OF the 223 properties in the Tyne Valley ravaged by flooding on December 5, the vast majority are now re-occupied after months of drying, cleaning and refurbishment work.

But Nicola Hobrough, who lives at The Stanners in Corbridge with her husband Paul and their three children, is facing yet another Christmas away from her beloved home.

However, for the family the ordeal will be worth the wait, because their radical approach looks set to ensure they avoid the impact of any future flooding events.

They’ve opted to raise their home by 2.6 metres to ensure all habitable space is above the River Tyne flood level.

Thirty two hydraulic jacks were used to lift the 120 tonne structure while a team of specialist builders and contractors, working for Hedley on the Hill-based Labourn Construction, worked to build up from ground level to meet the new height.

“The whole thing has been an emotional roller coaster and we’re probably at the stage now that most people who were flooded were at six months ago,” said Nicola.

“But what it means is that we have future security and we can ensure that our children don’t spend their childhood moving from place to place because we’ve been flooded again.”

With new windows and doors on the cusp of making the structure water tight once again, the family is hoping to move back in to the house in the spring.

They are living in a rented property in the village and still drying out furniture.

“There are planning applications in at the moment to raise wooden holiday homes like this in Kendal, but doing this with a masonry building is very rare. It’s certainly a first in the North-East,” said Neal Cavanagh, managing director of Labourn Construction.

For local businessman Nick Oliver, who shares a home on The Stanners with his wife Katie and their five children, Storm Desmond was the beginning of a nightmare few months which took an unexpected turn when he realised his home wasn’t insured.

An administrative error left Nick believing, for a period of almost two years, that his home was fully protected.

But, 12 months on he is philosophical about the error.

“Finding out at the time was a real blow, which we didn’t need when we were at our lowest,” said Nick.

“But looking back now, it’s allowed us to remain in control of the repair work at all times, and we’ve avoided the delays many of our neighbours have had.”

The family were among the first back in to their home in May after stripping out and reinstating the property at their own cost.