22
Jul 2024
Don't let Japanese knotweed scupper your house purchase, property expert warns
This story is sponsored by Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors.
A fast-spreading invasive plant species could scupper homebuyers’ chances of securing a mortgage, a Harrogate property expert has warned.
Japanese knotweed can shoot up to well over two metres (seven feet) tall in summer, crowding out other plants, and if its roots get under a property’s foundations, their expansion can cause serious damage.
Because of this, vendors of homes with a Japanese knotweed problem are legally obliged to provide a management plan for its eradication from a professional company. If this is not in place, mortgage lenders are likely to withhold funds.
The leaves and flowers of Japanese knotweed. Photo: Creative Commons/Wiki
However, not all vendors check their properties for the alien species, so househunters should be careful before signing on the dotted line.
Chartered surveyor Andrew Kempston-Parkes has been mapping outbreaks of Japanese knotweed in Harrogate for over 20 years. He said:
If a property has Japanese knotweed within seven metres (23 feet) of a building, it can affect its fabric and structure, so you’ll need to look for an insurance-backed treatment programme. Once that’s in place, marketability and saleability should be unaffected.
Japanese knotweed’s roots spread deep underground and the plant is notoriously difficult to control.
Mr Kempston-Parkes said:
To get rid of Japanese knotweed, you need a herbicide treatment programme. The area is resprayed every year, and after 10 years it can be considered eradicated.
Fifteen years ago, it could cost £25,000 to get rid of an outbreak, but the cost of treatment has come down significantly and it now only costs about £3,000.
We know now how to treat it, and at Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors we have relationships with contractors who specialise in getting rid of invasive species.
The red, bamboo-like stems of a stand of Japanese knotweed. Photo: Creative Commons/Wiki.
Property owners are under no statutory obligation to remove Japanese knotweed from their land, but when they don’t, it can cause problems for potential buyers.
Mr Kempston-Parkes said:
The answer is to employ a good chartered surveyor who knows where it is in our town, and knows how to deal with it.
I don’t think there’s anyone else in Harrogate who knows more about Japanese knotweed than we do.
Find out more:
Kempston-Parkes Chartered Surveyors provide surveys and valuations for all purposes, including purchase, inheritance tax, capital gains tax, matrimonial assessments, boundary disputes and Land Registry plans.
For more information, go to www.kempston-parkes.co.uk, or for a confidential conversation about your requirements, call 01423 789111.
0