Why Birkenhead, Wirral?
In 2020, there were:
- 9,060 households on Wirral’s Local Council Waiting List[1]
- 78 households in Temporary Accommodation[2]
- 17 households in Temporary Accommodation including young children[3]
And yet, there are currently 2,231 long-term empty homes in Wirral.[4] In addition, though average house prices in Wirral range from £135,914 to £369,899[5] (depending on the property type), we were aware that properties were available for under £80,000.
Looking at these statistics, it made sense to target Birkenhead as a hub to grow our property portfolio and our business.
The property
This three-bedroom, terraced house became available in the private market in mid 2019. There were a number of issues to resolve in order to make the property suitable for a family to live in. We got in touch with Wirral Council who agreed that once the necessary improvements had been made, the property would be fit to live in for future residents.
After negotiations with the property vendor, we were ultimately able to purchase the property below market value.
Condition of the property before purchase
The property needed three major structural alterations: a new roof, a new bathroom and a new boiler. In addition to these alterations, the entire property required decorating and updating.
Condition of the property after purchase
The majority of the works done in the property were done by our team of in-house builders and decorators. For the installation of the new roof and boiler, we worked with local contractors. The planning and completion of the works were all completely done within 2 weeks.
Following the renovation, the property was certified as meeting all Wirral Council standards; thus, the process of moving a family into the property could commence.
In total, there were five families on Wirral’s Waiting List that were in contention to move into the property. Once the Council selected the family, the family was able to move into the property within one week.
Overall, the entire process from purchase, renovation to rent took 4 weeks.
Housing provided to:
We housed a refugee family of five (children ages 16,12 and 6) who previously lived in Temporary Accommodation in Liverpool. The family had glowing reviews from their previous Council Representative and we were happy to be able to house them.
As well as providing a long-term home, the family have agreed to participate in our Training and Education Programme, which means we are able to support the family in a number of different ways. Some of which include:
- Employment opportunities for the adults
- Educational support for the children
- Extra-curricular activities to further enhance the children’s development
Our work is so much more than just providing long-term accommodation; we are transforming lives for the long-term.
[1] Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (Table 600: numbers of households on local authorities’ housing waiting lists, by district, England, from 1997 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-rents-lettings-and-tenancies)
[2] Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (Statutory homelessness live tables https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-homelessness)
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (Table 615: vacant dwellings by local authority district: England, from 2004 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants)
[5] RightMove (House Prices in Wirral https://www.rightmove.co.uk/house-prices/wirral.html)