Abandoned houses in the Granby, Picton and Kensington regeneration zones will be sold for £1 in a bid to revive the rundown area.
The plan, approved by council chiefsm will see up to 20 houses in Kensington and Granby sold off at the low-cost price.
A clause in the contract for buyers states they must refurbish the home and agree to live in the property for 5 years. The houses are directed to be refurbished to a ‘decent standard’.
The council has revealed that over 800 people have already shown an interest in the pilot scheme. The buyers will be required to live or work within the existing Liverpool city council boundary.
Property group Riverside Housing will also be purchasing some of the houses for a 25% deduction of the market price. They plan to refurbish and re-sell the houses.
Private landlords are also eligible to bid.
A Liverpool City Council spokesman told JMU journalism: “The aim of the scheme is to try to find different, innovative ways of bringing empty homes back into use. This pilot scheme of 20 homes will support the Mayor of Liverpool’s pledge to being 1,000 vacant properties back into use.
“It aims to help rejuvenate housing in the area, bring local people back into the community and attract new residents. In short, it aims to benefit local people, the city council and the wider city by helping kick-start housing renewal in these areas, drive forward neighbourhood regeneration and begin tackling the problem of the blight caused by empty, boarded-up properties.
“Of the 179 vacant properties in question in these areas, 20 are initially being made available for £1 as part of this pilot scheme. If the scheme is successful, this number may be increased and the scheme extended to more of these properties.”
This pilot scheme is part of the council’s plan to regenerate homes in the Kensington, Granby and Picton areas of Liverpool. The properties have been empty for several years and come with no fixtures or fittings. The condition of the houses varies, according to the council.
Formal application forms for the houses will be accepted in May 2013. A similar scheme is currently being trialled in Cobridge, Stroke-On-Trent.