The problem with Japanese Knotweed
It might well seem that everything to do with your purchase of a property to be your home is going really well. The mortgage application has gone smoothly enough, the Mortgage lender has agreed to give you the amount that you want and your application is currently being processed after you’ve delivered your payslips and other income evidence. The movers are booked and you’ve engaged the services of Building Survey Manchester experts Sam Conveyancing. They have guided you through the legal process. The Solicitors are ready to receive the funds so that they can transfer them to the sellers. All that needs to happen is the successful building survey to come back.
It’s an anxious time. Will there be any damp issues or maybe the roof is suspect. Perhaps the foundations are useless or that the place is liable to subsidence. These terrible issues are usual enough to put the brakes on any purchase but you would certainly not expect there to be issues coming from a plant. Sadly there is. If it comes back that there is an infestation of Japanese Knotweed you have got issues with a capital T. Let’s have a look at this unpleasant pest.
Actually the Japanese Knotweed is quite a decorative plant. It is indeed a native of Japan but it can also be found in Korea and China. It looks not too dissimilar to Bamboo but unlike that useful plant it’s not as helpful nor is it related, quite the opposite in fact. Japanese Knotweed is an invasive species. It was brought here for its decorative properties in the orental style gardens. However, it liked it so much it began to spread and take over more gardens. Then the worst thing it could do was discovered, it destroyed the foundation of buildings or caused cracking in the walls and separating the bricks. It’s similar to other plants so it can be difficult to spot. Removing it requires specialist teams and equipment.
It’s not all bad news. The Japanese Knotweed performs some vital eco links as well. Whilst you may be cursing its existence you should know that beekeepers use it extensively as it provides an excellent source of nectar. Given the state of bees in the world they need as much help as they can get! This gets turned into a very pleasant honey. The other is to stir fry. If you get one young enough (and you’d better hope that you do before they get established) you find it tastes very similar to rhubarb. Apart from that it has been used in holistic medicine in the East. It also provides seeds for ground feeding birds. As useful as it might be it is a nuisance to home buyers.
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