Derelict house left abandoned for 13 years sells for £58,000 more than expected
From dirty pots and pans to a spoiled carton of milk – this is the inside of a home in Stafford which has been derelict for over a decade.
The three-bedroom semi-detached property on Tixall Road has stood empty for more than 13 years – until council chiefs took action.
Now the eyesore property, which had been expected to fetch £90,000 at auction, has sold for £148,000 by SDL Property Auctions.
A condition of the sale is that it must be brought in to use after the lengthy process the council went to make sure it was sold.
Councillor Jeremy Pert, cabinet member for communities and health at Stafford Borough Council, said the authority had gone to "extraordinary lengths" in what he called an "exceptional case".
It led to the authority seeking permission from the Government to sell the house which has attracted complaints from neighbours over its poor condition.
The owner of the property died in 2013 and with the council unable to trace any next of kin, despite extensive searches, they applied to the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for consent to make a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) – which allows the local authority to take control of the house.
Councillor Pert added: "I am sure with the right investment and works it will make a nice home in the future."
To report an empty home in the borough, email emptyhomes@staffordbc.gov.uk
