A dilapidated family home in Peverell has been restored to its former glory thanks to the intervention of the Council’s Empty Homes team.
The two bedroom property on Lyford Park Road had been standing dormant for over four years before it came to the Council’s attention in 2019 after complaints from neighbours.
At that time the exterior of the house was in a poor condition, the garden was completely over-grown and residents nearby had reported an issue with rodents.
Having established who owned the property, the team were able to make contact and explain the options for bringing the home back into use.
After much diplomacy, the owner agreed to use the Council’s Empty Homes Sales Service, a free option which assists people with little time, helping them to try and achieve a quick sale.
As part of the service, the property was shared with a list of over 200 developers and first-time buyers, where the listing was seen by husband and wife team Roger and Tanya Woodland.
“I’ve been registered with the Council for around four years,” said Tanya, “and we saw this one and thought it was just right for us. We went along to the viewing and were able to purchase it direct from the vendor.”
Since the sale, the Woodlands have transformed the property into a beautiful family home with a new bathroom, new kitchen and complete redecoration throughout.
“It’s been a labour of love,” explains Roger. “It needed everything doing; there was no central heating, it hadn’t been decorated since the 80s, the kitchen probably pre-dated even that.
“As you can see in the pictures, we’ve done refurbished every single room and done all the exteriors like the guttering and the garden as well.”
Now that the refurbishment is complete, the house has been placed back on the market and will again be lived in and loved.
Councillor Chris Penberthy, Cabinet Member for Housing, Communities and Cooperative Development, said: “An empty property is a wasted home that could be lived in by someone who needs it and so I’m really pleased to see this result.
“I have said it time and time again, we are in a housing crisis and we must find creative solutions for ensuring there are more homes in our city. While building new homes is of course a priority, bringing old, empty units like this back into use is also a great, cost-efficient way to increase Plymouth’s housing stock.”
As well as the Sales Service, the Empty Homes team also have a number of other tools in their arsenal to help owners bring their properties back into use.
Earlier this year, the Council re re-launched the Repair and Rent scheme, aimed at property owners who may not have the time, skills or confidence to renovate a house themselves.
Landlords can now borrow up to £50,000 from the Council interest free with a 20 per cent grant element, improving the offer from the previous £20,000 cap.
As part of the scheme, local property agent Plymouth Homes 4 Let (PH4L) will help manage a schedule of works before putting them out to tender on the landlord’s behalf. They will then manage the renovation, arrange occupation and rental collection which will be used to repay the loan to Council.
The owner will then sign a sole agency agreement with PH4L to rent at LHA rates. In return, 20 per cent of the renovation cost will be in the form of a non-repayable grant.
Meanwhile, the Financial Assistance scheme allows landlords to apply for a loan of up to £50,000 per unit, which is repaid via subsequent rental income.
The empty home owner will project manage the renovation themselves and providing they agree to rent the property at an affordable rate through our partner PH4L, they will be entitled to a 20 per cent grant.
Find out more about empty homes at: Empty homes | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK