In recent days, many images of alleys, streets, and residential areas in Hanoi flooded with water have appeared in the mass media as well as on social networks. There are even "half laughing, half crying" stories when someone almost drowned in a deeply flooded mini apartment basement.
Therefore, besides location, price or amenities, the issue that many home buyers in general and apartment buyers in particular are concerned about is whether the place where they live will be flooded during the rainy season or not. .
Mr. Nguyen Trong Vu (42 years old, from Ha Tinh) shared that in mid-July 2024, he connected with many brokers and was taken to see more than a dozen houses but still did not like any of them. When he began to feel depressed, he received a call from a broker informing him that he had found a "super product", with a shallow alley, moderate area, and a price within his financial range.
Went to see it according to the broker's appointment, this is truly the most satisfactory apartment. The house is located in an alley in Ha Dong district (Hanoi), area more than 40m2, clear legal status, shallow alley, three-wheeled vehicle, quiet surroundings.
In the following days, the broker also continuously persuaded to close quickly because "the price was reasonable, if not quickly, someone else would close. However, Mr. Vu said that he needed more time to think.
About a week later, due to the impact of the storm, it rained continuously all day. Mr. Vu called to make an appointment to see the house again, but the broker was hesitant and advised to reschedule because "it's not convenient to see the house when it's raining."
“I put on a raincoat and took my motorbike to see the house alone. When I arrived, the scene before my eyes surprised me. The small alley that is usually dry is now flooded with water. Some households there have to use blankets, old clothes, and loads of sand to cover their doors to keep water from flooding into the house" - Mr. Vu confided.
Mr. Vu said luckily he did not rush to believe the broker's words but patiently waited for the "test" of a rainy day.
“Many people say I'm bad at looking at houses on a rainy day, but for me it's an opportunity to know if the house and surrounding main roads are flooded. Flooded houses not only affect travel and living, but are also very susceptible to seepage, cracks, mold, and reduce the life of the building" - Mr. Vu shared.
From his own experiences, Mr. Vu advises people to take the time to thoroughly research prices and legalities before spending money, especially to go see houses on heavy rainy days to evaluate them. objective about the quality and location of the house.
Some experts believe that on rainy days, residential houses often reveal some weaknesses such as water seeping into the base of the walls for a long time, leading to mold and leaks from the ceiling.
As for apartments, some apartments due to poor construction quality, rainwater still seeps through the windows and flows into the house. Balconies and loggias with poor drainage also cause water to flow back into the house.
If you still decide to buy a house in a flooded area, the buyer can completely renegotiate the price. Thus, customers will be able to buy houses at more reasonable prices.
Talking about the reason why small alleys are often submerged in a sea of rainwater, architect Dao Ngoc Nghiem - Vice President of the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association - said the first reason is due to too much rainfall.
The second reason is that the area's stormwater drainage system has not yet resolved the downstream source, meaning it has not yet linked the drainage infrastructure.
