Risk of flooding?

Alisha2008

Hi,

My partner and I want to buy a house, and we've found one we like, the only issue is that it's 70 metres from the river. We've been told last flooding on that area happened in 1900 (the house didn't exist then, it's from the 70s), but we are still worried.

We've looked at several maps, and the house is always on the edge of the flooding area (it's impossible to tell exactly if it falls inside or not).

How worried should we be about this? Is there a way to tell if a real risk exists? More than the damage a flooding can cause, our concern is that the value of the house might fall if it happens, we are investing a lot of money and wouldn't want to buy something that might lose its value...

Thanks!

hazyjo

My house is in a high flood risk area (despite the fact the road/area's never flooded! Do have a small stream behind my back fence though...).

With the horrendous rain we've had in the last few years, if it's not flooded in the last century+, I presume measures have been put in place to make it unlikely to flood again.

Obviously nothing comes with guarantees so you take the chance or you don't. Nobody can say it'll be safe or that it won't flood in the future.

My sis's house wasn't in a flood risk area, but their entire garden ended up underwater when a river a bit further away burst its banks.

It will mean higher insurance - and some won't insure you at all - but you should still get a wide choice of insurers, it doesn't make it really hard to get insurance or anything.

Jx

Alisha2008

Thanks for your opinion.

dizziblonde

My mum's house is on a riverbank, and although they've had no problems with property flooding because the house is on a hilly garden - they do have a lot of issues in terms of insurance and the like because the computer says they're in a high flood risk area (the computer doesn't see that the house is about 10 foot up from riverbank level).

The insurance thing is a massive problem for them.

DVardysShadow

It is not horizontal distance from the river which matters. it is vertical distance above water level.

morg_monster

our house is in the "Extent of extreme flood" area according to the environment maps (1/1000 chance of occuring each year). Which colour are you on the border of? light blue or dark blue?

When we arranged our insurance one of the assumptions was that the house had never been flooded. I decided to forgo Quidco and do it by phone, clearly told the lady on the phone that our house had never been flooded TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. She was happy with that and thought that they used postcode risk anyway, so the risk was already built into our premium. (That was Lloyds TSB).

When we google our area and "flood", there are some stories from the early part of this century about floods, before flood defences were built on the river. Personally it is not something I worry about. There are loads of other more likely things to affect the value of your house (like some horrendous person moving in next door; or a double dip recession). however if I was in the dark blue area on the EA maps maybe I would feel differently...

Alisha2008

I've looked at the flooding map and the house is outside the blue zone, but just by 1 mm...

How can we find out the vertical distance to the river..?

About the insurance, we've tried several websites and some of them give us a quote without problems, other complain and ask for us to ring...

DreamweaverB

dizziblonde wrote: »

The insurance thing is a massive problem for them.

Can you expand on "a massive problem"?

I'm looking at purchasing a property on a riverbank and I'd have thought the only issues were as hazyjo said, some insurers won't insure you and others will increase premiums.

In the big scheme of things I can't seeing it being much of an issue compared to the value of the house and certainly not when you take into account the plus points of a riverbank property.

dizziblonde

It's taken them a heck of a lot of ringing round to get the property covered. Lots seem to just look at the flood map and go on that, and disregard the fact that the property is actually quite elevated within the grounds. They managed in the end but occasionally still have bouts of one insurer not wanting to renew because their policies have changed and the like.

The actual house is pretty safe - the approach road to get there floods during high tide a few times a month (which is either a blessing or a curse depending on who you're anticipating coming to visit!)

spiderkin

these maps indicate the chances of a "property" flooding, but that also includes the garden rather than just the house itself. if the garden slopes downwards it could be that the garden is at risk rather than the property itself. have you checked the environment agency's website?

there are some issues with insurance for houses in flood risk areas so it is best to get quotes for insuring the property before going ahead with the purchase as mortgages are conditional on you having valid buildings insurance.

hazyjo

I always use comparison sites and, granted, some won't insure me - but others will. Have always had a choice. And mine's 'high risk'.

Jx