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?

I would hope that flash flood water run off could be prevented. Can you ask for a surveyor to do a very specific survey, including a suggested plan (costed) for what defensive protections could be implemented to stop it happening again? Then ask for that cost (plus the cost of the surveyor) off the value of the house.

Do ask the vendor for information about costs involved in repairing the damage last time and details of what was damaged.

Sometimes these things really do happen very rarely. A friend of mine bought his house 30 years ago. On the day they were viewing it a flash flood swept through the garden. The existing owners were as shocked as they were and, as the water hadn't entered the house, my friend went ahead with the purchase. Even with the climate change since then it's not re-occured (yet!)

This website gives some useful guidance. There is a very pertinent point that the increased insurance premiums are usually offset by a significant reduction in the price of the property though, so from that point alone it might be a non-starter.

How were you at the stage of measuring for furniture and only just got a survey? You've either left the survey too late or rushed ahead of yourselves. You can't buy a huge flood idk house at the top of your affordability :(

I'm also surprised this floodable house is "not a bargain"

TBF the deluded can ask whatever they want for their properties and the deluded frequently do, but whether they can complete a sale once details come through is something else again

There's a house near me with major structural issues on which the sale's already fallen through three times. I think the executors are hoping for someone who doesn't get a survey or even have eyes but whether they'll find such a person is anyone's guess

Oh, and the EA has that one listed as "needing some cosmetic work" only

There's zero chance I'd buy a flood risk house. Zero.

If you don't want to lose your buyers, rent for a few months. We did this and our perfect, forever home came up and we were in a strong position as we had no chain.

I would walk away and seek compensation from the EA if that is possible. They have deliberately kept crucial information away from you in order to proceed with the sale. I mean twice in 10 years!!!!

Otherwise you put in a lower offer as your searches have come back that you are at a flood risk and the property has flooded twice in the last 10 years so you need to put in flood risk measures.

We have bought a house on the edge of a flood plain. We spoke to the neighbours who have lived here in over 50 years, the house hasn't flooded but the garage once did and we could live with that

Does the mortgage co know? Can you get insurance?

Also it should be coVered on piq?

OP did you not check the flood water maps on the EA website. Surface water inundations are very difficult to predict, but I would anticipate if 2 have occurred in 10 years I’d place money on it occurring again.

Ive lived in flood plains, with high risk of flooding and been a flood planner at one point in life. It wouldn’t necessarily bother me - level of flooding, ingress in the house and predictability are the key factors for me.

nationalfloodforum.org.uk Are very helpful.

^environment agency is my EA there
not estate agent

Where does the run-off come from? Fields or road? If the road, the local authority has a duty to stop it. They could install more road drainage eg gullies, soak aways etc.

Is there any residual damp in the house? I'd be worried about that too.

If the offer was accepted in April, you then instructed your solicitor no? The first thing they do is the searches which would have flagged the flood risk, and confirmed by your survey.

What did the mortgage survey say?

OP, I think it's obvious by now that most people would run a mile, I am sorry though. I would make it VERY clear to the Seller why you are walking away (if you do), however it might get taken out of your hands by the mortgage company if the searches come back with flood issues. I wouldn't be surprised if they took away the mortgage option.

I still don’t understand from your posts why this wasn’t flagged at start (leaving estate agents aside)?

Our old house was like that. we had a wall at the front and a gate we could close that stopped the water, had a sort of rubber thing on the bottom. Wasn't an issue and as we were on quite a steep hill I think we'd need Noah's Ark if it were a flood with lying water.

Speaking as someone who's lost everything in a flood, run!

We flooded in 2020 and prior to that the last flood was late 70s yet we still paid the price for it with ridiculously high home insurance. I've never been able to get a quote from a comparison website and that was before the last flood, apparently a flood stays on record for so many years afterwards.

My car insurance is astronomical because the car was swept away and we had to claim on our gap insurance as it had outstanding finance, my insurance went up from £235 a year to £990 overnight because of the flood.

I suppose what I'm saying is it's not just the risk of getting flooded, you'll live with it anyway and pay for it in the long run. Good luck with trying to get any insurance to pay out as well, it was no fun going into a pandemic living in a wreck of a house due to us wrangling with insurance companies.

I would check out insurance before making any decision.

Has the flooding issue been remedied from the last time?

I'd pull out, it'll be a nightmare to insure and water damage is horrendous

Op when you say it flooded twice can you give further details?

do you mean actually in the property? What damage was done and where, which rooms, what work has been undertaken to remedial, have you spoken to insurers?

We recently bought a house which had a hypothetical flood risk: The initial investigation came back as “high risk”. We ended up paying well over £1000 for a flood sight survey which examined the drains etc. This ended up being reassuring as the official “high” flood risk (on the environment agency website) basically doesn’t take into account drainage and walls (which could divert the flow). We went ahead but a critical factor was that it never had actually flooded and thus insurance was not a problem.
insurance is difficult if a property has previously flooded. Not impossible though. I’d be looking at this immediately and if insurance get a site survey- pm me and I can recommend a nationwide firm.

Sorry I don’t think it’s worth the risk. We’re predicted to get more extreme weather patterns thanks to climate change. If the vendor is being honest then the estate agents haven’t done you any favours.

Site survey not sight!

Do not touch it.

You will NEVER enjoy any peace and will be at the mercy of insurers.

Until you have been flooded, you can't imagine the distress.

It completely changes how you feel about your home.

Thank god not me but someone I knew had a freak flooding years ago.
Filthy drain water going through your house means it's never the same.

Be glad you fould out, even this later.

I hope you can go after the EA.

I would pull out, if be anxious each time it rained.

This isn't a house, but my local charity shop was flooded badly to the point where they had to have the fire brigade called to pump water from the shop and it ruined the electrics and everything. This was approx a fortnight ago from a sudden flash torrential rain shower that lasted approx 30 mins in the middle of June. They took four full 12 hour days to clear up after it, the electrics took a week to be sorted and they lost a lot of stock.... All from a 30 min storm. Think how much longer it would take to sort and how much more devastating it would be in a home and what you'd lose and the cost to sort it if you don't get flood cover (likely!)

Save yourself the hassle and constant distress.

This - in the reports solicitors do this should be flagged up. But depends how far along in the move you are along.

I'd personally pull out.