Heartbreak risk for homebuyers relying on seasonal searches?

Heartbreak risk for homebuyers relying on seasonal searches?

The seasonality of conveyancing property searches undertaken by property lawyers may leave homebuyers heartbroken if unexpected risks cause damage to their property in the future, according to SearchFlow, the property search firm.

Research conducted by SearchFlow into flood risk searches undertaken over the last three years, found that nearly a quarter of annual flood searches (23%) take place in October and November, when wet autumnal weather reminds homebuyers and their conveyancers of the importance of understanding flood risk.

The number of flood searches undertaken by homebuyers drops to its lowest in January when just 6% of the annual number of searches are undertaken.

This Year 2012 saw the wettest April to June on record with further wet weather in July, late September and October.

This caused the proportion of flood searches undertaken in November this year to spike at 14.4% of the annual total.

In contrast, the month with the lowest proportion of flood searches, just 7.3%, was September when the fine and warm first half of the month suggested the UK might enjoy an Indian summer.

However, many homeowners who bought in September and didn’t undertake a flood search may be regretting the decision now. Richard Hinton, business development director of SearchFlow said: “If a property is at risk of flood during a wet year, the risk is the same whether you buy in June or November. But many homebuyers and property lawyers are only carrying out flood risk searches when the autumn rain begins to set in.

“Unfortunately, this attitude leaves a great many homebuyers at risk of heartbreak further down the line. Heartbreak which could have been avoided if seasonality didn’t cloud buyer’s judgement of what threats their property might face.“

The number of properties susceptible to flooding is significant. The Environment Agency estimates that 5.2m homes in the UK are at risk.

Of these properties, 2.8m are at risk of surface water flooding while 1.4m are at risk of river or coastal flooding.

1m homes are at risk of both forms of flood. Once floods hit, the damage and cost can be vast.

In 2012 alone the cost of flood damage is estimated to be around £1bn – the costliest flood year since 2007.

Richard Hinton, said: “The emotional cost of flooding is one thing but the financial cost accentuates the misery. And homeowners who suffer events such as flooding unexpectedly may not have taken out the relevant insurance and could face carrying the burden of repair costs themselves.

“The best way to avoid situations like this is to fully understand the risks a property faces — whatever time of year it may be.”

For more information on any of the reports available through SearchFlow, please visit www.searchflow.co.uk

SearchFlow

http://www.searchflow.co.uk

SearchFlow is the UK’s largest provider of legal due diligence data for residential and commercial property transactions. Since its formation, it has supported over 5,000,000 instructions and delivered 26,000,000 searches; this equates to around 1 in every 4 property transactions in the UK. SearchFlow recognises that proactively supporting each client’s journey is vital to delivering the right due diligence insights, searches, data, surveys, and insurance for every transaction – whether a single residential property or a complex commercial portfolio. Via its advanced online ordering platform and backed-up by an award-winning customer service team, SearchFlow supports clients in delivering the conveyancing solutions needed to manage due diligence risk and achieve compliance. By partnering with SearchFlow, property law professionals in the UK can deliver smarter, safer, and faster property transactions to their customers. SearchFlow have been crowned Search Provider of the Year for four consecutive years, and recently won Bronze for Best Use of Technology at the CX Awards. Based in Kent, SearchFlow is a Landmark Information Group business, which is part of DMGT plc. Key Services

Links Address 42 Kings Hill Avenue Kings Hill West Malling Kent ME19 4AJ Key Contact  Rob Steadman robert.steadman@searchflow.co.uk Telephone 0800 977 8818

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