would you buy a house in a flood risk designation area?

[belcantavinissima]

if it was your dream house? or is it never ever worth the risk?

I personally wouldn't risk it.

I expect you would find it nigh on impossible to get house insurance as well.

depends on who told you it was flood risk.

When we bpught this one, the environment agency report highlighted a flood risk.

Called the insrance company, and they had no concerns about it.

Checked the local area, and there was no reports of flooding.

The road gets very wet when it rains, but it doesn't flow.

Never,

You wouldn't get affordable house insurance...

Run a huge risk of losing everything if there ever was a flood

No

do you reckon? damn it, its really nice and a huge garden about an acre, middle of nowhere. perfect. except for this thing.
i dont even know where it would flood from. dont think its near a river and is certainly nowhere near the sea.

is there any way of finding out if it has flooded in the past do you know?

I did, although most of the area where I live is flood risk.

We have had one call on the automated system telling us to leave, but actually it wasn't that bad.

Our field is often waterlogged, we have reasonable cost insurance.

littlerah- i think it must have been environment agency. dh found out about it today . when you mean check the local area, do you just mean ask the locals???

No

And when things flood, it's not only the risk of losing your things. Sometimes, it's your life at risk as well.

My life has had enough misery without that to worry about.

Personally, i don't think it's worth the risk. Getting flooded is devastating. There will be other dream houses.

Plus think about if you ever wanted to sell it, it would put a lot of people off.

In today's climate i wouldn't but anything that was at risk of flooding. the thing is now even houses that weren't considered flood risks are being flooded. The climate is only going to get worse. The risk of flooding is going to be ever more present.

Could you cope with the devastation a flood causes and maybe having to live elsewhere for a while, only to get back in your house and it floods again? Every time it rains you'll be having a panic! (well i would be!)

Good luck though whatever you decide.

how can we find out how big a risk it is? anyone know? cos if its only 0.1% likely then it might be worth it ????

oh am getting put right off now.

i really love the house i was going to get chickens and everything

its even got an aga

Expat, I'm sorry about the misery you've had.

Huge swathes of Kent would be uninhabited if no one at all was prepared to live in a flood risk area, it certainly makes buying a house more affordable.

I live in an area that is at or below sea level and very, very flat - so no risk of huge torrents of water cascading just gentle seeping as the water table rises.

Plus, as someone pointed out, you may not be able to get very affordable insurance, or, if you do and you flood, you stand the risk of getting screwed over by the insurance company.

There's no such thing as a dream house. There's the house that's right for you at a place and point in time.

And one in a flood-risk area is not.

She asked for opinions, marmaduke. So I gave mine.

I've lived in homes that have been flooded, and as one person pionted out, it's a nightmare.

Aga's can't swim.

Aga's Agas

oh hun, don't want to dampen your spirit (great pun there don't ya think, i never even rehearsed that!! heehee )

You could try ringing around insurance companies with the postcode and see if it comes up as a risk? I really don't know how you'd find out tbh. Ask neighbours ( if you'd have any) .. or check the area for streams, dykes etc? Maybe you'll just have to settle for having ducks instyead of chickens (sorry )

I asked th eneighbours of hwre I was buying, and they looked at me like i was mad!!
Also asked the local garage. They also thoguth I was amd!

Call up some insurance companies to get quotes and see what they say. Mosat of them won't touch you if there is a risk.

Also, check what the risk was, ie if it is a river/lake nearby, or whether it is the type pf land, or where the house was built.

We live on a flood plain. Half of our village is on a flood plain. But the village itself hasn't been flooded in living memory (although surrounding areas have been).

Consequently, we have no problems with insurance.

But I don't think that;s the same as being 'high risk'- or is it?

Yes. We did a thorough search, and went ahead. No problems with insurance infact it is cheaper than when we were in London.

our survey has said - never been flooded but is in a flood risk area - so I've looked on the environment agency website - and our prospective house is on the very edge of the extreme flood area. I've rang our insurers and they checked with the underwriters and were perfectly happy - in fact our premium will be less

But I think this is very different from buying a house which has been flooded in the past - which I wouldn't do.