Home/Empty Property
Empty Property
An empty home costs money. Put it to work or move it on.
Council tax, insurance and upkeep keep running when nobody lives there. These are the routes owners of empty homes usually weigh.
What It Costs
Why an empty home gets expensive.
In England:
- Councils can charge extra council tax once a home has been empty for at least a year
- After 10 years empty, the bill can reach up to 4 times the normal amount
- Many insurance policies change their cover once a home is unoccupied
- Condition slips without heating, airing and regular checks
Your Routes
Put it to work or move it on.
The right route depends on the condition and on whether you want to keep it.
| Route | What happens | Price and speed | Where we fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep it, we manage it | Run as serviced accommodation, furnished | You keep the asset; income depends on bookings | Full management from 20% of booking revenue |
| Let it to us | A company let agreement with us as lessee | A fixed monthly sum, occupied or not | Where the home suits it |
| Quiet sale | Introductions to investors on our list | Below open market value, in exchange for speed and certainty | No fee to you; the buyer pays our fee |
| Open-market sale or auction | An estate agent or an auction house | Price or speed, depending on the route | An agent or auction house handles this |
Some councils have an empty homes officer who can tell you about local schemes. It is worth asking yours.
Read This First
What we are and what we are not.
We do not buy your house. Maine Property Solutions is not the buyer and makes no offers of its own. We introduce properties to investors on our list and any offer comes from them.
You pay us nothing. Not now, not on completion. We are paid by the buyer we introduce you to. That amount is agreed in writing and we tell you what it is before you commit to anything.
Investors buy below open market value. They trade a lower price for speed and certainty, so an offer will be lower than a full open-market sale through an estate agent would be expected to achieve.
If price matters most, use an estate agent. An open-market sale is expected to achieve more. Take independent legal advice before agreeing to anything: a solicitor acting for you, not for a buyer.
Tell Us About It
Tell us about the empty home.
Where it is, how long it has been empty and its condition. We come back to you about the routes that fit.
- Sell it, let it or have it managed
- No fee to talk
- A call at the time you choose
Prefer to talk? 02477 450677 or WhatsApp us — Mon–Fri 9–6, Sat 10–2.
Free Guide
Selling a property off-market
What off-market means, how it compares with an agent or an auction and the checks that protect you.
Other Situations
Not quite your situation?
Each page sets out the routes for one situation. The guides go into more depth.
Your Questions
Empty homes, answered.
Do I pay more council tax on an empty home?
In England councils can charge a premium once a home has been empty for at least a year. After 10 years the bill can reach up to 4 times the normal amount.
Can an empty home be let to you?
Often yes, under a company let agreement with Maine Property Solutions Ltd as lessee, paying a fixed monthly sum occupied or not. The home needs to suit it and the lender and insurer need to allow it.
What if it needs work?
Investors on our list look at homes that need work and any offer reflects the condition. An estate agent or auction are the other routes.
Do you charge me?
Not for an introduction to a buyer: the buyer pays our fee. Management starts from 20% of booking revenue.