London has a well-publicised housing crisis. Amazingly, it’s actually been a problem for decades because of a number of factors, including under-supply, rising prices, planning policies, and regulation changes. It’s an issue that affects everyone, even experts like us with a passion for residential architecture in London. Unfortunately, the number of empty homes in the city is also a problem. Let’s have a closer look.

Massive increase

You’d expect the number of empty homes in London to be low when demand is high and there are problems with homelessness and households living in temporary accommodation. However, a recent analysis by the London Assembly’s researchers found that is not the case. In fact, the number has been increasing for the last decade.

The headline finding from the report is London had 105,138 vacant homes last year. That was a massive 81% increase on the total from 2016 (58,096). Even more alarming, it is a reversal of the previous good work. From 2004 to 2014 the number actually fell from 86,733 to 56,715.

Worryingly, the number of long term vacant homes has grown massively. These are properties that have been empty for more than 6 months. Some have not had occupants for decades. In 2016 there were 19,845 of these properties in London. Today, there are over 47,000, an increase of 138%.

Need to improve

There are loud calls now to bring more of these properties back into use. Some would be ready for occupants within a matter of weeks or months. Others would require more extensive repairs and retrofitting. We can help revive any type of residential architecture in London.

In addition, there are calls to ensure we are building the right kind of homes in London. Amazingly, some of the vacant properties are new builds. A number of them are empty because they are priced too high. It simply makes them unobtainable for many buyers. Demand is highest for affordable homes, so it’s important to focus on building them.

It’s also important that councils do more to manage their housing stock effectively. Amazingly, 2% of the vacant properties (over 2,000), are council homes. It is more than any other region in the UK. Worse, it is a 66% increase in the last decade.

Bringing empty homes back into use, including upgrading them to modern standards, would be fantastic. In fact, just a fraction of them returning to the market would be more than the number of new build social housing in London.

Get advice about residential architecture in London

Coffey Residential is an exceptional company to work with. We’re award winners with a passion for creating high end homes as well as other types of housing. Most importantly, we have experience with renovation and retrofitting, upgrading older buildings to suit modern standards and lifestyle requirements.

So, if you want some help with residential architecture in London, including resurrecting homes, speak to us. We’d love the chance to work with you on projects.