Holiday Homes at Risk of Flooding
Posted on 19/11/09, filed under Maintenance Advice | No CommentsWith the worst storms of the year currently hammering parts of the UK, forecasters are warning those with properties in the holiday home hot-spots of Cumbria, North Wales and Scotland to be prepared for flooding.
The Met Office has issued severe weather warnings - with up to 50mm of rain expected to fall on already saturated ground, there is a risk that holiday homes will be damaged by flooding.
Parts of the UK are also expected to be battered by gale force winds of up to 70mph, which is strong enough to cause damage to holiday homes by falling trees, branches and roof tiles being blown off.
Be vigilant to any signs of damage to your holiday home, alert your insurer should the worst happen and be aware of the flood risks in your area.
How to check for the latest flood warnings:
To search for flood warning information use the following sites:
- View the latest flood warnings in force at the Environment Agency website
- Flood warnings in Scotland from the Environment Protection Agency
- The latest forecast and flood alerts from the Metoffice
Preparing for floods
If your holiday cottage is in a flood risk area, near a river or at the bottom of a hill where floodwater could collect… preparing for a flood is essential. Don’t wait until it happens, as you may not have time.
While it’s impossible to completely flood-proof a property, there are lots of things you can do to prepare your holiday home if it’s at risk of flooding.
Follow the excellent guides from the Environment Agency website where you can:
- Sign up for Floodline Warnings Direct - this is a free service that provides flood warnings direct to you by telephone, mobile, email, SMS text message and fax
- Make a flood plan - or download one from the website
- Preparing your home or business for flooding – download the flood advice guides, available in PDF, CD or MP3.
*Preparing for a flood - advice on what to do to protect you and your property
*During a flood - advice on what to do to stay safe in a flood
*After a flood - advice on recovering from a flood.
- How to reduce flood damage
- Flood protection products and services
Consider purchasing some sandbags or other flood protection to block doorways and entry points. Also, make a list of useful numbers, including your insurance company, that you may need if your property floods.
Check your holiday home insurance covers flood damage
If your holiday home is flooded it can be costly, not just in financial terms but also the inconvenience, heartache and time to get the damage repaired. Make sure you have adequate insurance that covers flood damage.
The constant turnover of holidaymakers staying at your holiday home means that wear and tear is to be expected. What will inevitably happen is that a booking will cause substantial damage… 
The holidaymaker deliberately scammed the holiday let owner, as they booked with a stolen credit card under a false name (worryingly via a holiday cottage letting agency). Once the fraudster had the keys to the cottage, they emptied it of valuables.
Apartments on a development in Marbella which was built illegally and has been condemned to demolition, are still being advertised on websites targeting UK buyers.
Unfortunately, hundreds of existing owners at the development, many of them Britons, face their homes being demolished, with no compensation offered.
The worrying thing is that buyers followed sensible practice when purchasing property. They used an independent Spanish lawyer and saw for themselves documents issued by Marbella council, apparently confirming the legality of the land and building work. Unfortunately they fell foul of corrupt council officials, some of whom are now in jail.
Following the bad publicity, lawyers, notaries and mortgage providers will no doubt make it their… 
So…