So dissapionted, we may pull out of buying a house.

[SquinkiesRule]

Offer accepted and all the usual stuff starting to go through the Solicitors. I got some search paperwork in the post and had a good read, found that the house is at significant risk for ground water flooding. I'd already looked at the maps online for river flooding and it wasn't in the flood area. So now Dh is against the house and I can't blame him. So Monday morning we may be starting our search from scratch, as we will probably have to sell the house on in 10 or so years and how many people can get a mortgage when it's at such a risk, we are cash buyers.

Our search results said the same thing. This area has not been flooded for 200 years.

Also searches bring up very random things for bottom covering reasons. I work as a mortgage consultant and one side of our town always comes up as a subsidence risk. I think I have only ever come across one house that has actually had it.

I know the whole street went under one summer 20 years ago. I think I'll talk to the insurance agent see what flood insurance will cost before dropping out. Do people have trouble getting mortgages for the side of town with subsidence risk? Or with such a high flood risk?

No idea about flooding but my whole area is high risk for subsidence and every time I've bought the mortgage company has only wanted to know about the specific property's history. It's never been a problem.

Ours was in a flood area when we bought, but the area has never been flooded. It is just because there is a park nearby and a small river in the park and it is quite close and probably considered as risk. 5 years on I noticed that the flood map has changed and we are not in the flood risk area anymore. Strange.

Find out whethher the Env. Agency put in flood mitigation measures since the last flooding. My dmil bought a sea front house that 20 years ago flooded fairly regularly having researched the measures and risk since then. The Env agency had reinforced the sea wall and put in flood gates along its length and it had never flooded since then. Her house was absolutely fine in the last surge despite being in high flood risk area.

Our place is similarly deemed to be at risk. Even with the weather we have had recently we gave not had a problem. The river half a mile away did flood, but I'm told by long term residents that our street hasn't flooded in at least 35 years

have you tried getting insurance quotes? Run them and see what happens.

The river is across just down the street, less than 200m but we aren't in a flood area according to the Environmental agency website, only part of the properties on the riverside, we are very slightly higher up, but the last flooding came from ground water, only part of the street is affected and this is what flagged up as substantial risk.
I'm going to talk to the ins on Monday and see what they say. Dh's concern is when we try to re sell whether it affects someone getting a mortgage as we don't need one.

We are no longer buying the house. :( even the solicitors secretary understood when I explained it too her. Her own house has never flooded but is at risk according to maps, she had a hell of a time getting insurance last year.
So the search begins again.