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Since being introduced to Britain in the early 19th century, Japanese knotweed has spread far and wide across the country, with very few corners of the land remaining unaffected. It has been labelled as an invasive plant by the government and has become enshrined in Japanese knotweed law. Selling a house with Japanese Knotweed has been made difficult due to the requirements of removing the hardy plant, for both neighbours and new tenants.

Selling a house with Japanese Knotweed can be a stringent process, elongating the time it can take to successfully solidify a sale. Utilising our extremely simplified buying process, our clients receive a great deal, along with a fast solution to selling a house with Japanese Knotweed.

Selling a house with Japanese Knotweed is entirely legal, however, you may need to take some extra measures to ensure that potential buyers feel comfortable purchasing the house and confident that they will be able to secure a mortgage from their bank. This could involve either completely removing the plant from the property, or paying upfront for an insurance-backed treatment plan.

These extra measures can be detrimental when selling a house with Japanese Knotweed. There is a large stigma surrounding selling a house with Japanese Knotweed within the industry, and it is generally frowned upon. The best route to take is utilising a Japanese Knotweed removal service, like our specialists are CYB. We have years of experience removing the weed and irradiating it from properties for good.

Selling a house with Japanese Knotweed can devalue the property between 5-15%, generally speaking. There have been cases where homes have been almost completely devalued as a result of severe infestations, however, these are rare occurrences.

The extent to which a property is devalued will depend on the severity of the infestation and the proximity of the knotweed to the home. This devaluation will usually be equivalent to the cost of removing the plant and restoring the property to its original value. Selling a house with Japanese Knotweed may leave property owners disheartened, but our buying offers remain high, also leaving us to handle the infestation of Japanese Knotweed.

With years of experience in Japanese Knotweed Removal, our team at CYB Environmental are true specialists. Contact our team today to enquire about our services. We remove Japanese Knotweed with the use of specialised equipment, ensuring the weed doesn’t return.

At CYB Environment we know everything there is to know about japanese knotweed, we also know how destructive it can be. We have put together this blog to make you aware of the potential dangers of having Japanese knotweed on your property. But first, what is japanese knotweed?

Japanese knotweed is an invasive species of plant which has bamboo-like stems and has small white flowers. This plant is part of the ‘Dock’ family and is notoriously difficult to get rid of. It is known as the phoenix in the plant world due to the fact that even fire can’t kill it off. It was originally brought to Britain for its beauty and was named the “most interesting ornamental plant of the year” in 1847. In its native homeland this plant is also kept at bay by the climate and also native insects that feed on this plant, whereas the environment in Britain allows it to grow out of control and become aggressive.

Japanese knotweed is a troublesome plant with huge destructive roots, they have been known to cause structural damage to many properties. The Home Office issued guidance on Japanese Knotweed in the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act of 2014. They say a person who has failed to act upon the growth of Japanese Knotweed to the extent that it affects the quality of life of those around it could find themselves being served with a Community Protection Notice.

Failure to then comply with the notice would result in a criminal offence and a large fine (which can be anything up to £2,500 for an individual and £20,000 for an organisation). In Scotland and Ireland, businesses in the local area are already held responsible for making sure Japanese Knotweed doesn’t spread to the local areas as it threatens biodiversity, the economy and human health. Having Japanese knotweed on your property can affect potential house prices, if you are looking to buy or sell.

Large heart shaped green leaves, arranged in a zig-zag across the stem
Red tinged roots and bamboo-like stems
Dense clumps of overgrown plants
Clusters of white flowers around July time, that attract a lot of bees
Brown dead looking stems after it’s died back in September/November time

Did you know that japanese knotweed can grow up to 20cm a day? These plants will take over your garden/property and ensure that plants in your garden will receive less sunlight. Their roots run deep underground, ensuring that they will pop up all around your property. Japanese Knotweed is strong and almost impossible to get rid of without professional help, as it can grow through concrete and tarmac ruining roads, buildings and destabilising river banks.

If you believe you have identified a growth of Japanese Knotweed at your home or property then don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

As a homeowner with Japanese Knotweed, you are responsible for ensuring that the plant does not spread into neighbouring land, whether it be privately or publicly owned.

Report Japanese knotweed to your local council if you have noticed that the plant growing unchecked on council land, or if it has spread onto your own property.

For any queries on the above or if you would like a free identification of a potential Japanese Knotweed plant, please contact us at info@cyb-environmental.com

Japanese Knotweed is an invasive non-native plant pest and is considered one of the most problematic plant species in the UK and Ireland. The species was introduced to Britain in mid-19th century as an ornamental plant for large gardens, prized due to its imposing size and sprays of creamy white flowers.

You may have seen these plants at railways while waiting for a train or simply passing a station, without realising the devastating effects that Japanese Knotweed has on the environment and on man-made structures. Please see the information under the title “how to identify Japanese Knotweed“, to be able to identify plants in your in area.

Japanese Knotweed thrives in non-restricted areas and out in the open near railways as the plant is not being disturbed and has ample access to sunlight and water. This allows it to spread rapidly and outgrow other plant species. Japanese knotweed has a vast underground rhizome system that can spread and grow rapidly, blocking drains, cracking tarmac and damaging foundations. Action to deal with knotweed may be necessary due to the risk posed to the safe operational railway.

If you believe you have identified a growth of Japanese Knotweed at a railway it is important to report it to National Rail or TFL depending on what region of the country you are residing. If the growth is close the boundary walls of the property, you will want to instruct a PCA accredited company such as CYB Environmental for a free site visit. Please note that here at CYB Environmental we provide reports at a fair price to provide evidence of Japanese Knotweed growths.

You may require a report in the incidence that you have reported a Japanese Knotweed growth at the rear boundary of your property to TFL or National Rail and time has passed with no action being taken. A report would provide evidence of this, with relevant photographs and a map stating the growth area of the Japanese Knotweed. We will also provide advice on how best to deal with the growth in the future.

As a homeowner with Japanese Knotweed, you are responsible for ensuring that the plant does not spread into neighbouring land, whether it be privately or publicly owned.

Report Japanese knotweed to your local council if you have noticed that the plant growing unchecked on council land, or if it has spread onto your own property.

For any queries on the above or if you would like a free identification of a potential Japanese Knotweed plant, please contact us at info@cyb-environmental.com

Japanese Knotweed is a highly invasive, non-native plant and is considered one of the most problematic plant species in the UK and Ireland. This is mainly due to its highly invasive nature and its extremely rapid growth rate.

If you identify Japanese Knotweed on your land/property you will want to contact a PCA accredited company such as CYB Environmental. At CYB Environmental we ask that photographs of the suspected growth can be provided so that we can identify the plant. If the plant is in fact Japanese Knotweed, we will advise that a site survey is carried out to identify the best method to conduct on this particular area of growth.

It is important to note that it is not illegal to have Japanese knotweed in your garden, or on your land. If you have discovered the plant on your land then you are under no legal obligation to notify anyone about it or even treat the plant. You are, however, responsible for ensuring that the plant does not spread into neighbouring land, whether it be privately or publicly owned.

You can report Japanese knotweed to your local council if you have noticed that the plant growing unchecked on council land, or if it has spread onto your own property. Local councils have a section on their website dedicated to Japanese knotweed, where you will be able to leave a message in regards to the issue.

The local authority will likely put a formal plan of action in place and provide you with evidence of its implementation. Please be aware that if the local council does put a plan in place, it will unlikely cover private land (i.e. a privately owned garden) and will not be sufficient for lending in the future. If you are lending against the property in future, an insurance backed guarantee will have to be applied for by a PCA accredited contractor.

If the growth is located on private land, we suggest you write to the homeowner/landowner directly. This can open discussions between neighbours on how to deal with the problem plant and we are happy to organise a site visit to discuss with both parties.

Japanese Knotweed thrives in non-restricted areas and out in the open due to the access to light and water. Railway embankments can have a high growth areas because of this. Japanese knotweed has a vast underground rhizome system that can spread and grow rapidly, blocking drains, cracking tarmac and damaging foundations.

Action to deal with knotweed may be necessary due to the risk posed to the safe operational railway. If you believe you have identified a growth of Japanese Knotweed on a railway embankment, it is important to report it to National Rail or TFL depending on what region of the country you are residing.

If the growth is close the boundary walls of the property, you will want to instruct a PCA accredited company such as CYB Environmental for a free site visit and a formal report. We can provide reports to provide evidence of Japanese Knotweed growths and their location in relation to property and underground services.

For any queries on the above or if you would like a free identification of a potential Japanese Knotweed plant, please contact us at info@cyb-environmental.com

Japanese Knotweed is an invasive non-native plant pest and is considered one of the most problematic plant species in the UK and Ireland. This is mainly due to its highly invasive nature and its extremely rapid growth rate. The species was introduced to Britain in mid-19th century as an ornamental plant for large gardens, prized due to its imposing size and sprays of creamy white flowers.

During the spring and summer months, Japanese knotweed has been reported to grow as quickly as 10cm a day. However, there is no research to support how fast it spreads underneath the ground. Japanese Knotweed has an extensive underground rhizome system that can spread up to 7 metres horizontally and 3 metres deep. Due to this extensive growth, it is important that once Japanese knotweed has been identified in the area or neighbouring garden that a plan is in place to further stop the spread of the plant.

The first call to make would be to a PCA accredited company, as they will be able to provide you with a Japanese Knotweed report with photographic evidence of growths of Japanese Knotweed on neighbouring properties. This will not only protect yourself in the long run, but encourage the problem to be dealt with in a professional and legal manner, by placing the growth under a formal management plan. Speaking to your neighbour initially about the issue and tackling the problem together is always a good place to start. Sometimes though, if a neighbour is unresponsive or being negligent, it has been known for court action to be taken.

Please see the Laws of Japanese Knotweed that may relate to neighbouring properties:

The Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 does not specifically mention invasive plants; however, guidance has been released by the Home Office providing information on how Community Protection Notices can be applied to Japanese Knotweed. In effect, the updated legislation means that if a neighbour ‘fails to act’ regarding controlling, or preventing the growth of Japanese Knotweed, then, providing certain criteria are met, a Community Protection Notice could be issued requiring action to be taken. Breach of any requirement of a Community Protection Notice, without reasonable excuse, would be a criminal offence, subject to a fixed penalty or prosecution.

Under common law, with respect to private nuisance, an offence may have been committed where the actions of a land owner are causing a substantial and unreasonable interference with another person’s land or his/her use or enjoyment of that land. Where reasonable action is not being taken to remediate nuisance caused by Japanese Knotweed, common law may apply.

For any queries on the above or if you would like a free identification of a potential Japanese Knotweed plant, please contact us at info@cyb-environmental.com