THE 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 data issued by RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors).

With repair costs so high, RICS has warned affected homeowners who are having their properties repaired to also consider additional flood-defence measures.

While potentially costly, the amount of money saved and disruption avoided in the longer term, should the worst happen once more, is said to make it a sound investment, especially for those without comprehensive buildings insurance.

The average £30,000 cost of repairing a typical three-bedroom semi-detached property includes items like timber floors, plasterboard, kitchen units and cavity wall insulation and, in many cases, will be largely covered by a homeowner’s insurance company.

The claims process, however, can potentially take many months and, crucially, those without comprehensive cover could have to foot the entire cost themselves.

Flood prevention measures, however, including adding non-return valves to drains, raising power points and laying tiled floors, comes in at around £15,000.

While clearly a substantial extra cost, those who have fallen victim to the recent floods should seriously consider flood-proofing as a means of both protecting their home and ensuring that they do not have their lives turned upside down to the same extent in the future.

Those who have been affected by flooding and are unsure as to what to do next should consult a chartered building surveyor and download the free flooding guide from the RICS website.

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.”