Buyers and sellers can take action against invasive plant that can scupper home sales

The most aggressive plant known in the UK can cause major issues for people buying and selling houses with some lenders withdrawing mortgage offers.

Japanese knotweed can be dealt with however with one family telling how an invasion of the plant almost cost them their dream home.

The Wheeler family were about to exchange contracts on their new home in a pretty village on the outskirts of the British city of Bath when the invasive plant was found in a flower bed just a few meters from the house.

Described by the Environment Agency as the most aggressive and destructive plant, it was brought to the UK by the Victorians who thought it was an ideal border plant but it is so invasive that it moves fast through underground tubers and can destroy brickwork, drains and even floorboards, creeping into homes and making them unliveable.

The family’s lender withdrew their mortgage offer when they heard about the find. ‘I felt at a total loss as to what to do as I was about to exchange on the house and had already sold my property,’ said Adelle Wheeler.

‘We had even agreed on a date to move in. Although Barclays are one of the more enlightened mortgage lenders, our purchase was made more complicated by their policies on knotweed being revised just as we were in the process of exchanging contracts,’ she added.

But the seller was able to take action and knotweed specialists Environet UK quickly carried out a site survey, drew up a management plan detailing how to deal with the problem, and contacted Barclays to reassure them that the knotweed could be dealt with effectively.

The firm has developed an eco-friendly Resi-Dig-Out™ method and also covers its work with a 10 year insurance backed guarantee, underwritten at Lloyd’s. As a result the lender reinstated the mortgage offer with the proviso that the work was finished prior to the completion of the sale.

The guarantee has also gave the buyers peace of mind. ‘Environet were able to mobilise quickly, and despite having to remove trees, get a mains power supply relocated, and deal with heavy soils, the Resi-Dig-Out™ treatment was completed in a matter of days,’ Mrs Wheeler explained.

‘You can imagine my relief when only hours after the work was finished, contracts were exchanged, and the house sale was completed successfully. Environet certainly went above and beyond the call of duty to secure our funding,’ she added.

‘It’s a huge relief to buyers and home owners when they learn that the knotweed can be treated all year round, in as little time as a day, so no-one’s plans have to be put on hold,’ said Nic Seal, managing director of Environet UK.

He pointed out that knotweed isn’t covered under general insurance policies, but people can now take out a specialist knotweed indemnity insurance policy to protect against a future attack of knotweed. Policies provide cover for treatment costs, damage, third party legal claims and property devaluation as a result of knotweed.

Knotweed is easy to mistake for similar looking plants such as Russian Vine and bindweed and Environet UK provides a free identification service. But Japanese knotweed will exploit any weaknesses in a building to cause structural damage, to walls, drains, floors and hard surfaces.
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