Buying house in flood risk area

[MyOchreRobin]

We are looking to buy a property. There is one we really like, but it has a very small river running quite close to the back garden. The government long-term flood checker says it has a very low risk of flooding and will continue to in the future.

The issue is the environmental report that we can. It says it has a high risk of flooding and parts of the property are in zone 2 and parts in zone 3. From the maps they have sent, it is the garden that is at risk. The map doesn't cover the house itself (but to make clear, it is a small garden). The risk because of climate change doesn't change or get worse.

Also, they found that there was a flood there over 25 years ago, but from the map, it never reached the house, just the garden and from that small river, it wasn't majorly impacting anyone on the street.

I have ran an insurance quote and there were no massively high premiums (just over £200 for 5 star cover) or excess either.

I'm just concerned about what we should do. Because obviously, if we buy and then want to resell, the new buyers will get all this information, which may make it challenging to sell.

It's a difficult one because you can't predict the future. We're currently purchasing a property with a small brook around 100m from the house. It floods every year but has never made it into the garden. Hasn't put us off because we love the house and location, but it will come down to how much you like the house, whether it's at the right price and how much risk your willing to tolerate

I think price is key here. As long as you purchase it at a price to reflect the risk - and then are prepared to also price it accordingly when you come you sell. Not a problem

I wouldn’t. But every house has risks and the house we’re buying has massive retaining walls right at the back of the house, and loads of trees, so that’s a big risk especially with climate change too. For some reason I’d prefer a tree to fall on my house than for it to flood, but I realise that’s completely illogical.

We are in a similar
although with us we are up a hill but the report states we are in the same flood zone as down the hill 🤣

desk top reports are very basic
If the risk doesnt reach the house and if you do not intend to concrete over but keep the garden well drained I wouldn’t worry

I agree with the "it should be cheaper to reflect the risk" argument.

But it is sometimes hard to establish whether it is cheap enough or not.

Personally I wouldn't want zone 3. Unless the land has some dramatic shape it kind of implies that the rest of the property at zone 2 is a marginal on being zone 3.

It's also the case that if it is a marginal zone 2/3 changes outside of your control might tip it over. These days with money being so tight councils often fail to clear drains rivers etc on a regular basis.

I think it also depends on the kind of person you are. if you can put this stuff to the back of your mind fine. If you are going to end up on the net worrying at every time we have heavy range forecast and are anxious about these things probably not so fine.

OTOH if you are the kind only to worry about stuff if and when it actually happens it might be a way of living in a great house at a cheap price.

"I have ran an insurance quote and there were no massively high premiums (just over £200 for 5 star cover) or excess either."

If it were me, I would pick up the phone to an insurance broker.

When we were buying our house, our quotes were coming in at £250. When it came time to arranging insurance, it was £1050, because we had to declare ground water flooding in 2021 and 2026, because the seller put it on the legal forms. Now, this is a tiny bit of water: an inch, in a cellar that has nothing but dirt in it, and the seller installed a sump pump that works very well, so I'm very far from concerned about it. If I'd had more time I would've done so myself. I just needed to buy the bloomin' house tho!

But, if you speak to a broker, they may disclosed more information to you, or, at the least, give you a more accurate quote.

The insurance forms only cared about flooding in the last ten years which I did think was a little strange. The property information form we got from the sellers said insurance was not difficult to obtain and didn't have special conditions. It also stated that they were not aware of it ever flooding.

"The property information form we got from the sellers said insurance was not difficult to obtain and didn't have special conditions."

Yep, ours said the same, and I also asked the seller about it as he disclosed the 'floods' at the viewing.

As it turned out, you know how you go onto Moneysupermarket or whatever to compare quotes? Originally, before I knew about the flooding there were probably 70 results. Once I put flooding info in, there were 2. When I tried to use our then contents insurer (also on a river, a really strong one), they said 'nope, phone us', so I was left with 1 insurer to chose from.

THAT is how it was unlimited with no special conditions. Only one company would insure us. Our solicitor made that a condition of the mortgage as well. Must have no special conditions.

That said, if you love love love the house and trust the sellers totally (I did trust mine), you might want to know the answers to any probing questions :)

I do worry a bit about future insurance, but next time I'm actually going to phone a broker rather than doing it online. 1 inch of groundwater is not a 'flooded by local river', exactly.

Would it matter if the apparent flood was over 25 years ago?

I would NEVER buy a property in a flood zone. I purposely bought on top of a hill as flooding is horrific to manage

Personally avoid or if you do buy it, expect to keep it

If you but it and you are ever flooded when you clean up, remodel to fit sluice gates in the prone walls so you can more readily clean up in future floods

Doubt it, but insurers are getting increasingly risk adverse (both climate change and old buildings - so many people in the US getting home insurance cancelled due to age of property), so flooding is definitely on their radar, hence 'last 10 years.'

Don't do it.
Its not just the actual flooding, its the worry about the flooding every time there is extreme weather. Which is getting more frequent.
There will be other houses.

Yes

that shows that under extreme weather it will flood and extreme weather will soon be normal

climate change means that the UK will get more rain, but most likely in hard bursts which is hardest for the land to handle so flood becomes much more likely

Although, all the data says that the flooding for the house and area will not change.

And that flood over 25 years ago didn't reach the house according to the map.

(I do fully understand where you are coming from, but I find just counter-responding can help us get the full facts)

What's upstream? Is there likely to be development which will increase run off in future and raise water levels? That can be things like households paving their gardens for parking, or drainage ditches not being maintained and becoming blocked so that more water comes down the channel. Those kind of changes are what tends to cause short term acute events.

More broadly, climate change is accelerating and extreme weather events are more likely to occurs. Would you consider property level resilience measures like slot in flood doors, non return valves and air brick covers if needed? There's quite a lot you can do to prevent water getting in, and also to minimise the damage (waterproof floors rather than carpets, elevated plug sockets, raise appliances) if it does.

The issue on my mind would be difficulties in selling, but it depends how long you are planning to be there.

There are no houses up stream currently. I think it's a floodplain. Developers keep putting in plans to build but their full plans keep get declined because they want to keep the floodplain.

There are parts though that the council are more happy with them building on. The part that is closer to the very small river.

Looking at it more carefully, I think most of the bit they are happy to build on was on old farm. So it isn't a whole greenfield site they want to build on.

I would have a look at the local plan and see what the situation for future housing development is - how many need to be built and where. But generally, any upstream development will increase your risk. Developers may be required to put in mitigation measures, but it's the kind of thing that if they can skimp on then they will.

Is the stream downhill from the property
Is it possible to install flood measures to the house like flood door barriers?

I live just outside an area that had a big flood in 2009 , it made the news and was called a once in a hundred year event .
Cue a few years later , and it happened again . Some of the houses affected had a £25,000 contents and a £25,000 buildings access on both , so the householders would have to pay £50,000 of their own money before any insurance pay out .

Nature makes it's own mind up .

Looking at it, it looks like the most recent attempt at building houses there was actually declined by the council. That was in 2022

We've asked the current sellers what they currently pay for insurance. Probably should add what there excess is as well.

What surprised me is that they didn't know there was a previous flood according to what they wrote on the form

Vendors tell all sorts of lies on forms. I've experienced it first hand.

The flood was over 25 years ago and didn’t reach the house

A flood can be called a flood and not be wading about in water
They may well not recall anything if it was just a groundswell

I should add unless they’ve got a mortgage they don’t have to have insurance.
I know it sounds a little mad but some people don’t bother these days.

Thought I’d mention in case they come back and say they don’t
Perhaps check with insurance companies for estimates