My grandmother's old house at Hythe End, Wraysbury goes down to the Thames, when we used to stay there the river often came up the steps at the back of the house. The house, originally built in the 30s was built very high on concrete plinths with storage underneath. When she died and my grandfather went to live with my aunt, I went round to say goodbye to the house and a new one was already being built in its place. Directly on to the ground. I was a bit shocked that they had been allowed to get away with the plans. That was about ten years ago.
My uncle and aunt had a house directly on the river in the main village, and their ground floor (built in the 60s, a town house) consisted of a cellar. When they moved, despite warnings, the next owners converted the ground floor into another sitting room and bathroom. People often don't do a lot of resrearch before they buy - and unscrupulous builders will keep quiet.
