House behind the dam - what should be considered?

We have now discovered our dream plot after years of searching. The problem is that it is located directly behind a dam on the Danube (apart from the old buildings on it, but that's another topic :p). We have ruled out building a basement from the start because the groundwater is not too far away.

But if we still decide to go for it, how can the house be best protected against groundwater and flooding in case the dam fails. Although it has never happened since it has existed (30 years), you never know.

How do you build a ground floor and slab? Are there windows or doors that are more resistant to water than the usual ones? We were thinking of having heating and electricity on the first floor. Which type of heating is particularly suitable for that? I would be happy to receive lots of tips and tricks :D

Good that you don’t want a basement,
in case of flooding this can cause the foundation to be undermined and the structural integrity to be at risk.

The doors and windows should be pressure-resistant, so the windows open outward and not inward.
Additionally, I would install roller shutters (but not those plastic ones) in the basement to be protected in the worst case against floating debris.
A pressure-resistant window is useless if a tree crashes into it ;)

Install heating systems and the electrical box on the upper floor.

Backflow preventers ensure that water does not enter the house through drains such as floor drains or sinks.

Whether a building survives a flood without damage depends mainly on the building materials used. The “Flood Protection Guide” issued by the BMVBS, as of December 2010, lists (building) materials and assesses their resistance to water exposure. How components exposed to flooding should be designed is described in the “Flood Handbook – Living, Housing and Building in Flood-prone Areas” published in Rhineland-Palatinate.

So, what costs more now, a property in a safe location, or the one behind the dike with the associated additional costs? ;-)

Of course, you can skip all this, it’s unnecessary anyway... The dike has held for 30 years! :D
A water pump with a hose of around 15 meters, depending on the size of the house, would also be useful to pump water from the ground floor through the window of the upper floor in the worst case.

Is such a house (still) insurable?

We’ve already asked around briefly, but no one here will insure you against flood protection. The risk is simply too high. Especially after the recent incidents.

@Nutshell: It’s not about the cost here. Plots of land in our area are just incredibly scarce. They’re all expensive :p, no matter where. This is the first one in over 4 years that we like because it’s great both in layout and size. And affordable (and there’s even money left over for the house :cool:). But as I said, we’re still considering....

Good, as long as you’re not planning a bungalow and you can still move up one more floor, it’s fine ;)

Well, I would have a nice thick masonry built :-)

After I helped with the cleanup during the recent flooding, my suggestion would be not to buy the property at all. In 2002 there was a once-in-a-century flood and now, 11 years later, there was another one. Much worse than the first. Many thought it wouldn’t happen again. Well, my friends and I shoveled mud out of the second floor of many houses. And most of the homeowners are now facing financial ruin, as nothing could be insured. If you want to live in fear forever - go ahead and buy it. I wouldn’t.