House hunters in Spain have been urged to check for flood risk data before completing their purchases.
It comes as Andalucia is facing one of the worst winters in years due to consistent rainfall and storms.
Over the past week, more than 8,000 people have been evacuated across Cadiz, Malaga and Granada, all provinces hugely popular with the expat community.
The drastic measures have been ordered due to severe flooding and landslides, with countless properties left damaged in the process.
Paul Stuart, from Palm Estates in Marbella, told the Spanish Eye today that he has seen ‘life-changing’ damage to homes this week.
His clients, most of them British, are having to hear of devastating damage to their properties – with many unable to fly out due to the 90 in 180 day rule.
Some of his clients will have to spend half their property’s value on repairing the damage.
Paul told this paper: ‘In Estepona for example we get over 300 days of sunshine but when it rains, it rains, and it comes at once.
‘At Palm Estates we do our own risk assessment for that very reason as part of our due diligence. For those that buy near the flood lines, they are taking a risk that we don’t advise, as the consequences can be life changing.
‘We’re aware of properties right now where owners are overseas and the cost of repairing flood damage is approaching half the value of the property itself. This is the reality of buying near a flood line.
‘Southern Spain offers an exceptional lifestyle, but understanding weather patterns, drainage, and flood risk is just as important as sunshine when making a long-term property decision.’
Paul said he is spending all day making video calls with property owners to show them the damage.
‘It’s not pleasant,’ he added, saying that he has been helping remove water with buckets after homes were inundated rainfall.
It comes as the severe weather that has been battering Andalucia for days on end looks set to continue over the weekend.
A new Atlantic storm system – named Marta – is heading to the peninsula, with alerts from state weather agency in effect on Saturday.
Areas like Grazalema (the ground zero of Storm Leonardo) will be back on an orange alert.
The whole Grazalema district of Cadiz was evacuated on Thursday due to the high risk of landslides following consistent rainfall and overwhelming flooding of its streets and homes.
The worst of the weather this weekend is expected on Saturday.
In the western half, the whole of Sevilla and Huelva provinces are on a yellow warning for heavy rainfall, plus some parts of Cadiz.
Grazalema, meanwhile, is once again under the eye of the storm and is under an orange warning.
State weather agency Aemet is warning of 80mm of rainfall in 12 hours.
The Costa del Sol and Guadalhorce Valley will avoid a rain warning but are on a yellow alert for strong winds of up to 70km/hr.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
