Owning an empty property is notoriously difficult. The expenses keep mounting up and it seems like every Tom, Dick and Harry wants to either rob, vandalise or squat in the place.
Boarding the property up reduces some of these risk factors and provides some peace of mind but is it right for you, and if so what type should you choose and are there alternatives?
The guru takes a look at boarding up empty properties, read on to discover more.
If you are the legal owner of a vacant property then you have the right to have the property boarded up. While the neighbors might not like the idea of living next to a boarded up house there is not much they can do about it unless the building is deemed unsafe or it is attracting vermin.
If you think that your property is going to be empty for a long time then boarding it up is something worth considering.
The decision to board up a property will depend on certain factors such as;
If your property is in a state of disrepair you are probably asking yourself how much more would it be worth if I renovate it and is it worth all of the time, effort and expense?
Read our comprehensive guide to see if refurbishing your house is the best option for you;
If you decide that boarding up your house is necessary the next thing you will need to decide is what type of boarding to use. This will be somewhat dependent on circumstances but factors such as cost and longevity will also play a part.
When it comes to boarding up a residential house there are 3 main options.
Probably the image that springs to mind when you think of a boarded up house is one where the windows and doors are covered by big boards of wood. Timber boards, traditionally made of plywood are the cheapest and easiest to fit method but they do come with certain drawbacks.
Often the fittings for wooden boards are fixed directly into the existing window or door frame, which unavoidably causes damage. They are also prone to weathering meaning that they can warp, delaminate and get weaker over time and mean that the property is still vulnerable to damp. Wood is also a combustible material meaning that if vandals wanted to carry out an arson attack on the building setting fire to the boards would be a good place to start. Timber boards also don’t provide a high level of security, anyone with a handheld power tool or even someone with a crowbar and some determination could still access the property without much effort.
Timber boards are a good solution if a property needs to be boarded up quickly and cheaply for a short period of time but they do not provide good protection in the long term.
Steel sheeting offers a step up from Timber boards, it is around 10 – 15% more expensive but provides fire protection and will last much longer than wood. Steel sheets can range in thickness from thin sheets of around 0.5 mm all the way up to super thick sheets at around 50 mm. For most purposes a thickness of somewhere between 1 – 2 mm is the norm as it offers an adequate level of protection and keeps the costs low relative to much thicker steel.
There are some other things to consider beyond thickness, if the property requires light for inspection purposes then you will want to consider perforated steel as this will allow outside light to enter the property. Of course this will leave the property open to the elements if the windows are damaged or non-existent. Another thing to consider is the fixings used, some companies just use standard hex-bolts which can be removed by anyone with an off the shelf spanner and a spare five minutes. You want to make sure that you use anti-tamper security fixings to prevent easy access. It is also important that the sheets are cut to size so that they fit securely over the openings, any gaps between the sheets and the wall will leave an opening for a crafty crowbar wielding loon to exploit.
The most expensive and secure method of boarding up an empty property is with security screens such as SITEX. This method secures the screen to the opening using cables and steel brackets to create a very strong seal and unlike the other methods they are secured from the inside. As such security screens offer robust long lasting protection, they are arson resistant and can be perforated to let in natural light for inspection. Security screens are a heavy duty method more suited to commercial use but can be used for residential purposes. Besides the extra cost one of the drawbacks is that the fitting will likely require the windows to be removed completely which then requires them to be refitted or fully replaced once the boarding is no longer required.
It is common for security companies that provide and install boarding to charge a ‘rental’ charge rather than a one off fee. Essentially you pay per opening per week. Windows and doors will be costed up differently due to the difference in size of opening that is being boarded. For timber you could be looking at £2 – £3 per window, steel around £3 – £4 and £9 – £15 per door. These costs are per week so for a standard terraced house you could be looking at anywhere between £32 – £51 per week for wither plywood or steel sheet. So for a year you could be looking at a bill of almost £2500.
Another cost to consider is insurance, most major insurance companies won’t insure an empty boarded up property instead you will need to speak to a specialist insurer that is prepared to insure a property that will be vacant for more than 60 days. Often these insurers will require regular inspections to be carried out and logged so it is important to speak to an insurer before you board up the property as this could determine what type of boarding
Owning an empty property can be surprisingly costly even if you have no mortgage on it. You still have to pay council tax unless you qualify for an exemption. If the property has been empty for more than 2 years the council can charge you a premium which could be as much as twice the amount and continue to rise for the period of time that the property remains empty.
This is due to the shortage of affordable housing and the council are trying to make it unattractive to have an empty house that someone could be living in. If a proposed bill is passed then the 2 year cut off could be reduced meaning that you would have to pay increased council tax after just 1 year of a property being empty.
If you think that the property could remain empty for some time it might also be worth taking other precautions to reduce the risk of damage to the property such as;
Perhaps the best solution to owning an empty property is to sell it and cash out. Even if you think that the property is undesirable in its current state to an open market buyer there are companies who offer a house buying service.
These companies can buy a house in just a few weeks regardless of its current condition. They will offer you a lower price than an open market sale (generally around 20% less) but for this they cover all of your sale costs, such as solicitor fees, and you can have the cash in your bank account in just a few weeks.
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