HOMEBUYERS are more likely to research parking availability than the flood risk of a new home, a survey has revealed.

Just 28 per cent of people surveyed by the Association of British Insurers said they would check whether their house was at risk of flooding. Meanwhile 33 per cent would look into the ease of parking.

The ABI is urging estate agents to provide up front information about flood risks using a traffic-light style system the industry body has devised. It has highlighted the fact that one in six homes in England and Wales is at risk of flooding despite house buyers’ apparent disinterest in this criteria when looking at properties.

James Dalton, director of general insurance police at the ABI, said: “Flooding is a growing threat that as a nation we have to adapt to living with. As the floods of last winter reminded us, being flooded is horribly traumatic and can leave people out of their home or business for months.

"Anyone whose property is at flood risk needs to be aware of that so they can take steps to protect themselves," he went on to say.

“Property advertisements carry a wealth of information on everything from local schools to a property’s energy efficiency rating,” he went on to say. “Easily available information about the flood risk of the area is a glaring omission which needs to be put right.”

The ABI is proposing that estate agent brochures and online property adverts should carry a symbol marked red, amber or green to indicate the possible level of flood risk. This would be based on flood risk information broken down by postcode which is available from the Environment Agency and Natural Resource Wales. Under the proposals, househunters considering a property with an amber or red symbol would be urged to further investigate the property, such as paying for a flood risk report.