survey found japanese knotweed

boltos1

Hi,

We are in the process of buying a new house, the buildings survey has highlighted the presence of Japanese knotweed on the rear garden wall.

we have visited they property to take a look, the current owner was there and I told him about the knotweed. He knew exactly where it was and showed us. He was quick to say that it wasn't on his land, the wall belongs to the property behind.

There was only 4 visible knotweed shoots on the wall but it was hard to see how extensive it is in the neighbours garden.

We are buying the property in full with cash borrowed from family and will remortgage once we have sold our current house. So I'm worried that the knotweed will make the house mortgageable.

I'm happy to pay for a specialist survey to quote for removal and treatment but if it's not on in the garden yet, only on the neighbours land we or the vendor needs to approach the neighbours to deal with the situation. if they are unwilling to then we have a unresolvable situation.

has anyone had any experience of knotweed in the neighbours land and dealing with it?

[Deleted User]

There's a few threads on this subject already written over the last few days, go on those threads should be plenty of advice...

moneyistooshorttomention

Are you sure you want to buy this house after all?

Even though you dont need a mortgage at the outset - you would be stymied if the mortgage companies all refused to let you have one subsequently.

When they talk about "no mortgage if JK is within 7 metres" - it looks to me as if they mean "within 7 metres of the boundary wall" and not "within 7 metres of the house itself". I may be wrong - but you do need to check that...

Gingernutty

There's Japanese Knotweed 3 doors down from me and I've been advised that it makes my house unmortgageable.

If it's an immediate neighbour to the house you're going to buy, it's definitely a no-go.

bibbity_2

I poster earlier that Japanese knotweed had been found in our garden by our buyers surveyor. It doesn't make your house unmortgageble. It might have done a few years ago but nowadays lots of lenders will offer mortgages regardless, as long as there's a management programme in place and a warranty backed by the property care association. Our buyers mortgage is with satander and they've only requested the above.

moneyistooshorttomention

Gingernutty wrote: »

There's Japanese Knotweed 3 doors down from me and I've been advised that it makes my house unmortgageable.

If it's an immediate neighbour to the house you're going to buy, it's definitely a no-go.

My sympathies.

Is there any legal comeback on this yet? I know laws are starting to come in about this and householders/firms can be fined for spreading it.

Can they yet be fined/sued for putting nearby householders in your position? I'm asking because there is a house in my area currently up for sale only a couple of doors away from an offender - and I wonder if the person trying to sell it could sue the offender neighbour for making their house less saleable? Or are we still waiting for some law to be enacted or some affected householder to bring a legal claim against an offending neighbour for affecting their house saleability?

boltos1

im not sure of the best course of action now. we really want the house! but because im not gettibg a mortgage straight away and we havent sold our house yet, how can i approach morgage comapnies to see if they would lend in this situation

Thomas56

There's a few threads on this subject already written over the last few days, go on those threads should be plenty of advice...

deFoix

Gingernutty wrote: »

There's Japanese Knotweed 3 doors down from me and I've been advised that it makes my house unmortgageable.

If it's an immediate neighbour to the house you're going to buy, it's definitely a no-go.

Who advised you this; and on what basis? Sorry but this is nonsense. Unless there is a vast thicket of the stuff growing right out against your walls I beg to disagree. RICs have a good guide on JK and its effect on valuations.

To the OP a couple of stems shouldn't be too much to worry about. Spray with glysophate at the end of summer. You might be able to use it to negotiate a few grand off the asking price.

boltos1

so the vendor is in a panic over this. He has spoken to the neighbour and she has agreed to deal with the weed. im not sure if she is aware of the cost.

I spoke to a knotweed specialist who is going to assess the situation on thursday, but what he did say that a management plan would cost 2500 over three years.

if the neighbours pay for the plan where would this leave us with the mortgage? do we have to declaire knowlage of the weed when taking out the mortgage or do we keep quite, persuming that the viable evidence is gone.

TheGardener

Get a quote from a good environmental company - JKW is not indestructible or the end of the world and a course of treatment will kill it. I pay contractors to kill it on land I manage. If its only a small amount outside the boundary its not a biggie really. I'd expect to pay maybe £150 a year for 3 years - if it comes back after that a good company will do a follow up.

If it was all over the back garden and had taken root in your foundations - then that would be another story...