The Postcode BriefBuyer guide
Buyer guide
Check flood risk before buying
Flooding is one of the few risks that can make a property uninsurable or unmortgageable. Checking before you offer is not optional in many areas.
Long-term flood zones
The Environment Agency publishes rivers-and-sea flood zones for England. Postcode Brief checks whether the postcode centre falls in Zone 2 or 3, and supplements with surface-water and historic flooding layers where available.
Real-time warnings
Separate from long-term risk, the EA issues flood alerts and warnings during heavy rain. A property can have low long-term risk but still suffer surface-water flooding in extreme events.
What to ask the seller
Has the property or garden flooded? Is there a flood defence scheme locally? Has insurance been refused or loaded because of flood history?
Common questions
- Does Wales use the same flood data?
- Wales uses Natural Resources Wales datasets. Postcode Brief checks the appropriate national source for the postcode nation.