Unoccupied House Questions !!

WicklowGyrl

Hi all,

I'm a long time reader (or stalker depending on your point of view!!) but have only just joined. I've looking for some general advice / opinions on leaving my house unoccupied. The situation is as follows:

I'm married with 3 children.
Husband and I own our house (with a mortgage) in Wicklow. In November my husband was offered a new job in Canada which he has accepted and now we are in the process of packing up etc. We are leaving in mid February.

We had considered renting out the house but have ultimately decided against that as we would be concerned getting a bad tenant, damage to the house, non payment of rent and not being able to get rid of the tenant if it came to that!!

So our plan at the moment is to leave the house unoccupied for now and then in about 1 year we would know whether we want to remain in Canada or not and then either sell it or return home again.

If the house is unoccupied would we need a different type of house insurance? If so, what type?

We will be keeping an electricity supply at the house would it be better to remain with Electric Ireland and continue paying by direct debit or would a pre pay provider be better? I have checked online and it appears that you can top up via an app from anywhere in the world.

We would keep the house heated via the oil timer. How many hours a day would the heat need to be on? It's a 4 bedroom semi-detached house. What would be the best way to have the timer set up i.e come on a a set number of hours in one go or stagger them through out the day / night?

What type of alarm should we get?

The furniture and household appliances will be remaining in the house, should they be covered?

Anything else that I should consider when leaving the house unoccupied?


Other information which may or may not be relevant to the thread - we purchased the house during the property crash and as a result we have a very small mortgage. We're paying just under €250 per month which is the only reason we have the option of leaving the house unoccupied. If we were to sell the house now we would make a nice profit, however we don't want to do that yet as if Canada doesn't work out for us we would be paying very high rents on our return or taking out a much larger mortgage.

My family live nearby so they will be key holders and will regularly check on the house for us. It's a small estate of approximately 75 houses. It's nice and quite and there has never been any issues in the estate (fingers crossed!).

Any advice / opinions gratefully received

davo10

You will need a specific type of insurance as most regular home policies stipulate that your home is not unoccupied for more than 30 days per year.

I insured an unoccupied house with this company, their quote was lower than any others I could find, but be aware, insuring an unoccupied house is a lot more expensive than an occupied one for obvious reasons.

WicklowGyrl

davo10 wrote: »

You will need a specific type of insurance as most regular home policies stipulate that your home is not unoccupied for more than 30 days per year.

I insured an unoccupied house with this company, their quote was lower than any others I could find, but be aware, insuring an unoccupied house is a lot more expensive than an occupied one for obvious reasons.

Thanks for your reply. Would you remember the name of the insurance company you used? (I don't know if you're allowed to mention companies by name on boards, so if not sorry!!)

davo10

WicklowGyrl wrote: »

Thanks for your reply. Would you remember the name of the insurance company you used? (I don't know if you're allowed to mention companies by name on boards, so if not sorry!!)

Ah sorry, meant to post link.


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ted1

Have you a sibling or cousin or similar to could live in it while you are gone?

listermint

Realistically I would examine renting it. Or at least a family member living there.

You would be throwing money away for a year . But also leaving the house vunerable.

Of the handful of bad tenant stories you read on boards there are hundreds of thousands of good tenants these boards cast a bad light on renting.

My buddy rented a house from his partners sister in law for a year whilst they saved for their own home.she also went to Canada. And recently decided to sell the house up. My buddy has closed on their own home nearby.

RustyNut

Hi, I have a friend in a similar position to yourself, he didn't want the hassle of renting out the house so he has a friend who he knows and trusts living in the house rent free. So the house is looked after, the lad staying in the house covers all the bills etc and gets a free house for a while, 2 years at this stage. It's an option if you know someone who might fit the bill and is renting somewhere.

davo10

Op I understand completely your rationale. Renting out your home is very different from renting out a property bought specifically for that purpose. The items in your home are much more valuable both emotionally and financially. Also, if the move doesn't work out, then you have to option of moving straight back into your house. The worst case scenario is that you move home and either can't get the tenant out, the tenant knowing you are abroad stops paying rent, or the tenant trashes your belongings. If you can afford it, leave it unoccupied, you'll be able to come home and use it in the summer.

karenalot

Would you think about a house sitter? If you use one of the main house sitting websites you can choose someone with references from other assignments they have been on. Much like Airbnb they would have no rights to remain in your house should you choose to terminate.

Plenty of people would give their right arm for free rent for a year. You get peace of mind that the house is kept in order and you also have the flexibility of asking them to temporarily leave if you want to come back for holidays in between.

antoinolachtnai

Is there any way you can find a ‘caretaker’, a trusted person who could live in the property, perhaps just paying for the utilities? This person would have no rights as a tenant.

One part of this is that it is a pity to leave a house vacant at a time like this when there is such a shortage.

It is also just hard to guarantee the safety of a house that is completely unoccupied.

dudara

It’s also very risky leaving a house empty for a year. The empty property will be noticed and could be targeted. I think it would be best if you could get a family member or close friend to live in there, at least part-time

WicklowGyrl

Thank you everyone for your replies.

My brothers and sisters all have their own houses and the oldest of my nieces and nephews is only 15 so that rules them out!! Of my cousins the few that I would be close with are not currently in need of a house. On my husbands side he is an only child as was his father and his mother had only one sister and she and her family live in Australia. So they are also ruled out.

Just so we look at all our options, if we were to look at using a caretaker would there be any tax liability on us? How would you find someone looking for such an arrangement? Also, would a estate management company take care on an empty house - the thought has just popped into my head?

the_syco

WicklowGyrl wrote: »

Also, would a estate management company take care on an empty house - the thought has just popped into my head?

They'd probably rent the place out.

Is your house near anything nice? Maybe check with your insurance company if it'd class AirBnB lettings as having your house "occupied"?

=-=

If it were empty for a year, a certain group may drain your oil tank dry, and may take all the copper in your house whilst they're doing it.

antoinolachtnai

Could you find someone brought work who might benefit from living in the house?

You are understandably nervous about this and the best thing is to find someone suitable through people you know.

tina1040

If you rent it through an agent on a 12 month lease you should be fairly safe, especially if a little below market rent to get the right tenant.

Lumen

tina1040 wrote: »

If you rent it through an agent on a 12 month lease you should be fairly safe, especially if a little below market rent to get the right tenant.

Tenant will get full tenancy rights after 6 months and then never want to leave because the rent is below market value.

I would airbnb it or use house sitting agency.

Unoccupied house insurance unlikely to cover contents or criminal damage e.g. arson or broken windows, both of which are a significant risk.

Liam McPoyle

You will need to notify your insurer as soon as it becomes unoccupied if not, you are in breach of policy conditions.

Most insurers will allow a policy holder to amend the policy to unoccupied however in general they will reduce cover to fire, lightning and explosion only ie you would not be insured for flood / escape of water / malicious damage /theft.

Most will also have a condition that they will not cover contents in an unoccupied house and that you must turn off the electricity and water supply at the mains.

Ive heard a number of ads for Quote Devil (they are a broker based in Dublin) saying that they now have a scheme specifically for unoccupied houses so it might be worth it to give them a call.

SuperS54

RustyNut wrote: »

Hi, I have a friend in a similar position to yourself, he didn't want the hassle of renting out the house so he has a friend who he knows and trusts living in the house rent free. So the house is looked after, the lad staying in the house covers all the bills etc and gets a free house for a while, 2 years at this stage.

Allowing someone sole access to your house or land for long periods of time without any contract or rent is asking for trouble. Your friend may find that his friend has a free house for quite a while if he's not careful!

WicklowGyrl

the_syco wrote: »

They'd probably rent the place out.

Is your house near anything nice? Maybe check with your insurance company if it'd class AirBnB lettings as having your house "occupied"?

=-=

If it were empty for a year, a certain group may drain your oil tank dry, and may take all the copper in your house whilst they're doing it.

We're just under a 15 minute walk from a beach and about a 20 minute drive from our nearest town. We hadn't considered AirBnB but we are going to look into now. We just want to consider all our options before making a decision.

WicklowGyrl

SuperS54 wrote: »

Allowing someone sole access to your house or land for long periods of time without any contract or rent is asking for trouble. Your friend may find that his friend has a free house for quite a while if he's not careful!

That's what we are afraid of as well!!

WicklowGyrl

Business Cat wrote: »

You will need to notify your insurer as soon as it becomes unoccupied if not, you are in breach of policy conditions.

Most insurers will allow a policy holder to amend the policy to unoccupied however in general they will reduce cover to fire, lightning and explosion only ie you would not be insured for flood / escape of water / malicious damage /theft.

Most will also have a condition that they will not cover contents in an unoccupied house and that you must turn off the electricity and water supply at the mains.

Ive heard a number of ads for Quote Devil (they are a broker based in Dublin) saying that they now have a scheme specifically for unoccupied houses so it might be worth it to give them a call.

Yesterday evening I contacted our insurance provider and asked about changing our cover and the quote was quite high!! Will definitely be looking for a better deal.

the_syco

WicklowGyrl wrote: »

We're just under a 15 minute walk from a beach and about a 20 minute drive from our nearest town.

If on the west coast, you could attract surfers fishermen even on weekends not in the summer season.

antoinolachtnai

Renting Airbnb is just a whole lot more risky and a lot more involved than having a tenant and far far more complex than a caretaker.

mrslancaster

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Renting Airbnb is just a whole lot more risky and a lot more involved than having a tenant and far far more complex than a caretaker.

How is that? Many people on here recommend it as a good alternative to regular renting.

_Brian

We insured an unoccupied house a number of years ago and it was a nightmare.

Many companies were uninterested.
Those that did wanted all water drained down and oil removed from the tank.

In the end we just didn’t bother and chanced it uninsured for 9 months.

DoozerT6

Have you checked out MindMyHouse.com? It seems like a house sitter might suit.

Might be worth a look, even just for information. Talk to your solicitor re. an iron-clad contract between yourself and any sitters you hire. Also check with your insurance company. tbh I'd rather pay a bit more for peace of mind.

I would be very hesitant to just leave the house vacant. Word will get out and your house may be targeted.

iwillhtfu

the_syco wrote: »

If on the west coast, you could attract surfers fishermen even on weekends not in the summer season.

Last I checked Wicklow would be on the east coast

antoinolachtnai

mrslancaster wrote: »

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

Renting Airbnb is just a whole lot more risky and a lot more involved than having a tenant and far far more complex than a caretaker.

How is that? Many people on here recommend it as a good alternative to regular renting.

Have these people ever really managed a short term letting business over a long period though? It is pretty hard work. There are a lot of things that can go really badly wrong. In a marginal location I don’t think there is much money to be made in it if you have to get someone in to do all the work.

Panjandrums

This post has been deleted.

the_syco

iwillhtfu wrote: »

Last I checked Wicklow would be on the east coast

Yeah, missed that one. But on the plus side, seems Wicklow can be good for surfing.

Is the house near Brittas Bay? I think that's meant to be good for surfing.

BrokenArrows

OP you could rent one room out in the house. Keep the other bedrooms locked.
The tenant would be a licensee and would not gain full tenancy rights to the property and you could evict them without issues on your return.
Their contract would state they have access to the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. All other rooms are off limits and they no other person is permitted to live at the address.

You would be renting the room and not the house.
The house remains occupied but you still might need different insurance.
You should also look into buying a cheap car that you can leave in the driveway which will make the house look occupied anyway.

DoozerT6

A cheap car that is clearly not being moved at all might attract attention also, especially if tax/insurance etc are out of date. I tend to notice if cars in my estate are not being moved for long periods, I'm sure anybody scoping out the area would also notice. You run the risk of the car being stolen or vandalised, and the skangers involved might then just turn their attention to the house.

TSQ

I'd say Airbnb is worth a try, much safer than creating a tenancy which you may have difficulty terminating when you either decide to sell up or return home. I have seen posts on Boards regarding landlords who have offered rolling 1 month tenancies via Airbnb, so it does not necessarily need to be a holiday let to be advertised on Airbnb. In the posts I have seen, the landlord charges the going rate or slightly more, since you will have to pay the electricity and cable tv. You may not get as much rent as a normal tenancy but you do have the security of Airbnb backup and the rent is paid in advance by credit card. As long as you don't roll over the Airbnb rental for more than 6 months (less 1 day) you won't create a permanent tenancy. Do a search on Boards for the posts (can't remember where I saw the post but it was before Christmas). Since you have family in the area, you will have someone to keep an eye on the house while let to Airbnb tenants. A few insurance companies offer holiday home insurance and is only slightly more than domestic insurance.
Alternatively, do you have someone who would occupy the house at weekends so that the house is not unoccupied for more than 30 days and you can get regular insurance?

mrcheez

Something to consider OP if you decide to leave the house empty but want to be able to keep an eye on things is get a Ring doorbell (or similar).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-8VR1S7-0EU0-Video-Doorbell-Nickel/dp/B0758975BR/

I have one of these and get notified of any movement outside my house no matter where I am on the planet and all activity is continuously recorded and can be viewed later (annual subscription of $30 too for this service)

Would require your internet connection is maintained of course, but worth it for peace of mind.

You can also answer the door using the speaker and pretend you are at home but too busy to come to the door

evolving_doors

Long shot... House swap with place you're going in Canada!

WicklowGyrl

Panjandrums wrote: »

This post has been deleted.

We currently have an alarm on the house but it's not monitored. We will be getting a monitored one installed but just trying to decide which one would be best for us.

WicklowGyrl

mrcheez wrote: »

Something to consider OP if you decide to leave the house empty but want to be able to keep an eye on things is get a Ring doorbell (or similar).

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ring-8VR1S7-0EU0-Video-Doorbell-Nickel/dp/B0758975BR/

I have one of these and get notified of any movement outside my house no matter where I am on the planet and all activity is continuously recorded and can be viewed later (annual subscription of $30 too for this service)

Would require your internet connection is maintained of course, but worth it for peace of mind.

You can also answer the door using the speaker and pretend you are at home but too busy to come to the door

That's actually a great idea. Thank you.

WicklowGyrl

evolving_doors wrote: »

Long shot... House swap with place you're going in Canada!

I think the odds of someone from Toronto wanting to relocate Wicklow for at least one year might be slim!!

WicklowGyrl

TSQ wrote: »

I'd say Airbnb is worth a try, much safer than creating a tenancy which you may have difficulty terminating when you either decide to sell up or return home. I have seen posts on Boards regarding landlords who have offered rolling 1 month tenancies via Airbnb, so it does not necessarily need to be a holiday let to be advertised on Airbnb. In the posts I have seen, the landlord charges the going rate or slightly more, since you will have to pay the electricity and cable tv. You may not get as much rent as a normal tenancy but you do have the security of Airbnb backup and the rent is paid in advance by credit card. As long as you don't roll over the Airbnb rental for more than 6 months (less 1 day) you won't create a permanent tenancy. Do a search on Boards for the posts (can't remember where I saw the post but it was before Christmas). Since you have family in the area, you will have someone to keep an eye on the house while let to Airbnb tenants. A few insurance companies offer holiday home insurance and is only slightly more than domestic insurance.
Alternatively, do you have someone who would occupy the house at weekends so that the house is not unoccupied for more than 30 days and you can get regular insurance?

We have looked into doing AirBnB in the last few days and I believe it would be too much of a hassle for us. While I have family in the area I think it would be too much of a burden for them to have to deal with it for us. They're more than willing to check on the house once or twice a week for us but I don't want to make it too much work for them. But thank you for your suggestion.

WicklowGyrl

DoozerT6 wrote: »

A cheap car that is clearly not being moved at all might attract attention also, especially if tax/insurance etc are out of date. I tend to notice if cars in my estate are not being moved for long periods, I'm sure anybody scoping out the area would also notice. You run the risk of the car being stolen or vandalised, and the skangers involved might then just turn their attention to the house.

Actually our neighbor has offered to park one of their cars in our drive when they are around.

WicklowGyrl

BrokenArrows wrote: »

OP you could rent one room out in the house. Keep the other bedrooms locked.
The tenant would be a licensee and would not gain full tenancy rights to the property and you could evict them without issues on your return.
Their contract would state they have access to the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and living room. All other rooms are off limits and they no other person is permitted to live at the address.

You would be renting the room and not the house.
The house remains occupied but you still might need different insurance.
You should also look into buying a cheap car that you can leave in the driveway which will make the house look occupied anyway.

It could be a good idea but my mind see this as being too risky .... i guess being a landlord or whatever is not going to come naturally to me!! Also, our neighbors have offer to park one for their cars in our drive while we a re gone.

WicklowGyrl

DoozerT6 wrote: »

Have you checked out MindMyHouse.com? It seems like a house sitter might suit.

Might be worth a look, even just for information. Talk to your solicitor re. an iron-clad contract between yourself and any sitters you hire. Also check with your insurance company. tbh I'd rather pay a bit more for peace of mind.

I would be very hesitant to just leave the house vacant. Word will get out and your house may be targeted.

Thank you for the website. We'll definitively check it out.

ClaireKav

WicklowGyrl wrote: »

Thank you everyone for your replies.

My brothers and sisters all have their own houses and the oldest of my nieces and nephews is only 15 so that rules them out!! Of my cousins the few that I would be close with are not currently in need of a house. On my husbands side he is an only child as was his father and his mother had only one sister and she and her family live in Australia. So they are also ruled out.

Just so we look at all our options, if we were to look at using a caretaker would there be any tax liability on us? How would you find someone looking for such an arrangement? Also, would a estate management company take care on an empty house - the thought has just popped into my head?

Would you reconsider renting it out? I am currently looking to rent in the Wicklow area and there is just nothing out there at the moment!
I have lived in the town all my life and worked in the town for the last 11 years? Have great references from employer and current landlord.

It's Worth asking anyway! If you don't ask in this life...you don't get!

ClaireKav

WicklowGyrl wrote: »

Thank you everyone for your replies.

My brothers and sisters all have their own houses and the oldest of my nieces and nephews is only 15 so that rules them out!! Of my cousins the few that I would be close with are not currently in need of a house. On my husbands side he is an only child as was his father and his mother had only one sister and she and her family live in Australia. So they are also ruled out.

Just so we look at all our options, if we were to look at using a caretaker would there be any tax liability on us? How would you find someone looking for such an arrangement? Also, would a estate management company take care on an empty house - the thought has just popped into my head?

Hi there, would you re-consider renting? I have lived in the town all my life, and have been in full time employment in the town for the past 11 years. Very reliable and have great references from both employer and my current landlord. Thought this was worth a cheeky shot as there is nothing to rent in Wicklow at the moment!?
Even if not myself and my family, someone would appreciate and look after your lovely home I'm sure. X

Auscast

WicklowGyrl wrote: »

Any advice / opinions gratefully received

Hi WicklowGyrl,
Please consider this option, we're a family from Wicklow town (our 3 young kids go to Bethlehem school) and yesterday we were given notice after just a year tenancy as the owners intend to sell, so we're desperately in need of quickly finding a 4 bed home for our family in the town. We have great references from estate agents (that you can call) and will treat your home with great respect and pride. I work in Dublin in a good job... Can we connect over PM and at least explore this option? We even have a local agent that could even make the management as painless as possible, while giving you an income while you're away. (Check your PMs) Thanks.

WicklowGyrl

Hi,

I would like to thank everyone who has offered advice, opinions and suggestions.

We are going to reconsider our decision of not letting it out. However, whether this happens or not will depend on the outcome of meetings we have arranged with a local estate agent and a tax accountant.

Whilst we still have reservations about renting it out it does seem a shame to leave it idle when there is such a shortage of houses for rent in the country. It has never been a house to us it has always been our home so maybe it could be a home to someone else whilst we try out life in Canada.

My apologies for the slow replies, there just seems to be so much to do and not enough time to do it all!!

Once again thank you.