The zakah on a house owned for residence

Question:
May Allah reward you. We move on to another letter sent by a questioner to the program. She says she is a woman who bought a house for residence, but the circumstances did not allow her to live in it because it is far from her daughter’s school. She adds: “Know that I bought it for one hundred and twenty-five thousand riyals, and the house has been closed for three months. Is there zakah on it or not? Know that the amount mentioned was subject to zakah before I bought the house last year.” May Allah reward you.

Answer:
It depends on her intention. If her intention is to sell this house, it becomes trade goods, and zakah becomes obligatory on it once a year has passed since her intention to sell. The lunar year begins with the intention to sell. So, if a year passes and she has not sold it, and the intention to sell remains, she must appraise it, determine its value, and pay zakah on the equivalent amount, which is one-quarter of a tenth of its value.