# Property scandal in the UK



## Naranto (Apr 5, 2007)

Anyone here see this programme last night?

Briefly the programme covered the governments lack of support for the
1 million empty homes (350,000 empty long term)
2 million families in need of a home.

With so many empty but solid homes available why do we need to build new? The cost for refurbishing is well under half of the cost for new build, so it makes sense to refit, especially as many of the 'empties' are already set within communities and local shops.

I am fortunate to own our home, but there are many out there who are desperate. The progamme featured an ex soldier who served in Iraq and has PTSS. He has to sleep on a sofa and has done for a number of years while houses within walking distance are boarded up. The idea behind it is that a pot of money is made available for individuals to restore an empty property. When finished they pay back the loan as part of the rent and this money is then given to the next worthy family. Currently it costs the council approx £22K a year to keep a family who do not have a home. Many here will probably know someone who is on the housing ladder and all the problems that entails.

Sorry if I sound like I am on a soapbox but hope you will sign the petition. Thanks for reading this.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-property-scandal/articles/home/

PS: In my area we have an estimated 3,791 empty homes according to Freedom of Information requests [2011]
At the same time, there are 11,167 people on the housing waiting list. So far, there have been 20 empty homes reported in my area.


----------



## ABGT170 (Feb 20, 2008)

Just to throw something else into the ring on the subject of empty houses and your point that it costs 50% of the rebuild cost to refurbish....

I would love to know why I have to pay VAT on all costs associated with refurbishing solid existing house but building new houses is zero rated?! There is NO incentive to restore existing houses in existing communities.


----------



## Naranto (Apr 5, 2007)

I totally agree it is madness, utter madness, hence the reason for you to sign up! If there are enough signaturies then the government has to respond. :thumb:


----------



## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

There's that phil spencers empty homes thing on tonight. My brother is the head builder/foreman guy that was in charge of the build. (Simon)

Keep an eye out!


----------



## PaulN (Jan 17, 2008)

ardandy said:


> There's that phil spencers empty homes thing on tonight. My brother is the head builder/foreman guy that was in charge of the build. (Simon)
> 
> Keep an eye out!


What channel and when?


----------



## vroomtshh (Nov 23, 2009)

Naranto said:


> I totally agree it is madness, utter madness, hence the reason for you to sign up! If there are enough signaturies then the government has to respond. :thumb:


Why? They don;t usually respond to public opinion :lol:


----------



## Naranto (Apr 5, 2007)

See Simon tonight on :wave:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-property-scandal/articles/home/


----------



## Ronnie (Nov 15, 2006)

social housing has a very strict guideline that has been set out by not only the regional govy departments but also by the EU with regards to fuel poverty lifetime homes standard etc etc. it it total and utter crap in my humble opinion we were building timberramed homes with a builders finish price to teh trade of approx £35/ftsq for social housing htis cost was closer to £700/ftsq... yes that is not a mistype is it any wonder that the government is being bled dry. Sorry i have absolutly no time for the term social or affordable simply as its may be affordable to the individual tennants (we had tennens paying as little as £5/week) but for the government it is pretty expensive thats for sure!!


----------



## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Well apparently Ch4 have changed the format of the show entirely so its more of a 'political empty homes piece with Phil Spencer wlaking around and talking to camera' rather than a DIY SOS style 'how we changed this empty house' build.

So 2 weeks of filming and about 2 hours combined of my brother talking to camera saying whats going on etc has been pretty much wiped out. Busted his balls to get it completed for end of filming for nothing! He's been told he's in it for about 10 seconds cleaning a window! 

The assist producer who came up with the idea of the show is livid as it's completely different!

Oh well, 10 seconds of fame instead I guess!


----------



## ardandy (Aug 18, 2006)

Oh and the show is Phil Spencers Empty Homes I think. Ch4 - 9.00-10.00.


----------



## Roswell (Aug 11, 2008)

been watching the series, to be honest it was exactgly the same 10 years ago, I remember my folks being compulsery purchased out of a so called fallling down house the whole estate was. they had to dig up 7 floors to find one to prove floor heave. 

Eventualy the bull dozers moved in and rumours were out that a local propery developer had won a contract to redevelop the area surrounded by fields and county side. 

With some good luck said builder for some reason didnt get round to doing this and now the land is empty. at the start of relocation / compulsery purchase thiere was 1 or 2 empty houses, by the time we left we were one of 3 houses occupied in our street of 30 houses, these werent terraced they were semi`s with solid walls through out front and rear gardens.


----------



## The Cueball (Feb 8, 2007)

the only real property scandal in the UK is how a wanky little mid terrance house, somewhere in middle Engerlannnnnd can be worth anything like over £50k...

people need to come back down to earth with a massive thud... I honestly laugh at some of the prices I see these days...

what a f****d up fur coat and no knickers country we have produced.... 

:thumb:


----------



## s2kpaul (Jul 27, 2006)

whats wrong with fur coat and no knickers :S lol


----------



## Naranto (Apr 5, 2007)

Thanks to those who took the time to sign the petition. Looks like things are moving forward: :thumb:

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-great-british-property-scandal/articles/news/


----------

