Annual Impact Report 2024

This property was a Ballater C listed school building dating back to 1877 in desperate need of extensive repairs. Ballater is an area with severe housing need with a lack of properties to rent, a high number of second homes, and a long waiting list for council housing. Grampian Housing Association carried out a sustainable redevelopment of this property and adopted a partnership approach with Aberdeenshire Council and Scottish Government to fund the repairs. Care was taken to utilise high quality materials and retain the original style of the historically significant building. Grampian also trialled, for the first time, a tool called Switchee which measures the building’s health and allows for optimising energy use. As a result of this project, 24 sustainable social-rented homes were delivered to help address local housing need: 12 houses were developed from the historical building, alongside 11 new build flats and one bungalow. This project implemented a local letting plan to make sure it served people within the local community and has had a positive impact on the economy and community overall.

This grade C church and neighbouring tenement flats were previously owned by Tayside YMCA before falling vacant for 14 years due to unsafe conditions and a lack of funds to fix them. This project created jobs for young people in Perth and involved them in every step of the development and construction. As a result, 6 flats were brought back to use as affordable “first step” housing for young people who have left care and for those in need of emergency accommodation. Due to be completed in the spring, the church will serve as a Y centre and community hub to help disadvantaged youth. This project is an outstanding example of cross sector collaboration and community regeneration.

The Glentrool Regeneration project saw a community led acquisition and retrofit of three empty properties previously used as social homes and an empty school in a fragile rural community. There is a lack of housing supply, largely due to the second homes market, and limited community space following the closure of their primary school. SOSCH led on the design with a focus on sustainability and worked with Dumfries and Galloway Council to develop a localised allocation plan. Consequently these three homes are now held in perpetuity by the community and provide affordable housing to people with local connections who were previously unable to move to the area. The school now serves as a multifunctional community space, an important step in helping to regenerate the community.

At just 9 months in post, Dawn produced many achievements through her work. This role had previously been vacant for a long time and Dawn inherited case, but doubled her active caseload. She also broadened the scope of empty homes work to cover a larger the first time Highland history. Dawn approached her work holistically and supported various community groups working to boost the local economy and help people overcome barriers to working and living in the area. She has worked tirelessly to advocate for empty homes work within the council, initiating difficult conversations around council budget and grants available to empty homeowners whenever possible. She also prioritised cases where council tax arrears could be recovered, making a positive impact on the council’s budget. Additionally, Dawn began developing an idea for a matchmaker selling scheme between empty home owners, private landlords, and developers. Dawn helped make hundreds of empty homeowners aware of discounts and brought almost three times the target number of homes back to use. Through her dedicated and ambitious approach to empty homes work, Dawn has made an excellent and inspiring impact on the Highlands community.

John Loudon works for Auction House Scotland and has many years of experience working with empty homes. John helps owners through the selling process and works very closely with each client to make the process as easy as possible. He makes himself available to clients, even in his personal time, to assist with any issues big or small. He helps owners achieve the best price possible, which in turn brings empty homes back to use. John also keeps in touch with clients long term to offer his continued support.

Barry has been a leader at Homes for Good since 2014 and has directly been involved in identifying, buying, renovating, and furnishing over 340 properties. Barry helped develop hands-on options for empty homes owners such as assistance to sell, purchase by Homes for Good, and a pilot rent ready program. In the past 12 months, he has helped bring 24 homes back into use, 15 of which had been long term empty. Barry also helped create a highly effective tool to help owners understand and manage the process and has committed to sharing this more widely. Barry also played an integral role in Home’s for Goods achievement at this past year’s International Social Housing festival in Barcelona. There, they were awarded the UN-World Habitat Gold Award for their work in developing a portfolio of homes for people on low income.

After first discovering this historical Department of Fisheries cottage in 2004 on the Isle of Lewis, Robert purchased the property in 2021. This isolated croft had been empty for over 15 years, was in a ruinous state, and was completely uninhabitable. The owners had been planning to tear down this croft and build a new one in its place. Instead, Robert was determined to save the croft and negotiated a sale with the owners. Robert funded the project himself as he was twice denied a home improvement grant. At age 63, Robert carried out majority of the extensive renovations by himself, which required stripping the property back to the stone walls. He even collected most of his materials with his van from around town. In addition to financial challenges, Robert faced other obstacles including a storm that blew off the newly installed porch roof, flooding the property. It took 8 months, help from his local MP, and media attention to get his supplier to turn the power back on. Robert persevered and in 2022 completed his first ever property renovation. This project serves as an inspiring example of what can be achieved from an empty home with dedication and determination.

Lisa and her husband purchased this property which had been empty for three years and had been intentionally flooded following a repossession. This empty property was an eyesore in the community and was the first home visible when you entered the new estate. This property required a full renovation and they had to start from the shell of the home. Lisa’s husband is a builder, and the couple conducted these extensive repairs themselves. They faced structural challenges with uneven walls as well as dangerous wiring that needed replacing. The couple had a focus on ensuring the interior will stand the test of time and utilised many trades to achieve a high quality result in just 12 weeks. This property is now their dream forever home!

This property had been empty since just after the end of World War Two and is located in a village that has suffered from depopulation as a result of the wars. Karis and David purchased this croft and decided to save it, rather than demolish and rebuild. With the support of EHO Murdo Macleod at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, they utilised a crofting grant and VAT discount to fund the extensive repairs needed. Karis and David also focused on performing an ecofriendly retrofit to lower the carbon footprint and included features such as an eco-heating system and restored original material where possible. This property is now thehome of their dreams! This project has also led to other empty homes work in the area and to high interest in the Western Isles. Since this project, 7 people have moved to the village, which helps to combat the community’s depopulation. A film about the property can be found through the link below.

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Easy Hire LTD purchased this Dunfermline property at auction and only learned after the sale that it was boarded up and in need of extensive repairs. This property had been empty since 2010, was the target of vandalism, and was in a general state of disrepair. Located very close to the town centre, this property served as an eyesore. Easy Hire carried out the renovation with a strong focus on restoring as much of the original features and materials as possible to ensure an ecofriendly retrofit. They faced challenges such as excessive debris, unsafe wiring, faulty wood elements, and even pigeons who had taken up residence. There were also doors missing, a staircase and roof both in need of refurbishment, and emergency lighting and fire sensers that needed to be replaced. Following the extensive repairs, two flats have been brought back to use and they are currently working on developing the ground floor into a commercial space. This renovation serves as an important step toward achieving community regeneration in this area and has had a big impact on the townscape.

This property was referred to Homes for Good by the Glasgow City Council’s empty homes team. This home had been empty for two years following ceiling collapses that the couple were not able to repair. Homes for Good engaged with the owners, purchased the property, and carried out the extensive repairs and refurbishments needed. They faced challenges such as water ingress and various insurance claims. Homes for Good were able to conduct a successful retrofit with a focus on energy efficiency. This property is now an affordable and sustainable home to a young family who were at risk of homelessness.

This property had been empty since 2013 due to much-needed repairs that the owners were unable to tackle due to ill-health. One of Glasgow City Council’s EHOs persistently engaged with the owners to offer support and inform them of the council tax premium they were paying, which they were previously unaware of. Despite initial reluctance, the owner eventually reached out to Cairn Letting. Cairn Letting worked closely with the EHO and carried out extensive refurbishments/repairs in just 17 weeks. This project highlights the importance of establishing partnerships across the sector and relationships with owners themselves.

This property had been empty for at least 25 years and was in a ruinous state. It was not even safe for Scottish Border’s EHO Rachel Whale to enter the property when they first visited due to the severe degradation, weather damage, and rot. It was purchased by a local couple and with the EHO’s support they were able to access grant funding, VAT reductions, and council tax discretion to help fund the renovation. Facing the additional challenge of making an older period property energy efficient while still maintaining its historical significance, they installed renewable technology such as solar panels, associated battery storage units, and an air source heat pump. With the help of Rachel, they were able to save this home and achieve an inspiring EPC A rating for both energy efficiency and environmental impact. This project has brought a now sustainable and future-proofed home back into use in the community and contributed to Scottish Borders council’s goal for net-zero emissions by 2045.

St. Kentigerns Church had previously been empty for several years and was originally designed by John More Peddie in the 19th century. This property gained a notorious reputation following a police raid that uncovered a cannabis farm. The church had fallen into disrepair and became a local eyesore and site of anti-social behaviour. LAR led this project with a focus on sustainability and worked to retain original materials where possible. As a result, the church was converted to four homes and a block with ten flats was built directly next to it. This project showcases a marriage between carbon capture and sustainable construction, with a network of heat pumps in each of the dwellings with new individual property heating controls.

This period C property, dating back to the 1700s, was once a dental office and had been empty for at least ten years. A young couple purchased this property after struggling to find a home on the market. With the support of the EHO, they were able to access Scottish Borders council’s empty homes fund. The couple took the time to carefully research conservation techniques which they then utilised during the renovation. These materials and techniques included lime pointing the exterior, lime plastering the interior, and using hemp insulation. They were able to turn this empty property into their dream home for them and their young children. This project has inspired the couple to take up further empty homes work in the future.