Offered lovely house with a problem, to buy or not to buy, that is the question.

Mgman1965

Been offered a house (distant relatives so sort of within the family) BIL'S late mothers.

Gorgeous village large 4 bed cottage on a large mature plot that cannot be developed with garden bordering onto a brook.

Needs updating as elderly owner but nothing major.

Problem is its flooded twice in last 15yrs and is uninsurable against flooding and about 25 miles from where we live now with family and friends

BIL said could have with good discount as family and staying in.

Am torn, could just afford it without living in poverty afterwards.

[Deleted User]

Mgman1965 wrote: »

Am torn, could just afford it without living in poverty afterwards.

Is that with or without replacing all your carpets and belongings every 7.5 years?

POPPYOSCAR

How badly was it flooded and when updating are there any measures that could be put into place to prevent damage?

Mgman1965

Deleted_User wrote: »

Is that with or without replacing all your carpets and belongings every 7.5 years?

According to BIL who grew up there he doesn't remember it flooding before the last two times so says it could just be two unlucky one offs.

elsien

Might be worth checking if any flood work has been done that might be affecting it. I'm aware of a house in Cumbria that never flooded until flood defences were put in to prevent general flooding in the area. Since then it's flooded a couple of times as the water prevented from going elsewhere now heads their way.

Mgman1965

It's construction he says is of a "rubble infill" and a quire porous against standing water he tells me.

POPPYOSCAR

Mgman1965 wrote: »

According to BIL who grew up there he doesn't remember it flooding before the last two times so says it could just be two unlucky one offs.

That is no indication.

We have lived here for 20 years.

It is only over the last 6 years or so that the river has flooded making the roads impassable at times.

We have had to buy a 4 x 4 because of this.

Marvel1

Mgman1965 wrote: »

Problem is its flooded twice in last 15yrs and is uninsurable against flooding

No chance I would buy it.

paddyandstumpy

I doubt you’d get a mortgage on an uninsurable property.

Mgman1965

paddyandstumpy wrote: »

I doubt you’d get a mortgage on an uninsurable property.

It's insurable, the company just exclude flood damage.

Mojisola

Mgman1965 wrote: »

Been offered a house (distant relatives so sort of within the family) BIL'S late mothers.

Am torn, could just afford it without living in poverty afterwards.

Relatives have been flooded twice - both times it took nearly a year before all the work was completed and the house back to normal.

Their bills were paid for by the insurance - could you afford stripping out floors, taking the plaster from the walls, buying a new kitchen, replacing electrics, doors, etc even once, let alone several times?