How do the recent floods effect the property market?  If a property is close to a river that has burst its banks then the chances are that the value of that property will go down, the reason for this is quite obvious, damage caused by the food water and higher insurance premiums. there are certain things that you can do,  and that is to have plan for when the floods come, there is a system called a Delta Membrane System this  assumes the water will get in, it then directs the water via channels into a sump where it is then pumped out of the building. I have seen photographs of a house where the water is all around the house and the inside of the house is completely  dry with the pump constantly pumping the water out,  it also has a back up system where an alarm sounds just in case the power fails and it then moves on to its own batteries.

This system is easier to fit when you are building a house or carrying out a major refurbishment project. The system requires a membrane  to be attached to all the external walls and the floor, you can then plaster over this and lay your floor so that as the water flows in it hits the membrane and flows into a channel and then into the sump and is then pumped out.

This may not help with insurance premiums to start with but at least you will not have encountered all the damage and therefore no need for a claim.

I have fitted one of these systems and they work really well, during all of the heavy weather we have had the building has remained completely dry, so wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this system and if it is a house you are selling then I am sure if you have this in place,  and the other house in the area does not I know what house I would rather purchase.  I like to ensure that my properties are properly protected from natural hazzards and also ensuring that your property is insulated and meets high efficiency standards can save you money, in a recent article on the eco scheme I discussed my thoughts on ensuring properties meet high efficiency standards.

Richard Butler-Creagh