Japanese knotweed - buying a house..

moneyistooshorttomention

Also ask the neighbours (ie more than one neighbouring household). Bear in mind that some people wouldnt recognise it and others wouldnt know enough about it to be concerned and would try and pass it off as "not a problem". But then there are some informed and responsible - and maybe some of the neighbours will fall into that category.

.....and I'd look up images of it myself on the Internet - so I could form my own judgements.

It has started growing for this year - there is an irresponsible householder living in my vicinity that has had it for some years (according to Googlemaps images) and I walked past last weekend and it's up for the year and was currently about 2-3' tall. So - if its there - it should be visible by now.

seabass90

dgtazzman wrote: »

To be fair, if it's on the valuation report, the lender will also have read it, so I'd be inclined to get a specialist in to look at it and make a report, just to put the lender's mind at ease...

Doesn't sound very serious though, as others have said, sounds more like a surveyor covering himself.

Good point - I hope you're right! Thanks

seabass90

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

Also ask the neighbours (ie more than one neighbouring household). Bear in mind that some people wouldnt recognise it and others wouldnt know enough about it to be concerned and would try and pass it off as "not a problem". But then there are some informed and responsible - and maybe some of the neighbours will fall into that category.

.....and I'd look up images of it myself on the Internet - so I could form my own judgements.

It has started growing for this year - there is an irresponsible householder living in my vicinity that has had it for some years (according to Googlemaps images) and I walked past last weekend and it's up for the year and was currently about 2-3' tall. So - if its there - it should be visible by now.

Good idea, thanks. I suppose the upside in all this is that it's the right time of year to spot it!

moneyistooshorttomention

Try this link for images of JK at different times of year:

www.wiseknotweed.com/japanese-knotweed-identification

It's by far the clearest images I've seen anywhere - and you couldnt miss knowing what it was from that.

seabass90

Ok, so I got a local knotweed expert to go round to the property today. He phoned me around 6pm to say he had 'no idea' why the valuer had mentioned JK as there was 'none in sight'... So I guess I'm in the clear. I also spoke to my lender who said they planned on issuing me my mortgage offer in the post today

hazyjo

Good news. Knew they'd just be trying to cover their lily-whites

Jx

glasgowdan

Home reports are a big con full of generic waffle.

deFoix

Why didn't you ring the Home Buyer Report Surveyor first and ask him to explain the statement?

robatwork

Usual !!!! covering from the valuation. It should also say "no direct evidence was found but there could be unexploded bombs in the area behind the garden so please get expert advice". Or Radon. Or dangerous tunnels from old chalk mines.

Just a word to the wise - don't believe anything Barratts tell you or is told to you on their behalf eg. "site foreman said this would be a playground/footpath/doctor's surgery". They are fantasists.