There has been much publicity over the last ten years with regard to Japanese Knotweed and its effect on residential property.
It is alleged that this plant can grow through concrete and the existence of the plant has caused problems with saleability of houses. Treatment of this plant is relatively expensive.
There has been some difficulty in obtaining mortgage finance on properties affected by Japanese Knotweed but much of the problem has been the over-reaction within the media with regard to the potential for damage that this can cause.
The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) issued new guidance to Valuers in March of this year where a rather more pragmatic approach to the management of Knotweed is advised. It is hoped that there will be a more rational approach to its existence on site and the need for treatment which should not cause any major problems with regard to saleability in the longer term. The existence of the plant, however, still poses a threat because it will be sometime before there is a change in perception with regard to this plant.
In the interim, however, it is critically important that people have surveys undertaken so the presence of Knotweed on site can be identified.
We have recently undertaken a survey on a property in Lightwater where some innocuous plant growth was noted at the rear of a garage but this was, in fact, Japanese Knotweed spreading from the adjacent property.
The Knotweed had not caused any major problems but does require treatment and its existence is complicated by the fact that it is obviously coming from an adjacent property.
There still remains the problem of public perception and the purchaser would have to tread very carefully with regard to his/her purchase. Japanese Knotweed can affect a property of any age and this underlines the importance of always commissioning a survey when you are buying a new property.
