Mortgage lenders now require the sellers of properties affected by knotweed to provide evidence of a professional treatment plan along with an insurance-backed guarantee for remedial work, before they … This can be expensive to obtain - and even then buyers may be reluctant to take a property on with Knotweed. If Japanese knotweed is within seven metres of any property then a treatment plan and guarantee are required. Japanese knotweed is the scourge of both suburbs and countryside, and with very good reason. Seeds of Change - is Japanese knotweed undergoing a radical image overhaul? Not only does knotweed cause damage to property, and interfere with a house sale because a lender won’t lend, it can also cause problems with your neighbours. However, in practice, the presence of Japanese Knotweed is always likely to interfere with a property owners use and enjoyment of the land. Japanese knotweed is in nearly all our provinces. The banks require ten-year guarantees and … The latest Japanese knotweed research. That’s what happened in the dramatic case of the West Midlands man who, in July last year, killed his own wife, and then himself, on being told (wrongly, as it turned out) that knotweed from the next-door golf course was going to destroy the value of his house. Initially valued for its beauty, opinion changed when it was discovered the extensive and fast-growing roots can have catastrophic consequences on a building’s drains and foundations. to some house vendors and purchasers. And the threat is real: it can lower house prices, threaten our bridges, and drive men to madness. It has since spread throughout the United States and Canada. By Paolo Martini on 11th February 2019 (updated: 14th July 2020) in News. The Victorians were wild about Japanese knotweed, with its beautiful heart shaped leaves, delicate creamy-white flowers and hardy attributes which made it ideal for lining pathways and supporting banks. Japanese knotweed crown and rhizome may survive burning so you must dispose of any remaining material following the guidance on how to bury or dispose of it off-site. Japanese knotweed house damage. Because Japanese knotweed is classified as “controlled waste” by the 1990 Environmental Protection Act, many places, like the United Kingdom, require you to dispose of it at a licensed landfill site. Japanese knotweed can have a negative impact on the value of your property, not to mention causing conflict between neighbours and causing stress in your day-to-day life. The research shows five percent of UK homes equals 1,450,000 properties, which face £34.12bn taken away from their value. A much more nuanced and evidence-based risk framework is urgently needed to reflect the latest thinking on the significance of Japanese knotweed, in relation to the size of the infestation, the distance from the property, and the potential risk of any damage. Published 24 May 2019. These laws have been put into legislation slowly … Japanese Knotweed was brought to the United Kingdom in the 19th century after the plant was discovered in Japan growing on the side of volcanoes. However, the plant soon started to take over gardens and proved almost untameable – with an ability to grow up to 20cm every day! More than 20,000 people have now downloaded it, … For example, we have first-hand experience of a particular mortgage lender declining an application when Japanese Knotweed was mentioned in a Homebuyers Report, despite the infestation being on adjacent land in excess of 20 metres away from the boundary and double the distance … By Paolo Martini on 11th March 2020 (updated: 18th March 2020) in News. Japanese Knotweed Law & Legal Advice. The distance of the alleyway to your house is not a problem. It’s a question we’re often asked, so we’ve teamed up with Expert Surveyors Ltd, the leading dedicated provider of RICS expert property valuation reports in the UK and created JK-VIM, a valuation impact model that gives indicative price reductions. Property Wire reported that a landmark ruling has allowed UK homeowners to sue their neighbours if Japanese knotweed ends up on their land. If a property is found to have an infestation of Japanese knotweed on their land or Japanese knotweed within 7 meters, it is extremely difficult to secure a mortgage against the property. Loss of Property Value. How Japanese Knotweed Affects House Insurance: Are You Covered? Japanese knotweed is pretty distinct looking. Japanese knotweed was introduced here from Japan in 1850, when it was regarded as a rare beauty thanks to its white flowers. Get a quote. Compare home insurance quotes. Some people don’t even realise that Japanese knotweed is sprouting up in the garden or harmfully growing nearby. The rapid spread of Japanese knotweed across the country and growing awareness of the risks means homeowners are increasingly forced to confront the issue when buying and selling property. How much does Japanese knotweed affect House Prices? If Japanese knotweed grows close to your house, retaining/garden wall, fence or garden building, the underground roots and rhizomes can damage these structures as they exploit the cracks/mortar joints and weaknesses. Look up the regulations concerning Japanese knotweed in your area. Do I have Japanese knotweed and what does it look like? The pressure exerted by the expanding rhizomes will result in damage. Japanese knotweed is an aggressive semi-woody perennial plant that is native to eastern Asia. Whichever way you choose to deal with Japanese Knotweed, it’s important to bear in mind that lenders aren’t lending against property that has Japanese Knotweed (even if it is a few metres away). Here’s what you need to know. If the knotweed is a significant distance from the property it should not hinder the sale. Although Japanese knotweed is described by the Environment Agency as 'indisputably the UKs most aggressive and destructive plant', it can be dealt … It will push up through tarmac car parks and drives and paved areas. The government has introduced a number of Japanese knotweed laws and regulations surrounding the control, growth and transportation of Japanese Knotweed in order to protect homeowners, businesses and the environment alike. The increasing demand for information on Japanese Knotweed during the house buying process is emphasising the need for householders to pay more attention to the problem, it is claimed. Most house sale documents now have a section detailing questions related to Japanese Knotweed so you would need to be honest when answering these questions. It can grow at a rate of … UNLESS you have an expensive treatment plan - and a 10-year guarantee - in place. Japanese knotweed is wrongly destroying the value of thousands of homes because mortgage lenders are relying on discredited scientific evidence, an investigation by MPs has found. Japanese Knotweed rhizomes can spread a considerable distance (7 metres or further) from the plant. The 5 categories of severity are as follows: Japanese knotweed can halt a house sale, but with a variety of ways to identify and treat it, it doesn't have to stop you buying your perfect home. During its peak growing season, it can grow up to 2cm a day and is well known for burrowing into cracks and weaknesses in … Left unaddressed, knotweed can effectively wipe out the value of a house. Five years ago, the Environment Agency commissioned a new app to track Japanese knotweed, using the crowd-sourcing principle. Japanese knotweed was first introduced to Britain back in 1825 as an ornamental plant. To be on the property ladder with a Japanese knotweed … Japanese knotweed or fallopia japonica is an invasive fast-growing plant that can send its roots deep into the ground and cause damage to building foundations, drainage systems and walls.. It’s an aggressive weed, first introduced into the UK in the mid-19th century, that has a bad reputation. Japanese knotweed can create problems with those perfectly nice people next door. - Distance between Japanese knotweed and house If you've been reading about Japanese knotweed, you'll know that it has the potential to be a very damaging weed. As recent reports have indicated, the presence of this destructive non-native weed, can knock thousands of pounds off the value of your property, in some cases, up to 10%. The discovery of Japanese knotweed on a person’s property can come as a blow that completely undermines plans for the future. In the distance you see a beautiful leafy plant with delicate flowers. It is estimated between 850,000 and 900,000 UK homes are affected by Japanese knotweed, reducing the value of these properties by around 10 … However, many people are too mean to pay for knotweed spraying and the whole alleyway needs to be sprayed. With news that RICS is in the process of updating its guidance on how surveyors should deal with Japanese knotweed, the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee (“Committee”) has just published a report on “Japanese knotweed and the built environment” calling on … Japanese knotweed infestations are separated into 4 categories: Knotweed Category 1 if it’s on a neighbouring property, and Category 4 if it’s within 7 meters and/or actually causing damage to the property. A much more nuanced and evidence-based risk framework is urgently needed to reflect the latest thinking on the significance of Japanese knotweed, in relation to the size of the infestation, the distance from the property, and the potential risk of any damage. The RICS Japanese knotweed information paper categorises the risk caused by Japanese knotweed into five degrees of severity so that banks and other mortgage lenders can make an accurate and reliable decision on how much finance is offered on properties that have a Japanese knotweed problem. You remember reading about Japanese knotweed and realise this plant looks very similar. If you have bought a house that's affected by Japanese knotweed, and you are able to show the seller knew about Japanese knotweed on the property, you can sue the seller. The presence of the rhizomes, despite not causing physical damage, was noted by the judge as being a ‘natural hazard’. In the 1800’s it was introduced to North America as an ornamental species and also planted for erosion control. “The main consideration for sellers (and buyers) is distance. This minimum distance from Japanese knotweed accounts for both the actual structure of the property and the boundary of the property. 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