Flood risk? I live at the top of a hill! Help!

Esskay_2

Hi

I have just gone on to GoCompare to see if I can get a quote for my house insurance which is due in April. I filled in all my details and the search pulled up just 2 insurers. The rest said they couldn't insure me due to flood risk. I live at the top of a hill, 87m above sea level. The nearest stream is 3 miles away, the nearest river is 8 miles away. The town I live in even has 'High' in its name!! I have been in the house two years, the first year it happened I thought it was down to it being a new postcode, in fact if you Googled my postcode it put my house several miles away, and satnavs didn't recognise the address, my car insurance company refused to insure me as there was no data for my address - this seems to have changed now though. I did look on the Environment Agency website to see if there was something I had missed or if my house is at risk of flooding but its not. I managed to get insurance through the Post Office when I contacted them individually, and stuck with them last year as it was easier. This year I need to shop around but can't face contacting lots of insurers directly.

Any ideas??

InsideInsurance

As you know, insurers use address -> coordinate mapping software (geocoding) and then check if these coordinates are in floodzones. If your address geocodes incorrectly or the insurers only use a broad brushstroke approach (eg postcode sector rather than full postcode) then you can run into problems.

If the internet sites dont accept you then it is going to be a case of calling around and arguing the point.

With our new build it took about 2.5 years before the likes of googlemap's geocoding put us in the right place.

dunstonh

Post code data can sometimes throw up anomalies. A post code could include some properties at risk of flooding and not others. A database is only as good as the data used by the provider. New postcodes take time to build data.

Try a quality provider like NFU or Hiscox. See how they come out compared to postcode rated plans you get on comparison sites.

CKhalvashi

dunstonh wrote: »

Post code data can sometimes throw up anomalies. A post code could include some properties at risk of flooding and not others. A database is only as good as the data used by the provider. New postcodes take time to build data.

Try a quality provider like NFU or Hiscox. See how they come out compared to postcode rated plans you get on comparison sites.

I seem to remember that some properties in W3 and W4 were doing this, when they were not that close to the Thames, and much higher.

I know it got sorted out eventually (ours took 6 months, and was about 8 years ago), but I know it's taken longer.

CK

Esskay_2

Thanks, looks like I'll have to put a bit more work in!

dacouch

Try Aviva.

Gocompare_representative

Hi Esskay,

If we are finding your address from your postcode, your location should be accurate. However, often flood risk is calculated by postcode. This means that if your property shares the same postcode as residences that have previously been flooded – there’s a chance that your home may also be considered a flood risk.

It sounds simple, but it might also be worth double checking that you have selected ‘no’ when asked if your property has been flooded from an outside source. Also, where you’re asked for the ‘distance from water’, check that you haven’t accidentally selected ‘Less than 150m’ – or that your scroll wheel on your mouse hasn’t changed your selection.

If you’re still experiencing issues with this and you’d like to talk to our customer service team- they’re available at help@gocompare.com.

Hope this helps,
Martyn @ Gocompare.com

michaels

Rather than calling round loads of insurers could you run a dummy comparison on as similar a postcode as possible (but one that isn't in a flood risk area) and then only call the insurers who do well on that search? (Of course you still miss out on quidco/topcashback)