Does water in cellar count as flooding?

NervyBuyer

Offered on a house with a cellar. It's about 75 meters from a river as the crow files, but uphill. Gov.uk rates its flood risk as very low. I know someone (not well) who has lived 4 doors down for 10 years who says there's never been any flooding on the street or water in his cellar in that time. Vendors told me that 5 years ago during the rivers' peak a 'small puddle' appeared in their cellar and disappeared of its own accord. There was no evidence of water damage or smell in the cellar.

I would have thought they may tick 'yes' to whatever question(s) there are about flooding on the sales forms. Buildings insurance quotes seem to double if you select 'yes' to 'has your house ever flooded'. Does this seem like a genuine issue that might get significantly more expensive, or just a minor inconvenience? Thanks!

user1977

Cellars are damp, some have "puddles" permanently. It's not "flooding" in the sense of having to go to work by canoe.

LinLui

I not only don't live in a flood area, but I am so high up flooding would be impossible - unless an Ark type deluge occured. Over the lost couple of years it has been so wet that even our area became waterlogged, and a couple of times my completely dry cellar got a couple of small puddles. That isn't flooding. I wouldn't worry.

Bookworm105

cellars are notoriously hard to make waterproof and property values should reflect that 

what you describe is not "flooding", the seller can legitimately answer no

it may however indicate your cellar is in need of "tanking", but that is very expensive and only done if you want to use the cellar for something where it is 100% vital it cannot get damp and you are willing to spend money making it so. Tanking is also notoriously difficult to achieve as a long lasting retrospective treatment