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5 million people live or work in properties at risk from flooding according to a recent Environment Agency report.

And it isn’t just people living close to rivers – surface water from heavy rain can cause flooding if local runoff areas have been built on and there is nowhere for the water to drain to.

The Environment Agency (EA) classifies areas based on the risk:
- low
- moderate
- significant.

A visit to the EA website will show you the areas at risk from flooding.

Given the significant levels of flooding in England and Wales in recent years some home owners have a real problem:  its impossible for them to get flood insurance.

Check with the Environment Agency website and your conveyancing solicitor if you are thinking of buying a property that might be in a flood plain.  Environmntal searches are not always done as a standard part of the conveyancing process so check to see if one is required before you buy.  A risk of flooding may allow you to negotiate thousands off the asking price – especially if flood insurance is not available.  That’s if you still want to move there of course!