I put in an offer on a flat I really love today. I'm still waiting to hear back but randomly thought to check the flood risk website and found that the property has high surface water risk. The risk from rivers and the sea is very low.
I don't really want to walk away as the flat is perfect in every other way. However, I obviously don't want to live in a property that's going to inevitably flood. It's a garden flat (lower ground floor) so the concern is heightened. It's in London zone 2 and most of the area is marked as medium or high risk as it's on a hill.
My main concern is wasting a lot of money and time, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to get more information to then draw my own view.
So far on my list:
- Google to see if anything comes up about flooding in the area or the road - I couldn't find anything
- Ask the seller if they have had any issues with flooding, especially during the storms last summer (does it matter how I do this? Are they obliged to be honest if I ask through the EA? Would it need to go through solicitors?)
- Get a full flood risk assessment - one of those that looks at the specific property rather than just spitting out an output based on topographic databases
- Asking the surveyor to specifically check for signs of flood damage
- There are two garden flats in the building. I could drop a note for the other flat and ask to speak to them candidly about whether they've had issues, assuming they would be more forthright than the vendor
Is there anything else I could be doing? What order would you get these things done, so that any major issues are flagged as soon as possible?
I'm not looking for comments to run away now. I'm happy to spend a few hundred pounds so that I can reach my own conclusion as to whether it's something I'm willing to risk. I just don't want this to drag out or for me to waste thousands.
Thank you in advance!