Found out devastating news about house we are about to buy, Should we pull out?

[Welikethemoon]

We were all set to move, got everything in place, went for second viewing to show our daughters thier new house for the first time. Owner was there so I asked her about the flood risk which has come up as surprisingly high on the survey. She looked shocked and said she thought we knew it had been flooded twice in last 10 years but flash flood rain water run off and also before she moved in. She had instructed estate agent to tell everyone who viewed. We have had the offer accepted since April, estate agents just told me, sorry they "forgot" to tell us. Now don't know what to do. Thus was supposed to be our "forever" home, that had everything we needed. I have a very specific list of things I wanted and this ticks all the boxes, there us nothing else currently on the market that comes close. It's a significantly bigger mortgage than current place. I don't want to move again after this. Seller has said she has put in extra drainage since the last flood, but it hasn't been tested in similar conditions since so no guarantee it would work. Plus with climate change its more likely to happen.
Husband still wants to move, I'm not so sure. What would you do? AIBU to pull out now, risk losing our buyers and wait for a better house to come on the market?

No way would I buy it, why risk it? Pull out now and wait for another one you like to come along.

We’re currently in the middle of yet another flood with a handful of different communities completely cut off by the water. Our road into town is under 2m of water!!

We’re seeing massive increases in the frequency of flooding and I can’t wait to move. The stress, anxiety and uncertainty is awful. So called ‘once in a lifetime’ floods have happened twice the year already.

I won’t ever knowingly put myself at risk of flood again.

I wouldn’t buy a house which had a history of flooding.

I once had a colleague whose house was built on a flood plain. Her house flooded and it was grim (the water came up through the toilet). She told me she worked hard to clean what she could, but it didn’t help much.

I'd pull out now. You don't know what else they haven't told you.

I would pull out, to take a bigger mortgage out on a house that has proven to flood twice in 10 years is total madness.
It will be extremely difficult to sell and insure and you constantly run the very real risk of flooding each time we have torrential rain.....
Surely this rang alarm bells when the survey correctly flagged it up??

Don’t. I used to live in a street where the houses at one end flooded. It was heartbreaking - carpets and soft furnishing thrown out into the garden. Concerns about raw sewerage entering the house. Dreadful.

google the street - it might have even gotten press coverage. There were local film crews on my old street every few years interviewing residents.

I wouldn't. This is a risk I would not take with climate change. 100 years flood are happening every 10 years. I am exaggerating, but I cannot deal with that.

Try looking here...

flood-map-for-planning.service.gov.uk/

Can you even get insurance? What exactly has been done to the drainage? Why is it flooding as in are you at the bottom of a hill, near ground water etc. What are the other houses flood risk? Is there more development planned nearby, do they have any flood prevention plans as part of the local plan?

I personally wouldnt.

You will struggle to get insurance
You will struggle to sell
Your mortgage might fall through anyway
It will happen again
Rainfall is becoming more intense (plenty about this on the met office websites) and flash flooding is increasing
It's hard to predict flash / surface water rainfall and protect against

Only way I would consider is

If you have an independent flood assessment including an estimate of how much damage etc and whether it is possibly to engineer out the flood risk eg by changing drainage and installing steps into the property and blocking access for the water etc

If you have enough money to pay for flood damage or at the very least a significant excess

If you dont mind your house flooding (obvious one)

Id also try and recoup costs from the EA as you wouldnt have spent them if they hadnt made an 'error' and 'forgotten' to tell you the biggest feature of the property

Unless it affects a wide area that you want to buy in, then pull out.

how far along are you? have you had gthe survey done instructed solictors? if not just pull out not worth the stress

the ea are probably lying because they know theyd never sell it otherwise

Depending on how far along in the process you are, I thought searches highlighted things like this?

Regardless, I agree with PPs about not touching it - not unless you're prepared to deal with ever-increasing insurance premiums and never hope to sell the house in future

^This.

If you're worried now, then imagine being stuck with it when it's uninsurable.

I'm sorry OP, but in your shoes I'd have to pull out. My lovely SIL had an amazing house up in Lancashire and when she and BIL divorced they had to sell it at a much lower price than generally valued due to it having had two serious floods in the last 10 years. Both times were bad enough they had to move out for months for repairs and thankfully it did sell, but for around £400K than it would have otherwise. She was so traumatised by it all she refused to buy her new house anywhere near water.

Drop it

Sure, sure, EA "forgot".

Is that legal?

I know it's devastating but I don't think I could. It's just too big and important a purchase to risk it. You'd never relax and how could you sell it on?

Surely this came up in searches? Also the vendor would have had to declare this on the form that the vendors need to sign? Have you had a quote for home insurance? I would start there.

Presumably th

Pull out! Pull out! Pull out! Twice in ten years is a lot. Even once in ten years would have been a lot. With climate changing, more extreme events are to be expected. This means more rain in a shorter period of a time. If it's already flooded twice, it'll likely get worse in the future.
Water permeates everything during a flood often with very little notice. If it gets into your house you're screwed big time.

Oops.

Presumably then the estate agent has overvalued the house and sold it for a higher price than if they'd been telling buyers the truth? Absolute arseholes

You need to do some more investigating to get as much information as possible.

I would also be having a serious conversation with the EA, their manager and making a formal complaint, and taking that as far as possible as it is totally unethical to not disclose the information.

I would pull out, it's easy to set your heart on this house but think of the potential cost and damage to the house if it flooded badly. So much stress and disruption. There is another lovely house out there waiting for you. Wait a little longer, if you can, to find another perfect home.

I have a very specific list of things I wanted and this ticks all the boxes

I used to live in a house in an area at risk of flooding. Look at your list again, and then ask yourself whether 'once a year lose at least a week of sleep and have to move as much furniture / valuables upstairs as you can / start stacking the rest / trip over sandbags at your doors / try not to let the kids know how worried you are / wonder how much water is already in the foundations and if your electrics will blow out' is on the list. Rather than see this as the crushing disappointment it is, view it as a very lucky save.

We had a little trouble getting insurance for a house that had been re-classified after we bought it. House & Contents insurance was loaded by a percentage.
It wasn't a very high risk, people in the area couldn't remember a flood occurring.