Retired police officer Roy Foulkes has earned more than £5,500 in cash and vouchers just by reporting empty and run-down properties
Christmas is an expensive time of year, and many of us will be looking for ways to make extra money to top up our bank account after the festive season.
Retired police officer Roy Foulkes has earned more than £5,500 in cash and vouchers just by reporting empty and run-down properties.
The 67-year-old, who lives in West Hallam, Derbyshire, first came across YouSpotProperty in 2024 and has been using the website to make extra money ever since. YouSpotProperty pays people for identifying and reporting long-term empty houses.
The company initially pays a £20 Amazon or M&S voucher when someone correctly identifies an empty home – but if it then goes on to buy, refurbish, and sell the property, it rewards 1% of the purchase price to the spotter, up to £10,000.
Roy has now earned £4,750 in 1% rewards after YouSpotProperty rescued two properties that he reported, plus 39 £20 vouchers, totalling £780.
Roy received £2,350 for the first house, and more recently £1,620 for the second property. The money has gone towards household goods, holidays, and experiences with his grandchildren.
Roy spotted the first property that qualified for the 1% fee while walking through his old beat. He had previously reported the home to his local council, but nothing was done.
He said: “I passed a house where an elderly couple had once lived. It had been abandoned for years, overgrown and looking very neglected. I reported it to the council with no success.
“Then I came across YouSpotProperty online, and it just seemed so simple. You report a house, and they do the hard work. I thought I would give it a go.”
The second property came to his attention near a former ex-local authority house in Derby.
Roy said: “We were taking our grandson to swimming, and while my wife looked after him, I went for a walk, and noticed a house that trees were virtually blocking out.
“I took pictures on my camera and checked Google Street View when I got home. It looked even worse, with a refrigerator dumped in the front garden!
“The neighbours must have been tearing their hair out about it. It was a semi, so it ran the risk of transferring damp because the central heating is permanently off.
“I reported it, and last week they rang to say I’d earned 1% of the purchase price, which was £1,620.”
Roy added: “I’m very fortunate to be out and about, walking up hills with family. We’ve just come back from a cruise in Norway and managed to see the Northern Lights.
“In August, we’re going to Disneyland, and later we’ll be on a cruise from Southampton with a stop in Seville and a tour of Tenerife.”
In addition to the 1% rewards, Roy has used his vouchers to buy stuff for his home. He said: “I like Amazon vouchers so I can buy household items.
“I’ve spotted up to 120 properties in total, but only 39 have qualified for vouchers. It makes me feel I’m contributing to society and I earn a little money while doing something useful.”
More than £465billion worth of homes in England and Wales are believed to be empty or unused, according to the Empty Homes Network.
YouSpotProperty hands out an average of 110 £20 M&S or Amazon vouchers every month to people who have reported eligible properties. Between 350 and 450 properties are reported weekly.
On average, seven 1% reward fees are paid each month for homes the company buys and places back into use. Over the past year, YouSpotProperty purchased empty and derelict properties ranging from £17,000 to £3million.
YouSpotProperty.com co-founder Benjamin Radstone said: “There is a huge focus on the predicament of empty homes. We have helped bring hundreds back into use and shared rewards with the public along the way.”
