It is estimated by the Environment Agency that one in every six homes in the UK are in an area where there is a risk of flooding, and the increase in extreme weather events means that this risk is likely to grow in coming years. If you’re buying a new home, you’ll want to be fully informed about the flood history of the property, so you can make an informed decision about proceeding with the sale or not. Homes that are prone to flooding can be difficult or very costly to insure, so it’s important that this is considered before completing on the purchase.
Sellers have an obligation for declaring flooding when selling a house in the UK, using the TA6 property information form, and as well as sharing that flooding happened, they should also specify the effect that the flooding had on the home, garden, driveway and surrounding land, which gives a potential buyer more information about what happened and helps them make a decision regarding this. If the seller lies, misleads or fails to disclose flooding events that they know about and the sale completes, the buyer may be able to make a claim for property misrepresentation. Call our specialist team for more information and to find out if you can make a claim on 0161 696 6178.