Published on:
03
October 2013
Potential home owners in Forth Valley have a chance to be matched with the home of their dreams thanks to a new scheme from the Forth Valley Empty Homes Project.
Launched in April 2013, Property Matchmaker is a free 'dating agency' for empty homes, connecting people who want to purchase an empty property with homeowners who are selling and have a property matching the buyer's criteria.
Property Matchmaker aims to bring 'stuck' properties in the Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling Council areas back into use. Properties are 'stuck' if they have been empty for six months or longer and many are in need of repair. Buyers signing up with the scheme can choose how much repair work they would like to take on, which varies from some simple decorating work to the complete revamping of a property.
Clackmannanshire Housing Convenor Les Sharp said: "This service is good news for Clackmannanshire. Increasing the number of affordable homes available to rent and buy is a priority for the Council, and empty homes are a wasted resource that could be helping to meet the area's housing need. They can also have a negative impact on our communities, and so I welcome this project."
Thirteen empty properties in the Falkirk Council area have benefited through being sold or rented out since the scheme began, four in the Stirling Council area and one in Clackmannanshire. There are currently 1,600 empty homes across the Forth Valley.