Ever seen a house on your way to work and wondered who lives there? Or noticed a property on your street that no longer looks lived in? Maybe your warrant work has left you wondering what happens to those abandoned buildings, once you’ve locked up and left? Empty Property Hunters is on a mission to turn empty houses into homes for those that need them. And, for locksmiths looking for some extra cash, having a keen eye means you can make some quick money too…
Simon from Empty Property Hunters says: “There are more than 300,000 long-term empty properties in England; more than there are homeless people. And we have a government that wants to build new homes. Our aim is to find privately-own, unoccupied houses that we can buy and turn into homes for families and people that need somewhere to live.
“To do this we rely on the help of local people to spot empty properties in their area and send in photos to us. As well as playing a part in helping to solve the housing crisis – every confirmed lead receives £20. And, if Empty Property Hunters goes on to sell the property, the person who supplied the lead stands to earn 1% of the final sale price.
“Once the photo has been sent in, our in-house trace and research team can determine the situation, find the owners and ultimately purchase it from them. We have expert systems that can locate the owners, even if they are overseas. And, we keep you up-to-date along the way so you can follow the process.
“Anyone can send in a photo of an empty property to see if it qualifies, but we’ve noticed that locksmiths seem to have a skill for spotting the right type of place. Whether locksmiths are on warrant work, local jobs or just seem to have a knack for it; out of every 10 leads sent in, locksmiths are achieving a 80-90% success rate in getting their photos confirmed and paid for – £20 a time.
“It seems to be the nature of their work; similarly posties, delivery drivers, bin men, leaflet droppers and similar. They all know their area well, travel around a lot and take an interest in buildings; noticing the changes of use and occupancy. There’s a lot of nosey neighbours too and community groups!
“We’ve made it really easy to send in a lead, either by WhatsApp or through the website www.emptypropertyhunters.co.uk. Again, locksmiths always have their phones handy, so they can snap a photo and send it in. With every confirmed lead earning them £20, we have ‘regulars’ who use the cash to pay for their dinners for the week, use it for a night out and even put it in the holiday fund. And, for those that earn 1% of the final selling price – we are prepared to share thousands of pounds with those sharing photos with us.
“We are looking for houses in established, residential areas. There are key factors that people can use to spot an empty property. Firstly, they look abandoned and neglected. If you live in the area, you may realise that you have stopped noticing ‘comings and goings’, people coming in and out. There is often post behind the door – if you can see in, curtains don’t open and draw anymore, and even become tatty or discoloured, the garden becomes overgrown, and parked cars don’t move and start to get weather damaged. If this is one of your neighbours, it will undoubtedly already be an eye sore – especially if you are trying to sell your own house!”
Head to www.emptypropertyhunters.co.uk to find out more and send in your snaps of local empty properties near you, with £20 up for grabs per confirmed lead.