A sea, river or lake view is for some buyers up there with a roof and four walls in terms of must-have features. But get too close to the water, and that pretty view can have a more menacing aspect.

Flood risks apply to 4.4 million people in 2.3 million properties in England and Wales. To check go to: www.environment-agency.gov.uk/ subjects/flood — there is advice on how to manage flood risk and a section for riverside homeowners. To see how much sea levels need to rise before your home disappears, go to http://flood.firetree.net — zoom in on the map to your area, then slide the sea level rise by up to 14 metres. If you think that the Government has its flood defence strategies all wrong, have a play at controlling Britain’s coastline yourself with FloodRanger: it’s an educational game that you can download for £29 at www.discoverysoftware.co.uk.

All this talk of hosepipe bans might distract you from the problem of drought, however. Prolonged droughts increase the likelihood of subsidence. RICS has advice on how it is caused and how to fix it: http://tinyurl.com/334exk. Direct Line has also produced an easy-to-understand guide at www.directline.com/home/ subsidence_info.pdf

If this hasn’t put you off wanting to own a waterside abode, there are several specialist estate agents that you should call on: www.watersideproperties.co.uk lists properties both at home and away; www.watersideestateagents.com specialises in East Anglia. Buyers with more exotic tastes (and larger budgets) may be tempted to buy an Island. Specialists include: www.privateislandsonline.com, and www.vladi-private-islands.de.

If your budget won’t stretch to an island, why not go for something altogether more modest? Beach huts are available through the help of www.beachhutworld.com; or www.waterview.co.uk has a selection of moorings for sale from £40,000. LUCIA ADAMS

Got a great website? E-mail: lucia.adams@timesonline.co.uk

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