A Southwest Survey Knotweed Consists of…
- A (PCA) Property Care Association Qualified Surveyor will carry out a detailed Mortgage Compliant survey
- Produce a site plan with photographs
- Confirm and describe the level of contamination on the site and off the site
- The size, location and number of stands, proximity to water, map distances to buildings
- We will carry out visual surveys of the adjacent sites to identify potential encroachment
- We will advise of the risk of not taking the necessary action to control the plants
- We will recommend the most suitable Management option and programme, detailing the associated costs
- We will produce a survey report with a Management
- Include Guarantee options –10-year insurance backed guarantees
The costs involved carrying out a survey and producing comprehensive Japanese Knotweed Management Plan are listed below.
Japanese Knotweed Survey Costs
We charge £250 + VAT for a specialist Japanese Knotweed Report (residential properties only up to 1 acre). We normally carry out a Japanese Knotweed Survey and have the report back to you within 3 working days.
Please call for commercial survey costs.
Once you have received the report and are happy to proceed with the treatment programme, just give Southwest Knotweed a call.
The new RICS guidance: A more logical approach to Japanese Knotweed impact assessments
Substantial structures on sound foundations are unlikely to suffer structural damage due to Japanese knotweed. When Japanese knotweed is found in the vicinity of damage to a structure, the assessment process seeks to differentiate cases where damage has actually been caused by the growth, for example where expansion of the rhizome/root mass has pushed over a garden wall, from those where growth is simply present in areas that are already in a poor or defective condition, irrespective of the Japanese knotweed. Like most plants, Japanese knotweed will follow the line of least resistance as it develops, preferring to go around obstacles rather than through them.
As it seeks light and water, it may grow through pre-existing cracks in brickwork or concrete but its presence does not necessarily mean it has caused the cracking. Latest publications categorically dispel one oft-quoted Japanese knotweed myth by explaining that it is ‘impossible for it to grow through intact concrete’. An increasing appreciation of this important distinction between damage caused by Japanese knotweed and simply finding it present in areas of pre-existing damage should help to further reduce the perception of the risk it poses.
By focusing on the distance of an infestation from buildings and boundaries, the previous assessment process did not address one important problem sometimes caused by Japanese knotweed, that of its impact on amenity space such as lawns, paths, and driveways.
Japanese Knotweed Impact Assessment
If amenity space is being affected by Japanese knotweed, there may be an impact on value even when it is remote from buildings, especially on smaller plots. Lenders will want to ensure that appropriate measures are taken to mitigate any impact on amenity that will affect the value and saleability of a property. The assessment process acknowledges this wider impact of Japanese knotweed rather than simply focusing on buildings. On the other hand, if Japanese knotweed is present in established areas of planting on larger plots, or on larger estates, it may not have any impact on use and enjoyment. In such circumstances, while individual homeowners may wish to seek advice about future management, for lending purposes there may be no justification for requiring any remedial action. Southwest Knotweed works to the most recent Guidance Notes and will include an assessment based on the above criteria.
The above chart is based upon the latest RICS (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors) guidance notes which are applicable from March 2022.