Would you buy a house near a river?

murphydog999

........even if it had walled flood defences, historic documentation, environment agency letters to state risk of flooding is minimal, their website says moderate risk i.e. 1 in 75 (low risk is 1 in 200) and even after all the downpours this year, the level was only to the bottom of the garden - which is about 25/30mts away from the house.

It's in a beautiful area and lovely to be near the river but...........is it worth the risk?

hcb42

no i wouldnt.

[Deleted User]

no, no chance, no matter how beautiful

PasturesNew

No. The existence of the wall, to me, implies trouble ..... and even with a wall, who is to say that somebody 1-2 miles upstream's not made some change that will alter how floodwater behaves against your wall.

Recent floods in this country are of a different nature to many historical ones, with more intense cloudbursts leading to unprecedented deluge conditions.

bris

Yes I would, insurance dependant of course. If the insurers are willing to risk it, so would I.

spannerzone

Having been flooded in the 2000 floods I'd say no, never again! my concerns would be getting insurance as well as the potential life changing b uggerance that a bad flood can cause.

All the time I'd lived prior to being flooded it seemed highly unlikely it would ever happen to me and so never gave it any real thought. The day it flooded and every single item I owned got ruined was somewhat of an eye opener I must say!

Insurance helps but can't replace lost/damaged photos and other such stuff.

cattie

Definitely not. It once would have been a dream home, but the floods of the past few years has made me reverse my opinion on living near water.

Werdnal

You may have problems getting house insurance - many insurers are running scared of riverside properties, and premiums could be extortionate, or specifically exclude flood cover.

Not sure if mortgage companies would also be concerned!

My rental property is in a riverside location and flooded 2 years ago, 6 weeks after a tenant moved in. I can no longer claim for flood damage on my insurance. The freeholder has installed special external doors to the property and a sump pump in the courtyard to help collect and pump out flood water, but there is only so much you can do to prevent it coming in.

If you have your heart set on it, you can take some measures to help flood proof it. There are flood doors on the market, you can raise all the electrical sockets further up with walls to help protect the circuits, quarry tile the floors so small amounts of water can be brushed out easier, keep personal belongings (photos etc) upstairs.

More info here:

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/homeandleisure/floods/113213.aspx

Mickygg

If its on your mind now id say don't. My friends had a river in their back garden. It flooded their house heaps of times, then when they tried to sell they had to sell at a huge cut price.If it floods badly once, your insurance premiums will rocket, and if potential buyers find out you will struggle to sell.

murphydog999

Thanks all. I have a copy of the vendors current buildings and contents insurance, so no problem there, although it's more expensive than our current one, it's certainly not eye-watering.

The other measures that have been mentioned have already been done. Ceramic floors, sockets and electrics further up the walls, plus the small wall flood defence around the property has a 1.25 depth underground, as well as being higher than any other previous flood recorded, and the construction has been authorised and verified by the environment agency.

Strapped

murphydog999 wrote: »

Thanks all. I have a copy of the vendors current buildings and contents insurance, so no problem there, although it's more expensive than our current one, it's certainly not eye-watering.

The other measures that have been mentioned have already been done. Ceramic floors, sockets and electrics further up the walls, plus the small wall flood defence around the property has a 1.25 depth underground, as well as being higher than any other previous flood recorded, and the construction has been authorised and verified by the environment agency.

The very fact that you are wondering about it means that, when you come to sell, other buyers will be put off too.