Is it madness to consider buying a house by a river?

[sparkleymummy]

Both in safety terms (DS1 is 2 DS2 is 8 mths) and in flooding and therefore cost of insurance terms?

I fell in love with a house with a river at bottom of garden. I phoned the Environment Agency and they told me it was on a flood plain. So DH wouldn't buy it then. Still think about it though. It might be worth phoning them as they might know what type of flood plain it is on... (our one was 100 years flood plain)

How far away from the river is it? Is it much higher up? We have a stream at the back of our gardne but is about 20 feet lower than level of garden. Also have a fence!

depends if you can block off a bit of the garden so it's safe

depends how low down you are and if the river's likely to flood.

There is an environmental agency map somewhere on the web which shows likely flood areas.

We've had to make this decision before, and we decided not to buy it. It would have been lovely, but I would have been neurotic about the DCs ambling off and drowning. And if there's any chance of flooding, that would also put me right off.

Look at the flood map as suggested by kathy
we opted not too, got a house on the top of a hill instead.
Don't like the house quite as much, but what with climate change seemed to be the sensible thing to do

I would worry about flooding, but not safety - I live on a boat and I haven't lost a child yet!

Its really close and its a very big river. And the front wall is deliberately low to take in the view of the river so would have to fence off that bit of the garden. I think I'd still worry though with boys being boys that the wall and fence would be climbed when they got a bit older.

This shows how close it is.

www.rightmove.co.uk/viewdetails-14953198.rsp?pa_n=1&tr_t=buy

Will check out the flood map.

v tempting though SM
Has it flooded before?
Find out the history of the river and it's flooding over the last 100 years
And think about re0sale, if you are going to sell in near future , might future vendors be put off by the proximity of hthe river.
ps my dad would say 'buy it'

Check it here maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/mapController

OMG that's gorgeous, you have to buy it

[green]

If it's old that sort of helps - it's not like buying a new house that has been built where everyone had the sense not to build for the last 1000 years.

just put in easily removable carpets downstairs and get the electrical sockets moved up to waist-height

God, it's lovely though

here

That's a gorgeous house, buy it instantly!

We have a house right on the river, but don't find it a problem even when the river floods majorly, there is a park and huge meadow where the water goes first the other side of the river, and even when it's really high, there is a wall then the road, then our house which has 3 steps so I don't worry about it.

Really depends on how high river gets at the highest, what floodplains are available in terms of fields or whatever nearby, how high up your house is, all that. Look at the websites everyone is helpfully posting, but I'd be very tempted, I love living right near water.

It is a lovely house isn't it. The environment agency link says it has a "moderate risk" of flooding (thanks everyone for that - very useful). It would be our forever house so wouldn't anticipate selling in the next 25 years (although you never know what's going to happen I guess).

We've dismissed another house near a river for safety reasons but this one is so lovely.

Can you talk to local people about flooding, how often, how high etc? Any neighbours?

god it looks amazing!

It looks like it's a blue area though (greater than 1% chance of flooding).

However my dad is also in a blue area and has not had any trouble with insurance thus far (he has flooded).

Worth speaking to the owners to find out if it's flooded in living memory and if so how high etc.

Doesn't look like it could flood, based on the fact that the other side of the river is lower than the house and is a great big flood plain.

Where my parents live is a blue zone, but for their house to get flooded, half of Oxfordshire would need to be underwater.

It is gorgeous house, and tbh boys will find trouble whereever, and at least a river is a nice big obvious risk iyswim.

I just looked at my house on the map, it's totally blue and I really don't feel at risk at all tbh. What cmot said about other side of the river being low.

Hi again SueW. This one's in Minster catchment so would solve our school situation. Although would probably take us just as long to get in to town as from here so maybe not!

I was going to say not to buy it, but then I looked at the pictures... it's really lovely. If you could put up a proper barrier to stop the boys getting at the river, then maybe...

We used to live in a beautiful house on the river when our dc were babies. I wouldn't do it now. Oh, and you'll get rats.

It's gorgeous. Buy it immediately. Am very very