Empty Homes Network

The Empty Homes Network are excited to announce our Exhibitor+ and Awards Sponsors for this year's National Conference, on Wednesday 24th May in Birmingham.,

Having supported our the Network and our events for a number of years, Estate Research, No Use Empty: Kent, Finders International, Grafton Empty Homes and NPLaw all join us for our first in-person event since 2019, and all will be on hand throughout the day to answer any questions you have and demonstrate how their teams can support you in the work you do. We would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Savills as an Exhibitor Sponsor at this year’s event, joining us at our annual conference for the first time.

The Empty Homes Network is extremely proud to have partnered with these six fantastic organisations for this year’s event, and would certainly recommend exploring how they can help your Empty Homes Service, and support the work you do in offering options to owners in your respective areas.

Estate Research

Established in 2001, Estate Research are a firm of genealogists who have built a reputation assisting the public sector. With the number of empty properties continuously on the rise we understand that it is now more important than ever to bring as many of these properties back into use as soon as possible, and have a proven track record of assisting local authorities do exactly that.

We offer free and simple solutions in a number of scenarios, including:

Identifying and tracing missing owners and putting them in touch with the local authority
Tracing next of kin if a property owner has passed away, and assisting them with probate
Checking for probate if you suspect a deceased property owner’s estate may have already been dealt with, in order for you to get in touch with the executor
Offering professional and impartial advice to all parties involved (including access to our panel of expert solicitors)

If you would like more information about our free empty property solutions, please contact ps@estateresearch.co.uk.

No Use Empty: Kent

Delivered by Kent County Council (KCC) in partnership with all 12 district councils since 2005 and Medway Council (2021) , it provides an exemplar model which can be replicated across the Country.

No Use Empty (NUE) remains committed to reducing the numbers of long-term empty properties through a range of interventions, returning an average of 500 per year back into use. Planning, dedicating resources, monitoring outcomes, adjusting delivery models to reflect current market conditions, and above all continuity are the ingredients to their success. Providing financial assistance to owners by offering secured short-term loans with repayments recycled for new loans is hugely popular.

NUE were awarded £2.5m (Growing Places Funding) for use in 22/23 to help return even more properties back into use. In addition to this KCC have increased their investment from £12m to £24m for NUE to provide short-term finance to those wanting to bring derelict sites into use for new homes due to demand. This will further support the Kent economy as well as allowing us to regenerate local communities.

Strategic Programme Manager, Steve Grimshaw, said: “No Use Empty: Kent are once again very proud to be sponsoring the annual Conference for the 10th consecutive year”.

For more information on No Use Empty Kent, and their County-wide initiative, click here.

Finders International

Finders International are award winning probate genealogists. We trace missing heirs to property estates, funds and assets worldwide and offer this service FREE of charge to Empty Homes Officers. We have experience in swiftly locating and engaging with owners of vacant or derelict property and can assist in resolving disputes. Whether the owner is living or deceased, we aim to provide prompt solutions every time.

A full list and further details of our public-sector services can be found here. If you would like to get in touch with any further questions, please contact us on Freephone 0800 085 8796, email public@findersinternational.co.uk or visit our website www.findersinternational.co.uk.

Grafton Empty Homes

Grafton Empty Homes are the only dedicated Empty Homes Research & Solutions specialist. For 15 years we have been building bridges with councils and home owners, regularly succeeding in our aim of bringing empty homes back into use. We have blended a winning team, some of whom have worked for local authorities or have otherwise been immersed in all things Empty Homes. We have a considered and emphatic approach to this work and although much copied it has never been equalled.

NPLaw

NPLaw is a public sector shared legal service with a wealth of experience gained through many years of advising our clients in local government, the public sector and charities.

Our public service ethos sets us apart from private legal practices but we are run and approach our work in the same commercial manner, working hard to offer excellent value for money whilst at the same time delivering a high quality, efficient legal service.

Our lawyers are themselves council employees and understand the context in which you operate: particularly council decision-making processes, the vulnerabilities of the people you work with and the importance of communities. We know that empty properties can have a serious impact on local communities and we can support you in choosing the best legal option to deal with the problem whether that is by way of compulsory purchase or an enforced sale.

If you would like to talk to us about legal solutions for empty homes, please email our dedicated inbox at nplaw-cpo@norfolk.gov.uk. Our costs are very competitive and we offer fixed fee rates that help you to plan your budget or hourly rates. For more information, please visit our website here.

Savills

Founded in 1998, Savills Auctions has been bringing empty homes back into use for 25 years, with over 20,000 successful sales equating to more than £6bn in value.

Our strategy is simple: focus on the method which delivers the best price for our clients in the current market. Our bespoke approach to auctions mirrors the advantages of previous “ballroom” sales via a live-stream approach with an auctioneer driving the bidding, coupled with the accessibility and transparency of an online-only sale delivered by our personalised tech platform. The level playing field this provides enables all bidders to bid in confidence and comfort while allowing the auctioneer to extract those final bids which may otherwise be missed.

Our multi-sector offering delivers enhanced cross-selling across all lots and attracts a wider audience than single-market auctioneers, and as part of a trusted international brand our scale gives us wide-ranging specialist and local knowledge. We take pride in providing best-in-class advice as we help individuals, businesses and institutions make better property decisions.

The performance demonstrated by our clear business philosophy and approach has seen us exceed client expectations time and time again on the rostrum. Activity in the auction room remains robust despite recent economic headwinds. We have tens of thousands of bidders registering with us each year and continue to achieve excellent sold prices on well-priced lots.

If you would like to discuss selling contact Steven Morish at Savills Auctions: steven.morish@savills.com / 07816 087 825 (www.savills.co.uk/auctions)

EHN Conference 2023: Delegate Places Still Available!

Speakers and Sessions

The full line up of speakers, sessions and their content can be viewed on our dedicated Conference page here.

We are also delighted to be able to offer 1-2-1 surgery sessions on your CPO and Enforced Sale cases, where you will be able to discuss your case specifics with legal experts in conjunction with our partners at NPLaw and Bevan Brittan LLP.

Delegate Rates

With delegate prices starting from £95 for not-for-profit and charitable organisations, our Corporate Delegate Rate (£150) includes refreshments, a two-course hot buffet lunch, and the opportunity to network with like-minded colleagues working in the field of empty homes. Our Corporate Members also benefit from our discounted delegate rate (£105) for any additional delegate places booked.

This year we are again offering our corporate members the chance to pay for their 2023/24 membership at the same time, ensuring that your access to the Network runs uninterrupted through to April 2024.

As a subscriber member of the Empty Homes Network, it has never been easier to upgrade your membership level and take advantage of our fantastic delegate rates, as well as increasing your access to all of our information resources online.

Booking Form

Our booking form can be found on our dedicated Conference webpage here, and bookings are now being taken. All you need to do to secure your place at the event, is complete the booking form with all of the required information, and send to admin@ehnetwork.org.uk