Property on flood zone boundary

chozza

Hi, i'm looking at a prospective property to buy, however it is right on the boundary of the lowest risk flood zone. In fact the boundary according to the environment agency website is essentially the boundary between this house and the house next door. Does this mean that it's in the flood zone or not? Or do insurance companies look at the overall flood risk (inc. history, proximity etc.) before making a judgement?

Thanks

markin

Do you want to trust the environment agency that it will stop just before your home? And that it is really a "lowest risk"


Now if yours is 3ft higher than that house it may never be a problem.

Linton

It would seem each insurance company takes its own view on flood risk and does not simply look at EA maps. Our house is just within a low risk area with no history of actual flooding in the past 70 years at least and we have had no problem finding cheap house insurance. However one insurer’s quote was about twice the best one.

martindow

I imagine some insurance companies use postcodes so you could be up a hill with little chance of flooding but have your premium impacted by the risk elsewhere in the postcode.

Davesnave

You're talking about the difference between Flood Zone1 (low risk) and Flood Zone 2.(medium risk) Obviously, there has to be a place where one has a boundary with the other, and if the property you're looking at is in such a position, it's probably best to examine the site yourself, or have it checked by a hydrologist(?) and then take a view.

For example, a friend of mine has a house in Flood zone 1 and its back garden is in Flood zone 2. Knowing the location well, I'd say that the chance of the river flooding the house is slim because of the gradient in the garden, but that's not the only concern. In my opinion, there's more chance of surface water from the roadway and fields entering that house.

Would I buy my friend's house? Yes, because I know that the front garden could be landscaped to reduce the chance of surface water damage.

This is what a neighbour did after almost being flooded in 2012. He thought his property (in Flood zone 1) was safe because it was on a slope and well above the stream. He didn't appreciate that roads can become rivers for short periods and carry water from fields in extreme weather, taking the line of least resistance, through a house if that's where it is.

So, evaluate the site, or get someone qualified to do so for you, rather than rely on advice from people on here who don't know it. While it's not being flagged-up as very risky, allow for more extreme weather events in the future too. It isn't just about 'being up a hill.'

Thrugelmir

martindow wrote: »

I imagine some insurance companies use postcodes so you could be up a hill with little chance of flooding but have your premium impacted by the risk elsewhere in the postcode.

Water comes downhill (and out of hills for that matter). Many a natural spring that reemerges when the water table rises.