Buying a home in Exeter
What official records show at 9 postcodes across Exeter: flooding, radon, ground conditions, old landfill, protected buildings, prices, crime and schools. Conditions change from street to street, so use this to know what to ask, then check the home you're buying.
Check a home in Exeter
Enter a postcode or address for the free area check at that exact postcode.
At a glance
- Rivers and sea3 of the 9 postcodes we checked in a mapped flood area
- Surface waterLow or very low at all 9 postcodes we checked
- RadonUp to 10–30% of homes above the action level
- GroundLandslides recorded nearby
- Average price£282,696 in Exeter (July 2026)
Facts from official records at sample postcodes, not a rating of Exeter or of any home.
Flooding from rivers and the sea
We checked each postcode centre against the Environment Agency's flood zones.
3 of the 9 postcodes we checked are in a mapped flood area:
A home in a mapped flood area can cost more to insure, and some lenders ask more questions. Ask the seller about past flooding and any flood claims, and ask your solicitor for an environmental search.
Surface water flooding
Flooding from heavy rain that can't drain away fast enough. It can happen far from any river.
- Low: 2 of 9 postcodes
- Very low: 7 of 9 postcodes
Surface water risk changes over a few metres, with the lie of the land. Medium means a 1% to 3.3% chance of flooding each year, and high more than that. Ask the seller about past flooding and look at the drainage when you view.
Radon
Radon is a natural radioactive gas from the ground. The UK Health Security Agency maps the share of homes above its action level in each 1 km square.
At 8 of the 9 postcodes we checked, parts of the surrounding square are a radon Affected Area. The highest is up to 10–30% of homes above the action level.
The map shows the highest value in each square, not a measurement for any home. A three-month radon test, or an address report from UKradon, tells you about a particular house. Where levels are high, a sump or better ventilation usually brings them down.
Ground stability
The British Geological Survey rates natural ground hazards, such as clay that shrinks and swells, and old non-coal mine workings.
- Landslides: moderate near all 9 postcodes we checked
Non-coal mining hazard is low or none at every postcode we checked.
Ratings are for the surrounding area, not for a particular plot. Where clay shrink-swell or old workings are recorded, ask your surveyor to look for cracking and movement, and ask the seller about subsidence claims. A level 2 or level 3 survey is worth more here than a valuation alone.
Old landfill sites
Historic landfill sites within 500 m of each postcode centre.
Most old landfill causes no problems, but a home on or next to one can be harder to mortgage, and some sites give off gas. Your solicitor's environmental search lists sites near the address.
Conservation areas and listed buildings
Whether each postcode centre falls in a conservation area, on a listed building's site, or under similar protections.
- Central (conservation area) at EX1 1GG
In a conservation area or a listed building you need consent for many changes, such as new windows, extensions or taking down trees. Check before you plan work.
House prices
The average price in Exeter was £282,696 in July 2026, down 1.7% on a year earlier. This covers every home in the council area, so a particular street can be well above or below it.
At the postcodes we checked, Land Registry has 20 sales in the last 3 years, with a median of £290,000 and a range of £150,000 to £754,000. A handful of postcodes is a small sample, so treat this as a rough guide.
Our postcode check lists recent sales on the street, which tell you more about a particular home than a town average.
Crime
Measured around EX1 1GG, near the centre of Exeter.
701 crimes were reported within about a mile of the centre in August 2026. Town centres usually have more, because of shops and nightlife.
- Violence and sexual offences235
- Shoplifting122
- Anti-social behaviour107
- Criminal damage and arson54
- Other theft42
- Public order32
Our postcode check shows crime around any postcode, so you can see the street you're looking at.
Schools near the centre
The nearest schools by distance. Distance doesn't decide a place: each council's admissions rules do.
- Exeter Cathedral School
Primary · ages 3–13 · Other independent school · 280 m
- The Maynard School
Primary and secondary · ages 4–19 · Other independent school · 490 m
- St Sidwell's Church of England Primary School & Nursery
Primary · ages 3–11 · Academy converter · 660 m
- Newtown Primary School
Primary · ages 4–11 · Academy converter · 680 m
- St David's CofE Primary School
Primary · ages 5–11 · Academy converter · 690 m
- Magdalen Court School
Secondary · ages 5–18 · Other independent special school · 1.0 km
- Exeter School
Secondary · ages 6–19 · Other independent school · 1.2 km
- Belong School Devon
Secondary · ages 11–17 · Other independent special school · 1.3 km
Devon County Council: Primary admissions ↗ · Secondary admissions ↗
Postcode by postcode
Each row is one postcode centre we checked. Open a postcode for the full free area check.
| Postcode | Rivers and sea | Surface water | Radon | Ground | Landfill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EX1 1GG | Outside | Very low | 3–5% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| EX4 4SH | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| EX4 7EA | Outside | Very low | less than 1% | Moderate | 3 within 500 m |
| EX1 2TW | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| EX2 6BU | Outside | Very low | 1–3% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| EX2 8PQ | Flood Zone 3 | Low | 1–3% | Moderate | 1 within 500 m |
| EX2 9DF | Flood Zone 3 | Very low | 10–30% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| EX4 1SJ | Outside | Very low | 10–30% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
| EX4 4AP | Flood Zone 3 | Low | 5–10% | Moderate | None within 500 m |
What this guide can't tell you
- It covers 9 postcodes, not every street. Results can differ a few doors away, so check the postcode you're buying in.
- It isn't a survey, a search or legal advice, and it doesn't rate Exeter or any home.
- Planning applications aren't included here. The postcode check lists them for a particular address.
- Broadband and mobile coverage aren't included. Ofcom's free checker shows them for any address.
Sources
Checked 14 October 2026. We refresh these guides every month.
- HM Land Registry Price Paid Data
- Contains British Geological Survey materials © UKRI 2026. BGS/UKHSA Indicative Atlas of Radon
- Environment Agency, Historic Landfill Sites (Environment Agency Conditional Licence). Contains Environment Agency information © Environment Agency and/or database right.
- British Geological Survey, GeoSure 5 km and mining hazard 1 km hex grids (Open Government Licence). Contains NERC materials ©NERC 2026.
- Planning Data England (planning.data.gov.uk)
- Environment Agency, Risk of Flooding from Surface Water (Open Government Licence)
- Environment Agency flood risk zones via Planning Data England
- Department for Education, Get Information about Schools (Open Government Licence)
- UK House Price Index (HM Land Registry and Registers of Scotland), Open Government Licence. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right. Contains Registers of Scotland data © Crown copyright and database right.
- data.police.uk street-level crime (Open Government Licence)