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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

444 replies

Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 11:53

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?

OP posts:
Yesthatismychildsigh · 11/07/2022 14:45

I wouldn’t touch it with someone else’s barge pole. Even if you did, you’d have trouble selling it, and you’d not really have any pace of mind every time it rains.
I’d also be looking into getting any losses you have incurred due to the estate agents (probably intentional) omission.

Applesonthelawn · 11/07/2022 14:48

I spent much of my pregnancy as owner of a flat that was often four inches under water in the basement at the end of a rainy day due to broken drains. Mendable, but difficult to identify. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. The strain was horrendous. Don't risk it.

milkyaqua · 11/07/2022 14:50

Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 12:53

We did, last week which alluded to a high flood risk, bit no specific details. It was only by chance that I questioned the vendor about it at the weekend, she thought we knew and estate agents clearly weren't going to tell us.

Show quote history

High flood risk. Alluded to! Did you not look into that? I'm stunned it was only by chance you ran into the vendor and got her honest and decent response...

You really do need to be a bit more investigative and questioning when buying a house. Specially when something major like this has been flagged.

It sounds like your husband is in denial, and you might be inclined to join him. It must be a very nice house to even consider taking this risk... And it must be a big risk or the estate agents would not have hidden this "detail" from you.

Yesthatismychildsigh · 11/07/2022 14:51

*peace of mind.

Summersolargirl · 11/07/2022 14:51

Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 14:26

At some point more than 10 years ago (before current seller bought it) there was a flash flood event with surface water coming over nearby playing fields and flooding the house. I have limited details about damage done, but council put in a bigger drain outside and a storm drain on playing fields because of it.
In 2015 a sewage drain nearby was blocked by a fatburg and caused sewage to back up into front drain and the downstairs loo, because of house's position it is where drains meet and it was where the sewage chose to go. As a result the water company have apparently agreed to regularly flush this drain to prevent it happening again. Downstairs floor was replaced as a result.
In 2020 there was a huge cloud burst locally. Flash flood water runoff came down the main road to the left and down the playing fields to the right and converged on the house, several other properties on the road were also flooded. Water was approximately 1 foot deep outside the front door and came into the garage and front door. Floor had to be replaced again. The vendor had a large deep drain gully fitted the full width of the front of the house, which would store a large volume of water and also drains into front sewer drain. My worry is that this drain may already be at capacity so it wouldn't do anything. It's not been tested with a significant amount of water since installing. Our plan was to brick up the garage to convert into living space and get a better fitting front door anyway soon after moving in, anyway, so this would block up some of the routes of entry into the house anyway. But my worry is that it wouldn't be enough, and if flooding events got worse (as I'm sure they will, I'm not a climate change denier!!) then it will still come in.

Show quote history

Eeeeeee. Yeah that’s hard, to be honest, I’m not sure I’d take the risk. It sounds like a lot has been done, but for me I think it’s too risky, I’m sorry.

Dahliasrule · 11/07/2022 14:52

No, I wouldn’t proceed having learnt the details. In a flash downpour our garden has flooded once but nowhere near water coming in the house. I would not be happy about that at all,

Forestgate · 11/07/2022 14:57

If you haven't exchanged I'd pull out. 3 new floors in ten years. No bloody way! Can you even insure it?

Gremlinsateit · 11/07/2022 14:58

MaitlandGirl · 11/07/2022 14:30

@Gremlinsateit the photo I posted is Testers Hollow. The new higher road they’re building is also under water. 😂

Oh crikey! Of course, as a nation we couldn’t possibly afford a bridge 🙄

ifonly4 · 11/07/2022 15:05

If you're able to pull out, I certainly would. We experienced the 2007 floods, luckily water didn't come in but it was around the house and like a running river. The situation changed very quickly within a few minutes. Luckily I was there to get a few things up the stairs just in case, but no way you could have rescued the majority of personal possessions, food, furniture within a short space of time.

Original poster
Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 15:06

Forestgate · 11/07/2022 14:57

If you haven't exchanged I'd pull out. 3 new floors in ten years. No bloody way! Can you even insure it?

We did a price comparison site quote yesterday. It is apparently insurable, cost is about £300 which is about £100 more than we currently pay. I'm not sure if this is reliable enough to count as definitely being able to insure it or not

OP posts:
Seapoint2002 · 11/07/2022 15:06

I would definitely not buy it. You will struggle to get house insurance and if you do it will be very expensive.

EmmaH2022 · 11/07/2022 15:08

OP with this extra detail, you shouldn't buy it

Did you literally find out all this from the buyer this weekend? Your solicitor should have had all this covered. If they didn't find out, I think you can reasonably say they haven't done their job properly.

PeppaPigIsAnnoying · 11/07/2022 15:16

An EA "forgot" to tell a potential buyer some information that would no doubt see the interest withdrawn

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 11/07/2022 15:19

PearTree120 · 11/07/2022 11:59

Also you’ll never sell it again (if you wanted to). Because people don’t want to buy houses that are a flood risk…

Apart from all the people who buy in Tewkesbury and othet flood risk areas...

Not brilliant obvs... But people DO buy!

Goldfishmountainclimber · 11/07/2022 15:23

Don’t buy it. You are asking for trouble in the future.

As suggested by another poster, you could also claim your costs back from the estate agents. They should have disclosed this information.

Quia · 11/07/2022 15:26

Friend of mine bought a property in a flood risk area - she thought it would be fine as, applying local knowledge, she knew there'd been no floods there for decades.

Inevitably, there was a horrendous flood within a few months of moving in, going to a depth of around 8 foot on the ground floor. And another a couple of years later.

So probably withdraw unless your solicitor and surveyor advise otherwise.

sugarrosepetal · 11/07/2022 15:27

Definitely pull out. You've offered above the asking price for what you thought was a watertight home that has since transpired not to be the case. You should be able to recoup any costs incurred under the misrepresentation act of contract law. If you go ahead, not only are you going to be paying over the odds for a substandard property, you'll have to pay extra for insurance/damages and be under a lot added stress. Not worth it. I'd be waiting it out and looking elsewhere.

SpookyButTrue · 11/07/2022 15:28

I would get a professional groundworker to look at it.

My ex was a digger driver and he could stop anything from flooding!

If you think you would stay forever, I would consider buying it but I would get the work the current owners have done looked at by a groundworker and if it's not adequate, get a ball park figure for putting in oversized drains.

I don't see this as a dealbreaker to be honest.

Original poster
Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 15:32

EmmaH2022 · 11/07/2022 15:08

OP with this extra detail, you shouldn't buy it

Did you literally find out all this from the buyer this weekend? Your solicitor should have had all this covered. If they didn't find out, I think you can reasonably say they haven't done their job properly.

Yes we found out all this detail from the vendor during a conversation on Saturday while we were viewing. Solicitor has been instructed but searches havnt been returned yet, they are due thus Thursday, so we will wait and see what they say. The survey we had done had a map from the environment agency with blue lines on it where flooding was a known risk. There was a dark blue line (high risk) over our prospective house, but no other details given at all

OP posts:
EmmaH2022 · 11/07/2022 15:36

Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 15:32

Yes we found out all this detail from the vendor during a conversation on Saturday while we were viewing. Solicitor has been instructed but searches havnt been returned yet, they are due thus Thursday, so we will wait and see what they say. The survey we had done had a map from the environment agency with blue lines on it where flooding was a known risk. There was a dark blue line (high risk) over our prospective house, but no other details given at all

Show quote history

So you've not seen insurance and seller information?

I'd still pull out unless you have lots of spare cash and are happy to spend it in this way.

Original poster
Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 15:39

EmmaH2022 · 11/07/2022 15:36

So you've not seen insurance and seller information?

I'd still pull out unless you have lots of spare cash and are happy to spend it in this way.

Show quote history

No, not yet and no spare cash. This is only the second time we have bought a house, the last time was 13 years ago when we were first time buyers, so maybe I'm not remembering all the steps right. We havnt got any contracts or the vendors info pack or anything like that yet. Only the survey we had done

OP posts:
CoffeeWithCheese · 11/07/2022 15:40

MercurialMonday · 11/07/2022 12:34

I'd check how bad the floods were- garden only I might consider it if house was higher up - my DGP house had that it used to flood other side on council land but they build up their side so it flooded DGP side - but it was a drop to stream - then another huge drop to garden so only ever got half way up the huge garden.

I'd would have to look at the insurance situation. We had a mad situation with a rented flat- 4th floor we only wanted contents insurance but for some reason it was down as a flood risk - river didn't tend to flood and block was on a rise - so getting insurance was a pain and more expensive.

It can take months and months to dry properties out - or thousands to install proper flood defences.

I would be very inclined to pull out - but if you not then check how bad floods are, what further flood defences that could be added and the price and insurance situation.

This - mum's house is in a flood area, next to a river which goes over its banks at extra high tides anyway, but the times it's "flooded" the properties on the riverbank it's not been further than the bottom of mum's driveway because the property is so high up on a sloped garden. Cases like that I'd have less concerns about (the lower level houses further along the riverbank DO have flooding issues).

IseeScottishhills · 11/07/2022 15:45

Not read the entire thread we lived for 5 years in a house which floods dont do it. We lost all our furniture, carpets, the entire kitchen, all white goods, personal stuff and the roof over our head the last time it flooded, and it was hard to find another home in 24 hours. It was a really lovely house but its not worth it.

SenecaFallsRedux · 11/07/2022 15:45

I have a question. I'm in the US so I don't know how these transactions work in the UK (except for what I read on MN), but in the US to get a mortgage, a property has to be insurable. In fact, the commitment to insure is part of the closing process. So I'm confused about the uncertainly over whether this house is insurable. At what stage would you know this for certain and wouldn't the mortgagee require it?

I have experienced a flooded house (it was from a burst pipe, not rain or rising water), but I never want to have to deal with that again. I would probably not want to go through with this sale, OP.

Original poster
Welikethemoon · 11/07/2022 15:47

CoffeeWithCheese · 11/07/2022 15:40

This - mum's house is in a flood area, next to a river which goes over its banks at extra high tides anyway, but the times it's "flooded" the properties on the riverbank it's not been further than the bottom of mum's driveway because the property is so high up on a sloped garden. Cases like that I'd have less concerns about (the lower level houses further along the riverbank DO have flooding issues).

Show quote history

Water has definitely entered the house more than once, causing new floors to be needed. No rivers near by, so we didn't take the flood risk very seriously initially, the house is on a hill and we currently live about 200 yards away a bit further up the same hill so we know there is no risk of rising water from a river basin. The problem seems to be from flash flooding surface water which is running down the hill and converging on this particular row of houses

OP posts: