Our spotters play an integral role in helping us identify properties that may be empty.
Here is a short guide to spotting empty properties near you.
If you spot a property that meets our reporting criteria, you will receive a £20 voucher as a thank you for submitting it to us. If we go on to purchase the property, you will receive 1% of the purchase price upon completion, up to a maximum of £10,000.
Spotters are often the people best placed to identify empty homes because they are out in their neighbourhoods and communities every day.
Whether you are walking your dog, going for a run, making deliveries for work, or simply noticing something unusual on your street, you may be able to identify a long-term empty property.
If you think you have identified a property that may have been empty for some time, you can report it to us. The more information you can provide, the more helpful it is.
Signs of a Long-Term Empty Property
Knowing how to spot empty homes in the UK is not guesswork. There are often consistent indicators that suggest a property has been vacant for months or even years.
Some of the most common signs include:
Overgrown Gardens
A garden that has clearly been left unattended for a long period of time is often one of the clearest indicators of vacancy. Long grass, weeds and unmaintained hedges can suggest the property has not been actively occupied.
Accumulated Mail
Letters or packages building up behind doors, gates or letterboxes may suggest that no one is regularly collecting post.
Permanently Closed or Boarded Windows
Curtains that never move, boarded windows or broken glazing that has been left unrepaired can indicate that a property has been unoccupied for a long period.
No Signs of Daily Life
No bins placed out for collection, no lights visible at night and no vehicle movement can all indicate a lack of regular activity. Patterns over time are often more important than a single observation.
Visible Deterioration
Peeling paint, damaged brickwork, broken gutters, collapsed fencing or roof damage can often signal a property that has been empty for a significant period.
Context Matters
If you suspect a property may be empty, it is important not to jump to conclusions.
Sometimes properties appear empty but are actually undergoing renovation, awaiting a new tenant, or in the process of being sold.
Context and duration are important.
If you believe a property has been vacant for six months or more, it may be worth reporting it to us.
What Happens After You Report a Property
Once a property is reported, our team begins researching the situation.
We investigate ownership, check Land Registry records, review probate situations and look into any legal issues that may be preventing the property from being used.
Every empty property has its own story. In many cases the reason a home remains empty is more complicated than it first appears.
Our role is to work through those complications. We specialise in the kinds of cases many people walk away from, including complex ownership structures, legal issues and long-running family situations.
Where possible, we try to contact the owner and explore whether there is a path forward that allows the property to return to use.
How the Reward Works
If we are successful in purchasing the property you reported, you will receive 1% of the purchase price upon completion, up to a maximum reward of £10,000.
For example:
If a property is purchased for £300,000, the reward would be £3,000.
Before that, if the property meets our reporting criteria, you will also receive a £20 voucher simply for submitting the address.
How to Report an Empty Property
If you believe you have identified a long-term empty property, you can report it to us online.
When reporting a property, it helps if you can provide:
- The full address of the property
- Photographs if possible (taken safely and without trespassing)
- Any context about how long it may have been empty
The more information you can provide, the easier it is for us to investigate.
If the property meets our criteria and we eventually purchase it, you could earn a reward.
So keep an eye out in your neighbourhood.
Spot it. Send it. Spend it.
Become one of our ‘Spotters’ and get paid for spotting empty property.