During the holiday season, many individuals seek ways to boost their finances post-Christmas due to the high expenses incurred. Retired police officer Roy Foulkes has managed to earn over £5,500 in cash and vouchers by identifying and reporting vacant and dilapidated properties.
Living in West Hallam, Derbyshire, the 67-year-old discovered YouSpotProperty in 2024 and has been utilizing the platform to generate extra income. YouSpotProperty compensates individuals for pinpointing and reporting long-term unoccupied residences.
Initially, the company awards a £20 Amazon or M&S voucher for correctly identifying an empty dwelling. However, if YouSpotProperty proceeds to purchase, renovate, and sell the property, they grant 1% of the purchase price to the informer, with a cap at £10,000.
Roy has acquired £4,750 from 1% rewards after YouSpotProperty rescued two properties he flagged, in addition to 39 £20 vouchers totaling £780. The earnings have been used for household items, vacations, and creating memorable experiences with his grandchildren.
The first property eligible for the 1% fee was spotted by Roy while strolling through his former patrol area. Despite previously reporting it to the local council without any action taken, he later identified it through YouSpotProperty.
The second property came to Roy’s attention near a former council house in Derby. After capturing images and conducting research on Google Street View, he reported it, leading to a £1,620 reward.
Apart from the monetary rewards, Roy has utilized his vouchers for household purchases. Having identified about 120 properties, only 39 qualified for vouchers, giving him a sense of contributing to society while earning extra income.
According to the Empty Homes Network, properties worth over £465 billion in England and Wales remain vacant or unused. YouSpotProperty issues an average of 110 £20 M&S or Amazon vouchers monthly to those reporting eligible properties, with 350 to 450 properties reported weekly.
On average, seven 1% reward fees are disbursed monthly for homes acquired and refurbished by YouSpotProperty. In the past year, the company has purchased vacant properties ranging from £17,000 to £3 million.
Co-founder of YouSpotProperty.com, Benjamin Radstone, emphasized the significance of addressing the issue of empty homes and highlighted the positive impact of bringing numerous properties back into utilization while rewarding the public.
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