If all empty homes in UK were back to use, the housing crisis would be solved and the government would not have to build 1.5 million new ones.
At the moment there are 700.000 empty homes in England. Bringing abandoned properties to life is a long and complex process.
Most of them become empty after the owner passes away leading to long administrative process. Then the family can be reluctant to part with the house. Sometimes the children of the owner do not want to sell the house where they grew up.
But the authorities charge extra for unoccupied properties. And treat it as an environmental health issue that impacts the neighbors. In some cases the council can take emergency repair work to sale it or rent it. This can lead in a windfall for the owners.
[Source: www.bbc.com]
