Buying a house in a flood risk area: questions to ask

A flood risk doesn't have to rule a home out, but it's worth finding out early. The Law Society's notes for sellers and buyers put it plainly: flood risk may affect your ability to get buildings insurance and a mortgage. Natural Resources Wales says insurers and mortgage providers consider flood risk when they set their prices.

Before you offer

• Check the official flood map for the address. In England, that's the long term flood risk service. It shows the risk for an area, not how likely one particular property is to flood. Our guide to checking your flood risk has the maps for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Ask for the flood history. In England you can request the flood history for the area around an address from the Environment Agency. It arrives by email within 20 working days, and there may be a fee.
• Get insurance quotes early. Ask an insurer or broker about the address before you spend money on surveys and legal fees.

Questions for the seller

RICS says buyers should check with the seller whether the property has flooded in the past. In England and Wales, the seller's property information form has a section on flooding, and your conveyancer will see their answers. Ask too:

• Has the home ever flooded, and from what: a river, the sea, heavy rain, groundwater or drains?
• Was there an insurance claim, and was it paid?
• Is there any flood protection fitted, such as door barriers, flood doors, self-closing air bricks or non-return valves? Is there paperwork, certification or a survey report for it?
• Who is the current insurer, and does the policy include flood cover?
• Is the home on a flood warning service?

Searches and surveys

• Searches. Your conveyancer will usually order searches, which can include flood risk. The Law Society has a practice note to help solicitors on flood searches and other ways of looking into flood risk.
• A search isn't a survey. RICS says a solicitor's desktop search is not a substitute for a chartered surveyor's physical inspection.
• A specialist flood survey. RICS says specialist chartered surveyors can carry out pre-purchase surveys to quantify the flood risk to a specific property. In Northern Ireland, the Department for Infrastructure suggests a surveyor or other qualified professional to assess the actual risk.

Insurance and lenders

• Your lender will want buildings insurance. MoneyHelper says there's no legal requirement, but if you buy with a mortgage you'll be contractually obliged to have it.
• Insure from exchange, not completion. The Law Society's notes say arranging insurance from exchange of contracts also lets you check the home can be insured under normal conditions, before you're legally committed to buy.
• Check whether Flood Re could apply. Flood Re only covers homes built before 1 January 2009, among other criteria. It can't help with a home built after that date. See Flood Re explained.
• Use a specialist broker if you're struggling. The BIBA and ABI Flood Insurance Directory points to specialist providers.
• Be open with insurers. MoneyHelper says to tell your insurer about any history of flooding, even if they don't ask.
• Think long term. Flood Re ends in 2039, when household flood insurance moves to prices based on actual risk. If you plan to stay longer than that, factor it in.

If you go ahead

Sign up for flood warnings when you move in, write a household flood plan, and if the risk is real, look at property flood resilience.

FAQs

Can I get a mortgage on a home in a flood risk area?

Often, but flood risk can affect insurance and lending. Ask your lender or broker early.

Should I walk away if the map shows high risk?

That's your decision. The map is a starting point: a specialist survey, the flood history and insurance quotes tell you much more about the home itself.