Floor risk - top floor flat

Joladeda

I am buying a top floor flat (leasehold) and the solicitors have said initial searches suggest the area could be at risk from flooding (which does not seem likely from my check on the Environmental Agency website). The solicitor is advising we pay for an additional search to investigate and that if we don't, they'd have to inform our mortgage lender we haven't followed the advice. Given that it's a top floor flat, it seems a bit unnecessary to me. What do people think?

emg

Any flooding could damage the structure of your building and make it unsafe, irrespective of which floor you live on. I would want to check out this wasnt a possibility and I suspect your mortgage lender will want to know as well.

DaftyDuck

If the walls of the bottom floor flat were washed away, I'm not too sure this wouldn't affect your top floor flat, in some small way.

Other lesser effects may exist.

G_M

Flood damage to the base of the building would be repaired at the cost shared between all leaseholders (usually - depending on the wording in the lease).

Insurance should cover it, though the insurance excess, and increased future premiums would also hit everyone.

CWSmith

If the area is a flood risk, leading to the ground floor flat being flooded, all services - gas, electricity and sewage would be turned off/unusable until the situation was rectified which can take months. Obviously this would also render your flat uninhabitable even if it remained dry.

ethank

The solicitor has to act in the lenders best interest as well as your own. Unfortunately, I think you will have to do this.

jbainbridge

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-19725952

maninthestreet

Joladeda wrote: »

I am buying a top floor flat (leasehold) and the solicitors have said initial searches suggest the area could be at risk from flooding (which does not seem likely from my check on the Environmental Agency website). The solicitor is advising we pay for an additional search to investigate and that if we don't, they'd have to inform our mortgage lender we haven't followed the advice. Given that it's a top floor flat, it seems a bit unnecessary to me. What do people think?

Flooding from a nearby river or flooding from surface water?

Joladeda

Thanks everyone.

dacouch

G_M wrote: »

Flood damage to the base of the building would be repaired at the cost shared between all leaseholders (usually - depending on the wording in the lease).

Insurance should cover it, though the insurance excess, and increased future premiums would also hit everyone.

Along with if the property did suffer from flooding the property value would reduce affecting the mortgage providers security