Japanese Knotweed

yorkieinbristol · 23 November 2017 at 10:08PM

New to the forum here, so hello to everyone reading this.

I'm in the process of buying the council property that I live in here in Bristol. The council have treated Japanese Knotweed over the years in the back yard, which has grown between the paving slabs. The last time was approximately two years ago.

Our solicitor has asked the council for their Management plan regarding the Japanese Knotweed, but it's evident to him that they haven't got one as they seem to skirt around the question and haven't provided one thus far. He has now asked the following of us:

"Ask a Specialist to visit the site to see whether Japanese Knotweed remains. I know I said on Sunday we should hold for the Bank’s response but having considered the brevity of information to date from the Council- please see my e mail from the Council requesting more information- I think it would be a sensible precaution."

Has anyone got any advice or recommendations on this situation? Expected cost of assessment and/or treatment? Recommended specialist in the Bristol area? etc

Thank you in advance for any advice forthcoming.

tori.k · 23 November 2017 at 10:51PM

It usually takes 3/4 years to chemical treat knotweed, Can I be rude and ask who your lender is?
As down here knotweed is normally stated a cash only purchase, and there is a house I like but we are dependent on a mortgage.

JoJo1978 · 23 November 2017 at 10:58PM

Never experienced it myself but it's a "flag" that lenders react to. Your solicitor's advice sounds sensible. It sounds like they are anticipating the lender will ask for confirmation it's not a problem anymore, but they aren't hopeful of the council being able to provide this.

Your EA may be able to assist with helping you get quotes.

RobertoMoir · 23 November 2017 at 11:01PM

Your solicitor is entirely right to suggest caution. I would personally “nope, Nope, NOPE!” My way out of any deal if there isn’t clear proof that the council are on top of this issue like a donkey on a waffle, you may find your lender will make that decision for you.

sevenhills · 23 November 2017 at 11:08PM

RobertoMoir wrote: »

Your solicitor is entirely right to suggest caution. I would personally “nope, Nope, NOPE!” My way out of any deal if there isn’t clear proof that the council are on top of this issue like a donkey on a waffle, you may find your lender will make that decision for you.

If the OP wants to make sure his discounted buy goes ahead, he may be wise to sort the issue himself.

Pay a contractor upfront, and they will give him some paperwork?

CE85 · 23 November 2017 at 11:19PM

Hi yorkieinbristol

We sold our flat not too long ago and we had a problem with Japanese Knotweed on the property. First of all, I would suggest you seriously consider whether you want to take this on. I would be very unlikely to buy a property that had a JKW issue, having had such a problem with selling ours. From when we originally put the flat up for sale (before knowing about the knotweed) to actually selling it, was over two years. Which is a very long time for a London property. We also ended up selling it for around 10% less that we felt it was worth (looking at other non-JKW properties in the area).

However, if you do really want the house and you're happy to take the re-sale risk, JKW is (sort of) treatable. If you are planning on staying for some time, it might not be too much of an issue for you.

Our flat was in South London and I'm not sure how much prices change by area but we paid £300 for the initial survey and then a further £2,500 for the treatment and a 10 year plan backed by guarantee. The 'backed by guarantee' bit is really important when you have this as if you are purchasing with a mortgage, the bank will not lend to you without this. Some banks won't lend to you at all if there is JKW on the property.

We used a company called japaneseknotweed.co.uk, which I believe cover the whole country. You can send them a picture of the plant and they will tell you if it's knotweed (free of charge) and then quote you for the survey & treatment.

If you are getting a mortgage to buy the property, you can google the terms and conditions relating to JKW, or just ring up and ask. I think most banks say that they won't lend on properties that have the weed within 10 metres of the building, but there are banks that lend. I would also speak to the council and suggest a decrease in the purchase price because this won't just cost you to treat but may also have an effect on the sale price.

I don't want to rain on your house-buying parade because I know how stressful it all is, especially when you have found a property you like. I'd just suggest you really think about it and do a bit of research before committing. And definitely pay to get a professional survey done. It might cost a bit now, but it answers a lot of questions.

RobertoMoir · 24 November 2017 at 7:02AM

sevenhills wrote: »

If the OP wants to make sure his discounted buy goes ahead, he may be wise to sort the issue himself.

Pay a contractor upfront, and they will give him some paperwork?

Indeed, but the unhelpful council makes me think this will be a problematic task for them, as most lenders have a total sense of humour failure over Japanese knotweed, and another one over properties where paperwork for current issues is lacking.

glasgowdan · 24 November 2017 at 9:27AM

All these stories about JKW relate to difficulties selling or mortgaging. None of them relate to physical problems or damage caused by it. The whole JKW issue has become the giant it is due to media hype.

It is not the right time of year to identify the presence of it in the garden. Chances are there is none visible but it may spring up in April.

Also, in your shoes I would use this nonsense to negotiate a good discount .

How long do you intend to stay in the property? If it's a long term thing then I wouldn't even consider using a company that calls themselves a JKW specialist... anyone with normal weedkiller is perfect (including yourself). If you may try and sell soon and need someone to provide a guarantee for buyers lenders then hunt around for the best deal. Rarely would I use a national firm for these types of services.

Rambosmum · 24 November 2017 at 10:43AM

tori.k Natwest and halifax lent to us with knotweed. Natwest couldn't have cared less (there was active growth on day of the survey, they barely mentioned it) and Halifax were satisfied a management plan was in place.

cloo · 24 November 2017 at 12:00PM

Yes, maybe get a discount, but you might want/need to put pressure on council to deal with it properly for when you sell. JKW is entirely controllable and does not make proper buildings with foundations fall down, but it's a bit of a pain (albeit cheaper for you) if you're not in a position to manage the controlling of it because it's harder to motivate someone else to do it!