Japanese knotweed, an aggressive plant brought to England in the Victorian era, grows rapidly and has the potential to destroy man-made and natural structures in its path. It is able to grow through cracks in concrete and undermine the structural integrity of buildings and homes, and is estimated to be present in every 10km2 of the British Isles. Growing these plants in gardens can run the risk of slashing the value of a when selling.
The invasive plant threatens millions of pounds’ worth of property transactions every year, and with the property market already under strain, warnings are being issued to home buyers and property professionals.
The plant lies dormant in winter but it is in spring when the first signs of Japanese knotweed growth appears.
The plant’s distinctive red and purple shoots are often accompanied by rolled back leaves that grow rapidly from the stored nutrients in the rhizome.
Zara Banday, Partner and Head of Residential Property at Slater Heelis, outlined the legal position for Japanese knotweed.
She said: “The responsibility lies with the sellers to complete a Property Information Form (TA6).
“Failure to report it or deliberately conceal Japanese knotweed could lead to sellers being sued for misrepresentation and liable for compensation.”
Properties that house these plants need to be checked, to make sure remains have been left behind.
Zara added: “The danger is that in a bid to sell a property, buyers don’t carry out the proper due diligence.
“Overlooking issues like knotweed could lead to delays, deals falling through.”
Ignoring these issues can even lead to huge costs further down the line for buyers and sellers.
Zara explained a recent case where a buyer had her mortgage withdrawn after finding Japanese Knotweed in her dream home.
She said: “I recently dealt with a client who had a mortgage offer withdrawn after knotweed was discovered by her surveyor on the boundary of a disused farm bordering the property.
“It was her dream home and having already spent over a thousand pounds in fees, she pushed ahead with the sale.”
As well as being dangerous, these plants can affect how smoothly a house property sale goes through.
She added: “A remediation firm with an insurance-backed guarantee had to be appointed to enable her to secure a mortgage and purchase the house.
“The discovery put the whole purchase in jeopardy and delayed the transaction by weeks.”
Zara explained that her advice would be to view a property a number of times before even considering purchasing it.
She said: “Check the boundary plan carefully, and liaise very closely with your surveyors so that issues like knotweed are spotted at the earliest opportunity.
“Ultimately, buyers need to be much more prudent on what is likely to be the biggest purchase of their life.”