This is a bit of a long shot but given the diverse nature of discussions here...

We're going to refurbish a house we recently bought. I understand that if we can prove that the house has been unoccupied for 2 years, we would pay VAT on the refurb at 5% rather than 20% - which would be a very significant number!

We've owned it for 6 months and can provide gas bills etc showing no usage for the period we've owned it but I'm wondering how to prove it was unoccupied for the 18 months before us. The lady who owned it passed away 3 years ago but that in itself doesn't prove no one else lived there. Google suggests contacting the 'Empty Property Officer' at the local council - which unfortunately doesn't exist in my local council.

Would anyone have a subscription to a voter registration database or similar that could help? Any other suggestions gratefully received!