Has an invasion of Japanese Knotweed:
- Stopped you obtaining a mortgage?
- Hindered you when selling or buying a house or property?
- Prevented you from obtaining planning permission?
- Caused your construction project to be put on hold?
We have witnessed an increasing number of incidents where permission to sell, buy or develop a property has been withheld because of the presence of Japanese Knotweed.
Valuation surveyors, solicitors, banks, building societies, planning departments, prospective buyers and tenants of buildings are increasingly refusing to commit to or allow purchases or leases to proceed if the property has Japanese Knotweed present on it.
In many cases Japanese Knotweed has blighted a house in the same manner as the potential for flooding has reduced the value and selling potential of many properties.
Selling or Buying a house with japanese knotweed
We have assisted numerous people with the purchase or sale of houses that have Japanese Knotweed in or around their garden or even on neighbouring land. Following our step by step plan can help you too.
- STEP ONE - Call to discuss the problem and we will send a surveyor out to carry out a free site visit.
- STEP TWO - Our surveyor will assess the various factors and advise of the most cost effective method linked to the most desirable time scale for the parties involved. We are happy to liaise with your lender or surveyor to provide any technical backup they may require.
- STEP THREE - Produce a Knotweed Management Report. The report will be comprehensive and contain the relevant detail and costs to enable you to discuss and negotiate with the other parties involved in the transaction. If the vendor has a problem our Knotweed management plan will satisfy the purchaser that an action plan is in place and allow the transaction to proceed. If the purchaser has a problem with their lender etc. Our Knotweed management plan will usually convince the lender to release funds on the understanding that action will be taken to eradicate the JK.
- STEP FOUR - We put the Management plan into action.
- STEP FIVE - Carry out post treatment inspections
Problems selling or leasing your commercial property due to the presence of Japanese Knotweed.
Increasing numbers of prospective purchasers or tenants will on finding that the site they are about to purchase or commit to on a leasehold basis is infested with Japanese Knotweed refuse to continue with the negotiation. In many cases the valuation surveyor acting on behalf of the prospective tenant / purchaser will advise against proceeding unless there is evidence that the owner will commit to eradicating the JK from the site.
- STEP ONE - Call to discuss the problem and we will send a surveyor to carry out a free site survey.
- STEP TWO - Our surveyor assess the various factors and produce a property report and Japanese Knot weed management Plan based on the most cost effective method linked to the most desirable time scale for the parties involved. We are happy to liaise with your surveyor, solicitor etc to provide any technical backup they may require.
- STEP THREE - The report will be comprehensive and contain the relevant detail and costs to enable you to discuss and negotiate with the other parties involved in the transaction. If the vendor has a problem our Knotweed management plan will provide the parties involved with the information on how the plant will be controlled and should allow both parties to continue safe in the knowledge that a Japanese Knotweed management plan is in place and will control and eradicate the Japanese knotweed on the site once it is actioned.
- STEP FOUR - We put the Management plan into action.
- STEP FIVE - Carry out post treatment inspections
Japanese knotweed encroaching from a neighbouring garden or plot of land.
- STEP ONE - Call to discuss the problem and we will send a surveyor to carry out a free site survey.
- STEP TWO - Japanese knotweed removal will visit and survey the site and carry out an in depth inspection to identify where the plant is currently growing.
- STEP THREE - The report will be comprehensive and contain the relevant detail and costs to enable you to discuss and negotiate with the other parties involved. If the owner of the land has a problem our Knotweed management plan will provide the parties involved with the information on how the plant will be controlled and should allow both parties to continue safe in the knowledge that a Japanese Knotweed management plan is in place and will control and eradicate the Japanese knotweed on the site once it is actioned.Our surveyor assess the various factors and produce a property report and Japanese Knot weed management Plan based on the most cost effective method linked to the most desirable time scale for the parties involved. We are happy to liaise with you and the owner of the affected land to provide any technical backup they may require. Japanese Knotweed is an invasive weed that spreads and grows rapidly. It spread by means of underground roots or rhizomes that can emerge distances of up to 7 metres away from the parent plant and work its way up from depths of 2 metres. It is not illegal to allow Japanese Knotweed to grow on land you own neither does the local authority have to power to force you to control it unless it is really causing a problem. Land owners must however make reasonable steps to stop the knotweed spreading onto neighbouring land. If you notice Japanese knotweed on your neighbours land and encroaching towards you do not wait for it to reach your property or indeed reach within 7 metres of your boundary. Contact your neighbour and ask him to take steps to control the knotweed on his land and prevent it spreading to yours. Some land owners who have Japanese Knotweed respond positively, take responsibility and treat the Japanese Knotweed preventing it spreading. If you do not get a positive response then unfortunately I would suggest you point out the problem to them in writing and alert them to the fact that if the Japanese knotweed spreads to your land and reduces its value providing you can prove the plant spread from their land to yours you may take the matter further. Civil actions are expensive and not always successful. If the Japanese knotweed is a real eyesore and adversely affects the amenity of the neighbourhood you may ask the local authority to write to the landowner under the Town and country planning act. The attitude and interpretation of this act varies from local authority and the appetite to take action again may vary. Landowners with Japanese Knotweed on their land can be forced to clear up their land if it is deemed to “adversely affects the amenity” of the neighbourhood. This wording is open to interpretation.
- STEP FOUR - We put the Management plan into action.
- STEP FIVE - Carry out post treatment inspections
Japanese Knotweed on a development site.
Once you have found Japanese knotweed on your site. Take the following steps.
- STEP ONE - Call to discuss the problem and we will send a surveyor out to carry out a free site survey. In the meantime carry out the following steps particularly if there is already construction traffic and personnel on the site. Seal and cordon off the area to avoid any unnecessary traffic across the affected area that will disturb and potentially spread the problem. Identify the affected locations on a site plan highlighting proximity to water courses, drains and the height of the stands.
- STEP TWO - Our surveyor assess the various factors and produce a property report and Japanese Knot weed management Plan based on the most cost effective method linked to the most desirable time scale for the parties involved. We are happy to liaise with your surveyor to provide any technical backup they may require. There are a number of treatment options that depend on the nature of the site and the building time table. The more time you have to treat the plant the lower the cost of the treatment program will be.
- STEP THREE - The report will be comprehensive and contain the relevant detail and costs to enable you to discuss and negotiate with the other parties involved in the transaction. If the vendor has a problem our Knotweed management plan will provide the parties involved with the information on how the plant will be controlled and should allow both parties to continue safe in the knowledge that a Japanese Knotweed management plan is in place and will control and eradicate the Japanese knotweed on the site.
- STEP FOUR - We put the Management plan into action.
- STEP FIVE - Carry out post treatment inspections
