance and repair costs are likely to occur. You may even have a mortgage for your empty property and are struggling to meet the repayments.
These leaflets can give you advice on how to prevent or reduce the possibility of any repair costs costs as well as how to help with your mortgage repayments:
- Keeping your empty home safe and secure (pdf 386KB)
- Responsibility to maintain (pdf 432KB)
- Mortgage arrears and repossessions (pdf 424KB)
Repairing and renovations
If you are refurbishing an empty property to bring it back into use as housing, these leaflets give information of possible discounts and reduced VAT rates that may be available to you and who you can contact for further advice and guidance:
- Empty homes - 2 years reduced VAT rate (pdf 589KB)
- Empty homes - 10 years reduced VAT rate (pdf 606KB)
- Conversion of empty buildings to create housing (pdf 457KB)
- Renovating your empty home - energy efficiency funding (pdf 335KB)
- Renovations overview (pdf 429KB)
- Service and merchants' discounts (pdf 444KB)
Letting
A 2 bed property rented out at current 2018 Local Housing Allowance rates could potentially generate a rental income of approximately £7180 over 12 months period (£138.08 per week is £7,180 per annum).
It may be worth taking the time to consider if this is an option for your empty property. If you are thinking of becoming a landlord there are certain criteria that both you and your property need to meet, and these leaflets offer advice and information on how to do this:
Selling
There are various ways to sell your property and the following leaflets cover some of the usual routes as well as alternatives you may not have thought of. There are also tips on how to prepare your home for sale and how to present your home to make it look more marketable to potential buyers:
- Estate Agents and selling tips (pdf 407KB)
- Selling your empty home at auction (pdf 408KB)
- Selling your empty home developer day (pdf 350KB)
- Selling your empty home - increasing saleability (pdf 353KB)
- Valuations and home reports (pdf 375KB)
Matchmaker scheme
The matchmaker scheme aims to match empty property home owners in Aberdeenshire who are trying to sell or who are thinking about selling with people who want to buy an empty property.
Find out more:
- Property matchmaker leaflet (pdf 357KB)
- Property matchmaker scheme - considerations for purchasers (pdf 309KB)
- Matchmaker buyer registration form (pdf 231KB)
- Matchmaker seller registration form (pdf 229KB)
- Matchmaker owner registration privacy notice (pdf 86.1KB)
We operate the scheme in partnership with Shelter Scotland. There are matchmaker schemes running on a voluntary basis in various local authorities in Scotland. The service is free and can provide help to sell or buy empty properties in participating areas.
If you are interested in areas outwith Aberdeenshire please complete national buyer matchmaker registration form (pdf 119KB).