Homeowners who are at risk of floods are being advised to consider flood defences after it was revealed the average cost of restoring a flood-hit three bedroom house to its former condition could be on average £30,000, with flood proofing costing an additional £15,000 according to RICS.

Due to these high repair costs RICS is advising homeowners who are having their properties repaired to also consider additional flood defence measures, whilst costly, the amount of money saved and disruption avoided in the longer term should the worst happen again will make it a sound investment.

Gary Strong, RICS Director, said: “Now the flooding is over those who have been affected will, naturally, be going back to their homes, assessing the damage and lodging insurance claims to get their lives back on track. In many cases, costs will be covered by the homeowner’s insurer but there are many out there who do not have comprehensive cover and could end up footing a very large repair bill.

“In either case, we recommend that those affected consider extra flood defences. It can take months to get a home back to its original state and the disruption caused can be catastrophic to many people’s lives. Money now could turn out to be a very shrewd investment further down the line.”

The average £30,000 cost of repairing a typical three bedroom semi-detached property includes the likes of timber floors, plasterboard, kitchen units and cavity wall insulation and in the majority of cases will be largely covered by a homeowner’s insurance company. However, the claims process can potentially take many months and, crucially, those without comprehensive cover could have to foot the entire cost themselves. However, flood prevention measures – including adding non-return valves to drains, raising power points and laying tiled floors – comes it at around £15,000.