Know your flood risk before you buy.
Guides to flood risk, zones and insurance
Plain-English explanations of what flood zones mean, the different kinds of flooding, and what to check before you buy, rent, insure or extend a home in England.
- Free to read
- Plain English
- 2–3 minute reads
Start hereFlood zones · 3 min read
What Flood Zone Am I In?
How to find your zone, what Zones 1, 2 and 3 mean, and why it matters before you buy.
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All guides
Short reads,
no jargon.
01Flood zones
What Flood Zone Am I In?
How to find your zone, and what Zones 1, 2 and 3 actually mean.
3 min readRead guide →- 02
Flood zones
Flood Zone 3 Explained
What high probability means for buying, insurance and planning.
3 min readRead guide → - 03
Flood zones
Flood Zone 2 Explained
Medium probability – and the extra questions it raises.
2 min readRead guide → - 04
Flood zones
Flood Zone 1: Am I Safe?
Low risk from rivers and the sea, but not no risk at all.
2 min readRead guide → - 05
Flood zones
Flood Zones vs Long-Term Flood Risk
Why the planning map and the risk bands can disagree.
3 min readRead guide → 
06Types of flooding
What Is Surface Water Flooding?
The most common kind of flooding in England, and why zones miss it.
3 min readRead guide →- 07
Types of flooding
Groundwater Flooding Explained
When water rises from below – and where it’s most likely.
2 min readRead guide → - 08
Types of flooding
Reservoir Flood Risk: Should You Worry?
What the reservoir maps show and how rare failures are.
2 min readRead guide → 
09Buying & renting
Buying a House in a Flood Risk Area
What to check before you offer, and who to ask.
3 min readRead guide →- 10
Buying & renting
Questions to Ask Before You Buy
The flood questions for sellers, surveyors and conveyancers.
2 min readRead guide → - 11
Buying & renting
Renting a Home That Might Flood
What landlords should tell you and what to check yourself.
2 min readRead guide → 
12Insurance & mortgages
Flood Insurance Explained
Why cover varies, and what pushes premiums up.
3 min readRead guide →- 13
Insurance & mortgages
What Is Flood Re?
The scheme that keeps cover affordable for many older homes.
2 min readRead guide → - 14
Insurance & mortgages
Can I Get a Mortgage in Flood Zone 3?
Usually – if you can insure it. What lenders look for.
2 min readRead guide → 
15Planning & extensions
Do I Need a Flood Risk Assessment?
When councils ask for one, and what it involves.
3 min readRead guide →- 16
Planning & extensions
Extending a Home in Flood Zones 2 and 3
Floor levels, resilience and the planning rules for extensions.
3 min readRead guide → 
17Protecting your home
Signing Up for Flood Warnings
Free alerts by phone, text or email – and why everyone should.
2 min readRead guide →- 18
Protecting your home
Property Flood Resilience: What Works
Flood doors, non-return valves and what’s worth the money.
3 min readRead guide →
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