Empty properties persist as new homes for sale levels stall

November 5, 2008 by OPPE News

England still has a glut of empty homes, with derelict properties particularly prevalent in the north of the country, a survey shows.

The Halifax data was published days after a Nationwide report showed the country’s real estate market is still experiencing a slowdown, with prices falling again in April.

However, the UK still has a homes shortage, with the government struggling to meet targets on new builds due to the slowdown.

Almost 280,000 homes are empty in the country, according to the Halifax, and 22 per cent of those are in northern regions.

This level is actually around 10 per cent down on the number recorded four years ago.

While Halifax experts said the small decline was “encouraging” they added the level of empty properties was still a serious concern.

Halifax chief economist Martin Ellis said:

“It is concerning that the existence of empty homes remains a significant problem in a number of areas, particularly in the north of England. In some cases, the proportion of empty homes is more than double the national average.

“We would like the government to extend the five per cent rate of VAT for renovating an empty home to all properties vacant for more than six months not just those properties that have been unoccupied for more than two years.”