Be flood aware

It’s very important to research the flood history of your home and to make sure it hasn’t gone underwater before. Real estate agents don’t need to notify you if the home has flooded in the past but it can drastically affect the home’s resale value if a bank can (and can’t) give you a loan and more importantly can cost you double or triple the amount in insurance. Pop on over to the flood awareness map on the Brisbane City Council website and enter the property’s address.

In the case of 82 Charlotte Street, it has a medium likelihood of being flooded—meaning a flood event is likely to occur during a single lifetime of around 70 years and has a 1% chance of a flood occurring in any year. Have a look at the sample flood report here, but as you can see the property is affected by overland flow path.

The Flood Awareness Map lets you know what the history of flooding is at your property.

Overland flow flooding usually occurs when the capacity of the underground piped drainage system is exceeded and/or when the overland flow path is blocked. It is recommended you consult a Registered Professional Engineer of Queensland to determine this property’s habitable floor level and flooding depth. Please refer to Council’s planning scheme for further information.

Flooding in Brisbane is fairly common in suburbs around the river, or in low-lying areas like Paddington, Rosalie, Milton and West End. It doesn’t mean the end of the world for your future home but does mean you should do some more research before going ahead AND also factor in a discount to the purchase price given there is a likelihood of being flooded in the future.