Graham Brogden MBE, chair of the International Property Flood resilience Association (IPFRA), explains why flood risk is on the agenda of every conveyancer, and outlines what IPFRA is doing to support consistent standards and best practice across the sector.
Flood risk is no longer a niche environmental concern within property transactions. It is increasingly a mainstream issue that conveyancers encounter daily.
Today, it is routine for legal conveyancers acting for buyers to commission a flood search as part of the due diligence process. When that report flags potential risk, the implications can be immediate: concerns from lenders, requests for additional information, renegotiation of price, or in some cases the collapse of the transaction altogether as buyers get cold feet.
At the same time, the introduction of new material information requirements when marketing property means sellers and estate agents must disclose known flood risks and previous flood events.
For property professionals, the challenge is that flood risk is often treated as a simple pass-or-fail issue. A property is either at risk or it is not yet, in reality, the issue is far more complex.
Many homes in areas of flood risk have already taken practical steps to reduce the likelihood and impact of flooding. Understanding these measures, as well as being able to evidence them, is becoming increasingly important for buyers, lenders and insurers alike.
The role of Property Flood Resilience (PFR)
PFR refers to measures that help to better protect buildings from flooding and reduce damage if water does enter. These include resistance measures designed to limit water entering a building, such as flood doors, barriers, self-closing airbricks and non-return valves.
Alongside these are resilience measures that enable faster recovery after a flood event. These might include pumps, raised electrics, resilient flooring, tiled surfaces, waterproof kitchens, or other recoverable materials designed to withstand water and reduce repair time.
However, PFR is not simply about installing products. Effective resilience also includes preparedness, understanding the local flood risk, signing up to flood warnings, having a clear flood plan, and ensuring any measures are properly stored and maintained.
For the property sector, this means a home identified as being in a flood risk area may in fact be significantly better able to recover from a flood, than a similar property where no mitigation measures exist.
Insurance considerations also play a role here. The UK’s Flood Re scheme has ensured flood insurance remains available and affordable for residential properties built prior to 2009 since its introduction in 2016. However, Flood Re is a transitional scheme currently due to end in 2039, and discussions are already underway about how the market will operate beyond that point.
The future flood landscape
A key part of the future landscape is likely to involve better documentation of a property’s flood resilience.
This is where concepts such as flood performance certificates (FPCs) are gaining attention. Similar in principle to energy performance certificates, these could provide a clear, independent record of the resilience measures installed within a property, giving insurers, lenders and property professionals a more accurate understanding of risk.
For conveyancers and estate agents, this type of documentation could prove invaluable. Rather than simply identifying a flood risk, professionals would be able to demonstrate the proactive steps taken to mitigate it, plus FPCs could form part of property log books, which the government is looking to introduce.
At the International Property Flood Resilience Association (IPFRA), we are working to support consistent standards and best practice across the sector. Our members adhere to IPFRA’s Code of Conduct alongside the CIRIA Property Flood Resilience Code of Practice, helping ensure that property-level resilience measures are delivered to recognised standards and that firms operate professionally and responsibly.
By bringing together organisations across the PFR supply chain, we aim to strengthen professional confidence in resilience measures and support their recognition within the wider property and insurance landscape.
Fundamentally, as flood risk becomes an increasingly visible factor in property transactions, the ability to recognise and evidence resilience measures will become ever more important.
For conveyancers, understanding property flood resilience is not just useful knowledge, it will increasingly become part of enabling informed, confident property transactions.
About the author
Graham Brogden MBE is chair of the International Property Flood resilience Association (IPFRA). He started his working career in the construction industry and has extensive experience both at trade and management level. As chair of the DEFRA Property Flood Resilienace Roundtable, Graham was heavily involved with the concept and development of the Code of Practice and an active member of the steering group throughout the development of the code. He stood down as chair in February 2020 but remains heavily involved in the group. Graham now works as an independent consultant within the PFR sector and was responsible for the delivery of the Be Flood Ready centre at HR Wallingford in conjunction with West Northants Council and the National Flood School. In 2021 Graham was awarded the MBE for services to flood preparation and resilience.
