To move or not to move

It would bother me I wouldn’t move to a flood area even if it hadn’t flooded for years we know the weather is going to be getting wetter year on year so not a risk I’d take
I d keep looking and find as nice a house in a dryer location

However that’s my personal view good luck either way

Yes, from an insurance perspective.

At the moment, premiums are capped under the Flood Re scheme but it doesn’t cover all properties e.g. it doesn’t cover homes built after 2008, and is set to expire in 2039 anyway.

What may not become a problem in the immediate future may become so later on and for your eventual executors.

I wouldn't buy a house that is at risk, however remotely, of flooding. You might not always be able to drive, so it makes sense to live where you can access buses etc more easily. I wouldn't necessarily hang on to your house because your children live close by. Things can change.

Yes, it would worry me very much. I have seen a property close to family which would be perfect but it is in a high risk zone for surface water flooding so I wouldn’t touch it with a bargepole. We are getting more flooding each year. You would in my opinion be better waiting for something less risky to come along.

I was flood once 30 years ago, it is a horrible experience and one I would never go through again. I think a lot of people think flooding=water. Believe me it isn't like letting the bath overflow, dirty water, silt that has to be scrubbed off again and again. The smell!

No I wouldn't touch a house with a flood risk if they were giving it away.

Sorry even after 30 years it feels traumatic.

No matter how lovely the house was I would never buy in an area that could flood. It was one of the things on my no list when I brought my bungalow.

A bit of research to see if preventative measures have been taken since 1969?

I used to live in a village that regularly flooded - canoes down the High Street- but they diverted the brook away from the village 30 years ago and it won’t flood again.

But obviously the flooding is still on record.

Thank you for all your comments.
There was some work done after the 1969 flood to divert the water away from the houses but the increased rainfall could still leave a risk.
I am reluctant to let the house go but think maybe I should stay here where there is no risk of flooding. I am still torn between what to do for the best but I don’t want the worry every time there is a storm, flooding in your home must be horrid.

Not this house then, but keep looking?

As I’ve got older I’ve been really thankful that I moved from village to town.

Villages are great until you can’t drive!

Although I have been looking for ages and this house does have a driveway, it is a 1930s house as opposed to the mostly Victorian houses which are lovely but the parking is tricky.
The house has a lovely garden and ticks all the boxes, just the flooding issue. I agree moving to town would be helpful.

Part of our town can flood luckily I m higher so don’t have any problem but it is really horrible for those that have flooded silty mud running through your downstairs leaving it all behind when levels drop They have done a lot of work on prevention in the town but I still wouldn’t live in that low lying part I wouldn’t touch it will a barge pole I think your insurance premiums would be higher too

The insurance premiums are double as compared to where I am currently. Almost a unanimous don’t buy this house. The flooding issue is so disappointing!

I would not go for this house, as you would be putting yourself into a situation where you would have something to worry about from the beginning , which you could do nothing , or very little about yourself. You really want to be making life as simple as possible . So I would not go for this house, however it is a good nudge to you to start thinking what would be suitable for you.

You are in a good position at the moment. There is no immediate situation that forces you to choose in a very short time. I have moved 19 times both here and abroad and also did many years hospital car volunteer service, and have seen many people suddenly put into a situation by an accident or perhaps a stroke or whatever having to make decisions in very difficult situations where your choice is limited and often you end up in a place that is not at all your choice.

So, I would suggest two things. Realizing that at some stage quite soon you want to move, that you can already begin a practical thing of beginning to throw out, give away, sell , those things that you no longer need or use. If you just look at an average week in your life, what are the things you do a lot, what do you realize you hardly ever do now etc.

Then do a lot more research into things for the future. So for example you could look at the town you are thinking of going to. What are the public transport things available. Is there a main line station, does it connect with routes that are going to be useful to you. Look at the roads, by which I mean is there really only one main road in and out, or are there a couple of main roads, or are their a lot of railway crossings etc etc that might be a real pain if there was a problem on the main road and no other way of getting in and out.

It is a big thing to move of course, and I think it is worth the time checking things out, so as you look around the town, take note of things such as is there a swimming pool if you are a swimmer, or a tennis court or anything that is of interest to y ou. As you do this, take the local paper for a good few weeks and you will discover ,reading that ,lots of things about the town. It will show the concerns locally, from readers letters etc, have the timetables and information on lots of clubs and interest, but also show things like the court details and which pub might have fights at the weekend etc. So armed with all this information you will then be looking at properties with background knowledge.

You will then have a much clearer idea of the areas that are of interest to y ou, recognise areas that are out of your price range, and those that you would not want to live near. This may sound a bit over the top and too much to do. But I am not suggesting you do it all at once. I have just found it a useful way of doing things.

We once had to move to the Nottingham area and we were coming from a long way from there. I looked at the map of the city and realized that there was a large area which would depend on a main bridge over the river to get into the city and so drew up a circle of the city and then drew out a map radiating from the city centre that did not need to go over this bridge and started looking in that area. My husband thought I was being rather overworried about such things but a year later ,when we had moved there, was very pleased as major work had to be done on the bridge and it caused endless headaches for those who had to use it.

I hope that I have not put you off moving, but more made you feel that you can choose and be in control this way, and every thing you do even just getting the local paper will all give you good ideas so that when a really suitable property comes up you will be ready and make a good move. You can listen to views from friends and family, but at the end of the day it is your life and you need to feel happy with your choice. Wishing you all the best

Very helpful post madeleine45

All your replies have been really helpful so thank you.
Definitely not put me off madeleine45, maybe I am not as ready as I thought! The town is fine, and I am happy with that, and this is so very nearly the right house. Although I will be a bit worried every time there is a storm. Others just seem to buy these houses whereas I always stress about flood risks etc. I could stay here and save up more whilst I am working, that may be a sensible option.

BlueBelle

It would bother me I wouldn’t move to a flood area even if it hadn’t flooded for years we know the weather is going to be getting wetter year on year so not a risk I’d take
I d keep looking and find as nice a house in a dryer location

However that’s my personal view good luck either way

What BlueBelle says most def.

Just keep looking around for another property.

I would not buy that house, even if it was the last one available.

I would be worried every time it rained, and if there was a storm during the night, I would not be able to settle.

Apart from buses, food stores, and a station, please consider a GP and the distance to the local hospital.

Above post reported

I wouldn’t buy a house at risk of flooding but think a new property in town is a good idea. I’m 67 and live within walking distance of everything I need. I do drive but don’t use the car every day.
I wouldn’t live in a village at my stage in life but I wouldn’t live in a city either. A town is just perfect, as long as there’s easy access to green spaces, which there is.

I lived in a flood risk area for a while. I convinced myself it didn't bother me but the relief when we moved and it wasn't in the back of my mind all the time was huge. The thought of it was always there.

I have moved several times and seen some lovely house with good prices but if there is even the slightest risk of flood I wouldn't touch it.

We are about to buy a house that flooded in 1947 and has flooded before that, but not since because of flood amelioration measures.

The house is a project and among the works we intend to do to it, is to make it flood resilient. This includes replacing the outer doors with flood proof doors, these look just like ordinary doors, we will have non-return valves on the plumbing, so no sewage feeds back to the house. The house is reckoned to be medium risk for flooding and we do not expect to get flooded.

For the past 30 years we have lived in a village that flooded in 1947 and then in 2007 and 2020. We live on the edge of the flood are but several feet above it. Our house has never flooded or come near flooding. This has not stopped us having plenty of viewers for our house and several competing to buy it. No one, viewers or eventual purchaser have shown any worries about our house flooding.

If everyone were to avoid houses that might flood, then half the housing stock in the country would be unoccupied. What people in areas like we are going to live in need to do is be realistic about the flooding risk and then take measures to make the house resilient in the unlikely event that the house does flood.

The fact that we have never had problem insuring our present house against flooding, nor are we having a problem with our future home, gives us reassurance enough that we have a correct assessment of the risk.