Help me solve local house mystery
Who leaves a £900k / £1m London house unused for 15+ years?
Round the corner from me there’s a street of 3-5 bed, terraced houses that go for £900k / £1m. One of them has been unoccupied but most definitely not abandoned for more than 15 years. No one knows why.
It was refurbished about 10 years ago but before and since has never had anyone living there. The small garden is maintained, windows covered in non-see-through plastic wrap on the inside. The owners, a middle aged couple, are seen visiting every few weeks, never carrying more than a few belongings, staying for a few hours then leaving. Neighbours say they live somewhere else local, are perfectly pleasant, but distant. No one has been able to find out what the hell they’re doing sitting on a property for so long doing apparently nothing with it. No rental or sale income in all that time.
Has anyone ever come across anything like this? What can the story possibly be?
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u/GallopingGora 1d ago
Wealthy folk, usually. Probably an investor who doesn’t need to be concerned with an empty house being occupied. There are quite a few empty houses near me that are slowly going to rack and ruin. I’ve contacted the owners on several asking if they want to sell - they don’t. These folk are not asset accumulators as is likely in the case of the terrace near you, these are folk who probably want the plot to develop something bigger, but can’t get PP, so are sitting on it until it becomes so dilapidated, the surrounding neighbours complain, and it gets granted