Is It Japanese Knotweed?
Finding Japanese knotweed on your property can be alarming, especially if you've read those scary news articles about how much damage this invasive plant can cause and the amount it can knock off the value of your home.
Finding Japanese knotweed on your property can be alarming, especially if you've read those scary news articles about how much damage this invasive plant can cause and the amount it can knock off the value of your home.
Looking for a qualified Japanese knotweed specialist in Cornwall? Get in touch to arrange a FREE survey.
We are pleased to announce that David, our man in Cornwall, has completed his training with a local course provider and is now qualified to treat Japanese knotweed. This means that we are now able to offer professional Japanese knotweed removal in Cornwall!
When it comes to buying a house, Japanese knotweed can really throw a spanner in the works. We've talked about the ways that Japanese knotweed can cause issues for people buying or selling houses time and time again, and it still remains a prevalent problem for homeowners across the country.
If housing surveyors find signs of Japanese knotweed on or near a property that you're interested in buying, then it can prevent you from getting a mortgage. Usually, lenders will put the application on hold until a specialist company has been contracted to deal with the problem. Of course, this can be a real pain for potential buyers who are desperate to get moved into their dream house quickly!
In a recent news report, it has come to light that lenders "informally abide" a seven-metre rule which means that if the knotweed is located more than seven metres (23ft) from your house, then you should be granted a mortgage - no problem. That being said, the lender will still want to know that you & the current owner of the property have come to an agreement about the professional removal of the knotweed.
After all, Japanese knotweed is one of the most prevalent weeds and has a habit of spreading thick and fast. If the source of the problem is seven metres away from the house today, it could've spread onto the property within a matter of months. For that reason, it's important that both the buyer and the seller work together to find a solution to the problem.
Here at Total Weed Control, we've been called countless times to assess a potential Japanese knotweed infestation at a property on the market. Sometimes, we find plants that look like Japanese knotweed (but aren't), in these circumstances, the house sale can continue without a hitch. However, if we confirm that the invasive plant is in fact knotweed, then we can provide a quote for treatment as well as a 5 or 10-year insurance-backed guarantee which will give your lenders confidence to proceed with the sale.
While you may have seen DIY methods of removing knotweed on the internet, these rarely are effective. Those that are effective, only last for a short period of time before the nasty knotweed rears its head for a second time. That's why if you're buying or selling a house with a Japanese knotweed problem, you should always seek the help of professionals.
Read More: Can You Get a Mortgage on a Property with Japanese Knotweed?
If you'd like us to help you deal with a potential Japanese knotweed problem at a property you're trying to buy, you should start by requesting a survey. We will aim to attend the property within 2 working days of your enquiry (dependant on location). At this point, we will assess the knotweed and draft a report that you can take back to your mortgage lender/current homeowner.
Whether the knotweed is on the property or seven metres away, your mortgage lender will require you to arrange a treatment program before the sale goes ahead. Luckily, we offer a few different treatment plans, all of which are reasonably priced and highly effective. Here's a brief overview of our treatment options:
Request a Japanese Knotweed Survey >
If you have any questions about our Japanese knotweed treatment plans, or if you'd like to arrange a survey at a property you're trying to buy, don't hesitate to give us a call on 029 2039 7554. Alternatively, drop us an email at sales@taylortwc.co.uk and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.
One of the major costs when excavating Japanese knotweed is dealing with the contaminated soil. If you've taken a look at our Japanese knotweed removal page, you'll know that knotweed-infested soil needs to be transported and deposited at a specialist landfill site. Soil excavated from a site with a Japanese knotweed problem cannot be mixed with regular waste because there's a chance that the Japanese knotweed rhizomes will grow and spread into unwanted areas around the landfill site.
As well as being costly, excavating large amounts of soil from a particular site can also leave the ground looking very uneven. This is a real problem if you're planning to build property or if the Japanese knotweed is in your well-kept garden. Thankfully, there's a way to minimise the costs of landfill transportation while also reducing the impact on the excavated site - our Japanese knotweed sifting service!
Here at Total Weed Control, we offer a sifting service that means you can remove all of the Japanese knotweed and its rhizomes from the soil that's excavated. We use a unique mobile plant that's designed to process the excavated soil thoroughly so it can be put back into the ground.
So why choose this service? Well, first and foremost, separating the Japanese knotweed debris from the contaminated soil dramatically reduces the amount of waste being taken to specialist landfill sites. Not only will this reduce the overall cost of your Japanese knotweed treatment, but it will also have less of an impact on the environment in the long run because the landfill sites won't fill up as quickly.
Another great benefit of our Japanese knotweed sifting service is the reduced impact it will have on your premises. A lot of the time, clients have been put off the idea of excavation because they think it will make a mess of their gardens. With our sifting method, we can level the ground back out and you should be able to lay turf, plant into it and return your garden to its former glory.
To help you eradicate your Japanese knotweed problem quickly and efficiently, we offer a range of different knotweed treatment plans. All of which start with a survey. We offer both herbicide application programs and excavation and removal plans. Our team of experts will help you choose the right treatment plan for your knotweed infestation and will get to work quickly to prevent it from spreading further.
Japanese Knotweed Treatment Plans > More about Japanese knotweed removal >
If you have any questions about our Japanese knotweed sifting service, or if you'd like to book your survey, give us a call on 01639 710914.
Read More: Who Can Remove Japanese Knotweed?
Disposing of Japanese knotweed is a delicate business. One must be extremely careful when handling this invasive weed - even a tiny fragment of its hardy rhizome root system can grow into a whole new plant if returned to the soil.
For this reason, there are a lot of rules about what you can and can't do with Japanese knotweed after digging it up. If you allow the plant to spread into the wild, you may be fined thousands of pounds or even imprisoned (see Japanese Knotweed Law).