Recent flooding which has affected many areas across the UK has acted as a wake-up call for buyers and developers alike, according to property consultancy Knight Frank.

The firm states that developers are committing increased resources to evaluate potential flood risk in order to avoid problems for new homes.

Mark Wilkinson, spokesperson for Knight Frank Residential Development, comments: "The effect of [recent flooding] has been to increase the risk profile such that larger and wider areas may now be captured by the 'at risk' category. This will have an impact on the extent and design of residential scheme[s] in affected areas."

He added that often developers can look to overcome flooding risk in new homes by using ground floor rooms for garaging, utility rooms and storage, while keeping habitable rooms above the risk.

According to the Economist, while developers are still allowed to build on flood plains in England, this is no longer the case north of the border.