A homeowner claims he had £20,000 wiped off the value of his house after a surveyor said it was threatened by knotweed growing behind his back yard.
According to Mail Online, Father-of-one Ben Metcalfe, 35, put his terrace home in Stockport on the market at £100,000 and, after two years of waiting, thought he had a buyer.
But the sale fell through at the last moment when a surveyor carried out an inspection on behalf of the prospective purchaser.
The report found the house was worth only £80,000 because of a cluster of aggressive Japanese knotweed growing on council land next door.
The expert said the weed was a threat to the foundations of neighbouring properties and recommended a ‘migration plan’ to establish where the roots were, how fast the weed was growing and what direction it would grow in.
He said: “It is clearly a real problem when someone can’t get a mortgage because of weeds.
“There are a lot of lenders that simply won’t offer a mortgage on a home that has knotweed nearby.”
After contacting the local council, property management company NPS has agreed to treat the knotweed – for the first time in two years – and will give Mr Metcalfe a certificate guaranteeing it will be kept in check for five years.
If you are concerned about Japanese knotweed affecting your property call PM Law solicitors in Sheffield on 0114 2965444.
