Flooded home insurance

When getting a quote for flooded home insurance, insurers usually need to know the proximity of water (in metres) to your property from the nearest water course, as well as information about any history of flooding in the area. This should include causes and dates. You may also be asked about any defences that have been installed since the flooding, and for a full flood claims history for your property, including the value of the claim and details of the work completed.

As part of mortgage requirements, lenders prefer buyers to have home insurance that includes flood cover. If you plan on buying a property in an area that has a high flood risk, whether as a landlord or as an owner-occupier, you may find the process difficult due to insurance availability and costs. If you're buying a property, your agent is legally obligated to inform you if it has ever flooded before. If your property has previously flooded, or is located in a high-risk flood area, many standard insurance policies may not offer the level of flooded home insurance you need. Home insurance quotes for flood risk areas can differ greatly.

Whether you can get ‘flood insurance’ will depend on a number of factors. Howden's flooded home insurance provides cover for properties that have flooded in the past or that are in a high risk area. While in most circumstances Howden will be able to provide home insurance cover for properties previously affected by flooding, this may not include cover for flood. You'll need to tell them key information about the property in order to obtain a flood insurance quote, such as how close is your property to the nearest watercourse and whether any defences have been installed since the flooding happened.

Here are some tips to keep your property dry during flooding:

Shelving: Put your valuable items on high mounted shelves

Home entertainment: Hang TV and audio visual equipment from walls rather than placing them on units

Skirting: You can buy water resistant skirting boards or varnish boards to protect against water

Pumps: These can be bought and installed into an underfloor void to extract flood water

Walls: Protect walls by using a lime based plaster or by creating a draining system in cavity walls

Flooring: Use tiles rather than carpets which will resist water damage and be easier to clean and repair

Windows and doors: Synthetic or waxed doors and window frames will resist water damage

Kitchens and bathrooms: Choose water resistant materials such as steel, plastic or solid wood for furniture and fittings

Electrical appliances: Raise sockets so they are at least 1 metre above floor level and have no wiring at or below floor level

Unfortunately, sometimes there is very little you can do to prevent flood water from entering your home. If you've had to vacate your property due to severe flooding, returning home can be extremely difficult. Here are some things to bear in mind when returning home:

Take care: Tread carefully. Wear boots and gloves to protect you from hidden objects in the water

Insurance: Contact your insurer and begin to collect evidence to support your claim

Energy supply: Do not touch sources of electricity when standing in flood water. Get a qualified person to check your supply of electricity and gas or oil before doing anything

Ventilation: Open all of your windows. This will help to alleviate some of the smell left by the flood water

Food: Do not consume any food or medicines left in the house, even if it has been frozen

Mud: If you discover mud on both sides of a wall, shovel it away evenly so as not to create a build-up of pressure on one side

Cleaning: Once the flood waters have subsided, you can use ordinary household products and hot soapy water to clean surfaces and appliances

Temporary accommodation: Try to secure alternative accommodation as soon as possible. This may be automatically included on your home insurance policy. 

To get the best terms from insurers it is always best to be prepared to answer any questions they may have around the flood risk at your property. 

Information commonly requested includes:

Proximity of water – how near the water is to your property and how high above the water the property is

History of flooding – detailed information of flooding in and around the area, no matter how long ago

What precautions have been taken since the area last flooded – be aware of any government schemes, such as the upgrading of flood defences

Flood claims history – if a claim has been made, details of the cost of repairs and what work was carried out

Insurance companies are always very cautious about flood areas and the more information you have at hand the better the understanding the insurers will have around the risk. This means you'll be more likely to secure greater levels of cover with lower excesses.