Matchmaking services

Last Updated: 28 February 2023

If you have an empty home we could have a buyer for you in South Lakeland through our matchmaker scheme, as people often ask us about buying empty properties.

Once a prospective buyer has been put in touch with an empty home owner, both parties can arrange a viewing and any follow up contact if they want.

Benefits to you of selling your empty home include:

• zero council tax to pay, as this is paid by the new owner
• zero insurance and maintenance costs, as these will be paid by the new owner
• zero headache of owning an empty home and not knowing what to do with it

Benefits to people buying your empty home include:

• putting your own ‘stamp’ on the property by carrying out your own repairs and redecoration
• a chance to buy at a more affordable price (if the property needs repairs)
• vacant possession (nobody has to move out before the buyer can move in)

Buyers can include those working in the voluntary sector, on a low wage, divorced people and first time buyers.

Homes matching

Help with repairs before selling

The homes matching service could help pay for repairs before you sell your property. An advantage to the buyer is that they could get a mortgage for a higher-priced property. BUT if they’d bought the property before repairs it could be more difficult for them to get a mortgage afterwards.

Homes matching providers can list repairs necessary, price them up and get an independent valuation. They can manage repairs needed at no upfront cost to you and labour can be locally sourced if possible. All work is usually paid for through an increased sales price afterwards.  

Homes matching providers can also find buyers for your empty home. For example if there is a suitable buyer match and the property needs repairs before selling, the buyer can choose what they would like done before they buy.  (The buyer will have signed an agreement beforehand so they can't back out during or after repairs).

Selling an empty home using a homes matching service

If you're having difficulty selling then a homes matching service can work with your estate agent to help double the advertising efforts (at no extra charge). 

The matching service could find a suitable buyer too. The estate agent still gets their sales commission, it doesn’t cost them money and helps add value through extra advertising.

If your property is not yet for sale but is in good condition, then homes matching services sometimes work in partnership with a firm of solicitors who carry out the sales process for you.

There are external companies who can help you decide the best way to bring your empty home back into use such as homesmatch.