Specialists called in over ‘knotweed jungle’ which halved value of dementia-sufferer’s home.
Original story by SWEPnino on November 05, 2014
A WOMAN who was told the Swansea property she is trying to sell was worth almost half its asking price because of Japanese knotweed is hoping the loss might be reversed.
Elizabeth Abraham has lived in the property on Carmarthen Road her entire life, but has moved to a nursing home suffering from dementia.
The 92-year-old’s great niece, Elizabeth Wakeman, who has power of attorney for her affairs, is selling the house in order to pay for her special care and accommodation, but was told the invasive plant on land next door had reduced the value of the property significantly from £80,000, to around £45,000.
But after reading about her plight in The Evening Post, knotweed removal specialists Environet came forward to offer her help.
Mrs Wakeman said: “Without dealing with the Japanese knotweed, we were looking at a potentially heavy financial loss on the sale of the property.
“However, I have just instructed a specialist eradication company to deal with it and am delighted that in a matter of days my Japanese knotweed problem will have gone.
“We are hopeful we will be able to sell it at or close to the asking price”.
Japanese Knotweed, otherwise known as fallopia japonica, is native to eastern Asia, and was introduced to the UK in the mid-19th.
Two years ago, Swansea was named one of the UK’s worst-affected areas, with estate agency John Francis, claiming many lenders declined to offer mortgages in the areas affected by knotweed.
The Japanese knotweed infestation encroaching on Mrs Abraham’s garden comes from adjoining land that backs onto her garden.
This very typical example the devastation Japanese Knotweed can cause. However regardless of how bad the infestation is there will always be a possible solution and that is what we are here for; to find that solution. Remember that is never too late to solve your Knotweed issues but the longer you wait the worse it can become so our advice is to act fast and contact us as soon as possible so that we can start our treatment process sooner rather than later.
Discovering Japanese Knotweed on or around your property can be quite distressing. Knotweed Services UK understand that no one wants to be told their property is worth less because of an aggressive weed in their garden however Japanese Knotweed will inevitably devalue your property. Eradicating it yourself would be very difficult and would require lots of time researching the plant properly. It would also require you to purchase expensive equipment, that’s why we strongly suggest using a specialist contractor such as ourselves. We have the professional training and experience to effectively eradicate any Japanese Knotweed infestation.
Knotweed Services UK are PCA approved. The PCA works with government departments, provides training and qualifications, establishes industry guidelines and works to improve outcomes across all the sectors it represents for “the damp, waterproofing, wood preservation and invasive weeds industries”. As a member of the PCA we are required to adhere to strict standards in order to receive PCA membership. The application for membership is detailed and thorough. It is for these reasons that any company approved by the PCA can be trusted to provide the most effective solutions for Japanese knotweed removal. To find out more about the PCA please click here.
Please watch the video below to find out the benefits of choosing a PCA approved Japanese knotweed contractor:
If you are trying to sell your property and your surveyor finds Japanese Knotweed on their initial report you are sure to run into problems. The process may be delayed or cancelled all together. This does not have to be the case. In order to sell your property you may need a management plan to be in place; this plan will show that you are dealing with your Japanese Knotweed infestation and that it will not be a problem by the time the plan is completed. We will create a personal management plan for every customer. The plans are very in depth and are backed by our warranty meaning you can sleep easy knowing that your infestation is being taken care of.
If you are a homeowner who has found Japanese Knotweed on or around your property let us know as soon as you can. The sooner we know the sooner we can eradicate your Japanese Knotweed. Or if you are surveyor and need a management plan to be created we can also do this for you, saving you the time.
