{"id":17298,"date":"2022-11-09T11:20:22","date_gmt":"2022-11-09T11:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thelowegroupltd.com\/?p=17298"},"modified":"2024-01-11T10:34:03","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T10:34:03","slug":"why-its-never-a-good-idea-to-leave-a-building-empty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thelowegroupltd.com\/why-its-never-a-good-idea-to-leave-a-building-empty\/","title":{"rendered":"Why it\u2019s never a good idea to leave a building empty\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span>Your property portfolios may differ, but whether you\u2019re a landlord, developer, housing association or local authority you all have something in common: at some point, you\u2019re likely to face issues that arise from owning a vacant building.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Vacant properties: what are the risks?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>The premises we\u2019re entrusted with are vacant for various reasons \u2013 they may be due to be redeveloped, demolished, or up for sale \u2013 but if left unoccupied, these buildings will become vulnerable.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> Key threats include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>Theft<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Fire<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Water damage<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Vandalism<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span>Squatters<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>\u201cWith vacant properties comes lack of maintenance, which can at best be costly, and at worst dangerous,\u201d explains our Property Services Manager, Andre. \u201cJust one of the elements we see neglected is the building\u2019s electrics, gas system or boiler. The longer these aren\u2019t maintained, the more they will deteriorate \u2013 and ultimately this will be at the landlord\u2019s expense.\u201d<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><strong>Don\u2019t invite squatters<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span> Break-ins are another high-risk factor, with perpetrators either stealing fixtures and fittings, or setting up home in the vacant space. In the UK an increasing number of squatters are making empty buildings their home \u2013 often causing damage such as graffiti, vandalism, broken windows and even arson.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> Evicting squatters can be difficult, involving long and expensive legal battles. The risk to empty commercial premises can be even greater than residential, as the squatting of commercial property is not currently a criminal offence, and court proceedings are usually required to regain possession.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><strong>Rectifying the consequences<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>At LOWE, we\u2019ve witnessed first-hand the aftermath of leaving a building vacant. Just one of the many properties we\u2019ve repurposed is a former social housing office in Battersea, which we now look after and have successfully adapted for meanwhile use. <\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> Before we were asked to step in and manage the property, it had remained empty for three years \u2013 and although the owners installed security panels and an alarm, this wasn\u2019t a deterrent and squatters had managed to enter the building.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> Andre explains, \u201cThey were clearly professional squatters as they had put a sign on the door quoting the housing act, stating you can\u2019t enter without legal possession through the courts. As the property wasn\u2019t built for residential use, it\u2019s a different legal process to get the building back once it\u2019s squatted. It took some time to evict them.\u201d<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span>The squatters had left destruction, and when we finally took possession of the property it cost thousands to clear their waste. They\u2019d also caused electrical damage, requiring the entire building to be rewired, plus stolen copper pipes which had to be replaced.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> Our team successfully cleared, cleaned and renovated the building, and our approved guardians (made up of professionals and key workers) now live in the property \u2013 protecting it 24\/7 while benefiting from affordable accommodation.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> Andre summarises: \u201cOverall, the building\u2019s re-fit \u2013 which was originally estimated at \u00a33k \u2013 cost our client around \u00a37k. All because of squatting, which ultimately occurred because the building was left unoccupied.\u201d<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><strong>What\u2019s the solution?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span>It\u2019s clear that leaving a building empty for any length of time comes with significant risks. There are ways to safeguard your property that go above and beyond security fencing, cameras, guards and watchdogs.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> At LOWE, we can help protect your vacant property, while also creating meaningful meanwhile use. We offer property guardianship, affordable workspace and charitable occupation \u2013 innovative solutions that breathe life into empty buildings, repurposing them as short-term homes for key workers and professionals, or unique workplaces for creatives and charities.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span> By temporarily occupying your property, our carefully vetted guardians provide round-the-clock security, reducing the risk of squatters and vandalism, as well as lowering insurance premiums and business rates on commercial properties; while our dedicated team ensures your building is well maintained \u2013 giving you peace of mind.<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><span><br \/>\n<\/span><strong>Learn how we can help!<br \/>\n<\/strong><span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span>We can keep your empty property safe and secure, while benefiting the local community! Please get in touch today for a free consultation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a class=\"cta title ms-2\" href=\"https:\/\/thelowegroupltd.com\/contact\/\">GET IN TOUCH<span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your property portfolios may differ, but whether you\u2019re a landlord, developer, housing association or local authority you all have something in common: at some point, you\u2019re likely to face issues that arise from owning a vacant building. Vacant properties: what are the risks? The premises we\u2019re entrusted with are vacant for various reasons \u2013 they [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28978,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[55,1],"tags":[30,33,35,31,4,37,36,32,41,38,34],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Why it\u2019s never a good idea to leave a building empty\u2026<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Owning a vacant building - Why it\u2019s never a good idea to leave a building empty\u2026 and how we can help - The LOWE Group LTD\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/thelowegroupltd.com\/why-its-never-a-good-idea-to-leave-a-building-empty\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why it\u2019s never a good idea to leave a building empty\u2026\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Owning a vacant building - 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