Buying property in high flood risk area

[HummingbirdSong]

I have found a lovely house I want to buy on a road that says it has medium flooding risk currently, but high from 2036. It is near a lovely river. The current owners said the only flood they had was in 2024 when the water came to the very end of the back garden (not near the house). I have my heart set on this house. Anyone bought a house with a similar flood history and future prediction? Any advice as to what you would do in my situation?

I wouldn’t. Flood risk will get worse not better. Will you get insurance ok? Mortgage?

2036 is only 10 years away, so it would seem the risk is rising quickly. Only 2 years ago it was at the end of the garden. You will have a hard time selling it. I definitely wouldn’t buy it, imagine watching out the windows whenever there is heavy rain wondering if this is the day your home will flood. It seems like you are trying to convince yourself it will be ok because you love the house. My daughter looked at a new flat built on a flood plane, the developer was saying they had taken steps to make the property safe, she walked away. Shortly after I saw a tv program about a new estate where the developers had said the same thing, but they hadn’t raised the ground levels as much as they were supposed to and the properties flooded.

Avoid….. that sounds way too risky.

I guess maybe if it’s a forever home given resale prospects will be dire and you also have a hefty budget to put in flood mitigation features/regular refurb costs.

Otherwise no most people wouldn’t consider it, as pp said incredibly stressful constantly watching the weather forecasts not knowing when it will flood next.

I grew up in a house on a rocky outcrop high above a river that flooded, some of the houses below were in the flood zone, mix of old properties from the 1800’s and more recent 1970’s builds.
Ruined their lives, some have tried to sell repeatedly without success since the flooding escalated around 2001.

Just don't you are on a hiding to nothing

I live in a flood risk area. My house doesnt flood but my neighbours do. However, the local flood group (who are marvellous people) have been creating flood schemes and it is much improved in the last few years. No one house has flooded in the last 2 years.

No way. The worry every winter would not be worth it.

Have you researched the cost /availability of insurance?

Personally I wouldn't as it is likely to be even harder to sell on

I wouldn't because the anxiety during long, heavy spells of rain would mean it wasn't worth it.

There was a post very much the same as this a short while back . Are you the same op ?

If not try to find it and you will see that many advised against it .
My input to it was a friend had a house in an area that badly flooded and it was put as a once in a hundred year event . This was in 2009 , it flooded again and now the homes affected have a £30,000 access to both buildings & contents so they will have to pay out £60,000 of their own money before any insurance .
Could you afford the same ?

There was a similar thread a couple of weeks ago, maybe have a search for that.
the consensus was a resounding no.
if you can’t get insurance your property is effectively unmortgageable (is that a word?) so potentially unsellable.

DSiL and family lived in a flood area. Their home was seriously flooded three times. Needed totally new flooring. Loads of possessions ruined. I don;t know how they tolerated it, and why they didn't move. So expensive and such unnecessary stress. You might find it very hard to get insurance too, and if you do, it will be sky high year on year as the flood predictions get closer.

It’s a huge no from me too. Oddly I’ve always lived in properties that seem to be on a hill or raised a bit. Not because I’m neurotic about flooding, it’s just the way things have worked out but when I hear of peoples homes flooding I do wonder why they live there when there are so many other homes to choose from.

Calculate the cost of replacing everything on the ground floor, as a minimum. You won’t get insurance for that risk, but if you can afford the rebuild and replacement that’s your choice.

In other words, don’t do it.

It's a pretty simple equation to balance. Can you get the property at a price that you think you could sell on at.even after a flood, and do you have the means to cover the excess and insurance premiums? Can you mitigate the risks after securing a good deal?

You pays your money and takes your choice.

This
it’s only 10 years away and I’m guessing this is partly if not wholly the reason they are selling
you would be making a huge mistake here.

I wouldn’t buy a medium flood risk house, let alone one that will become high risk in 10 years. It’s not worth it, you’ll be worrying every time it rains heavily and if it floods your house price will drop and insurance will go up.

Nope

As an example (coastal erosion). If you have bags of money such that you can easily afford to lose a few hundred K for the benefit of a few months of bliss, then I'd point you towards this property.

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/90027936#/?channel=RES_BUY

I wonder if they’ll accept a quid?

I don't think I would be able to relax for a moment in that house!

I wouldn’t even consider it. When we moved, flood risk was a non negotiable for me.

I think the only time I would buy a property with real floor risk is if it was very beautiful/unique and I could afford to lose the entire purchase price without it making a dent on my finances and I could still get insurance on it

30,000 excess?

Yep on each contents/buildings and not just them , the whole street as all effected .