A father-of-one from Tonbridge, Kent, has received a £2,000 payout from YouSpotProperty.com after reporting an overgrown empty house just three doors from his home. Charlie, a confectionery salesman, initially thought the scheme was a scam when he saw people on social media making money by reporting derelict homes.
YouSpotProperty.com offers vouchers and cash rewards to individuals who flag abandoned houses in their neighbourhood. If a reported property meets the eligibility criteria, the informant receives a £20 voucher for M&S or Amazon. Should YouSpotProperty go on to purchase that home, the informant gets a 1% share of the property value, up to £10,000.
Charlie reported a neglected two-bedroom semi-detached property that had been sitting empty in his quiet close for years. He said: "I came across the company on an Instagram reel and my wife thought it was a scam. But I thought I'd just give it a go because this house had been sitting there for years. We lived three doors down from it and for the four years we'd been there it had been empty."
He added: "The neighbours on the other side said they'd had no idea what was going on there for around 15 years. It wasn't boarded up or anything dramatic, it just looked really overgrown and untidy. Ivy had grown all up the house and the front door was only just visible."
After submitting details through YouSpotProperty.com in February 2026, Charlie received the £20 voucher a few weeks later. He then got a call from the company saying he had earned the one per cent payment. The property was eventually purchased for £200,000, earning Charlie a £2,000 reward fee.
YouSpotProperty discovered the owner had bought the house around 20 years ago but never done anything with it. The timing of the payout was especially welcome for Charlie and his wife, who have a two-year-old child and recently moved house. Some of the money will also be spent on football-related travel, with Charlie planning a trip to Leipzig to watch Crystal Palace F.C. play Rayo Vallecano.
Charlie added: "It's nice knowing the property will finally be brought back into use because it had just been sitting there deteriorating for years. With moving costs, decorating and furnishing, it definitely comes in handy. I'll definitely keep my eyes peeled whenever I'm out and about now."
YouSpotProperty.com co-founder Ben Radstone said: "People are often amazed by how many empty homes are hidden in plain sight within otherwise normal streets. Not every empty home is run down, but you may notice that the property has been unoccupied for years. Living next to an empty home can cause you all sorts of problems, so I advise you to be curious about your neighbours."
He continued: "Many of these properties have complex stories behind them and can sit empty for years without neighbours knowing the full circumstances. Our aim is to work with owners or families to help bring these homes back into use again, while rewarding the members of the public who first spotted them."
