An empty house is costing you money every month
A vacant property doesn’t just sit there quietly — it drains money. In South Wales an empty home can mean full council tax (and many Welsh councils now charge a long-term empty premium of up to 300% on top), buildings insurance at a higher “unoccupied” rate, standing utility charges, and the slow damage that comes from a house with no one in it.
We’re David and Jason. We buy empty and long-empty houses across Cardiff, Newport, Swansea and the Valleys, often without the owner ever having to travel back to deal with it.
Why empty homes are hard to sell the usual way
Empty properties are frequently the ones an estate agent struggles with. They’ve often been left for a while — an inherited home, a relocation, a probate property, or a renovation that stalled. That usually means a dated or tired interior, no heating run through the winter, and sometimes damp or a leak that’s gone unnoticed.
On the open market that’s a slow sale: mortgage buyers get nervous about condition, the house shows poorly when it’s cold and bare, and every month it stays listed is another month of premium council tax, empty property insurance and annoying standing charges for gas and electricity services, both of which are unused (the standard charges are often more than £1 a day — £365 a year!).
The empty-home premium: why waiting gets expensive
This is the part owners underestimate. Many South Wales councils charge a long-term empty premium once a property has been unoccupied for a set period — often an extra 100% to 300% of the normal council tax bill, plus unavoidable gas and electricity standing charges, if though you’re not using either. Add unoccupied-property insurance (typically dearer and more restrictive than a standard policy), and a house you’re “getting round to” can quietly cost thousands a year while doing nothing.
Selling sooner stops that meter running.
How House Buyers Wales handles an empty property
- You don’t need to clear it. Furniture, belongings, a garage full of someone’s life — leave it. We sort the clearance ourselves after completion.
- Condition doesn’t matter. Damp, no boiler, a roof that’s let water in — we price as-is and the offer doesn’t drop later.
- You don’t need to be local. We deal with executors and owners who live miles away, or abroad, all the time. Keys, photos and paperwork can be handled remotely.
- A fixed date. You pick when it completes; the empty-home costs stop the day it does.
A realistic timeline
Day 1 — You get in touch and tell us about the property.
Day 1-3 — We view it (or arrange access) and send a written, no-obligation offer.
Completion — Often within a working week or two if the title is clean. If it’s a probate property and the grant hasn’t come through yet, we hold the offer open and complete as soon as probate clears.
Want a free offer on an empty property?
House Buyers Wales are South Wales’ #1 Trusted Property Cash Buyers — rated 5-stars by hundreds of real home sellers.
Don’t take our word for it: Read real customer reviews for House Buyers Wales →
Get your free cash offer → — 30 second enquiry form, no commitment, no pressure.
Or call 02920 001331 to speak to David or Jason, not a commission salesperson.
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