Eradicating Japanese Knotweed from Estate Agents’ Properties

The life of an estate agent is far from easy, with many hurdles and battles along the way. For those involved in the rental side of the business, apart from getting, vetting and keeping tenants happy, property maintenance can be a headache — especially if you’re involved in a seemingly endless battle with Japanese knotweed.

As many estate agents will be all too aware of by now, Japanese knotweed is a beast of a plant that almost appears immortal and grows up to 4cm a day. Nothing seems to kill it off — not spraying this highly invasive species with great amounts of weed-killer, or even digging it out of the ground. It just keeps on growing, posing real challenges to properties and those living in them. Plus, there are severe legal implications for property owners who let Japanese knotweed spread onto neighbouring properties, or who don’t dispose of it properly.

As many estate agents will be all too aware of by now, Japanese knotweed is a beast of a plant that almost appears unstoppable. It is notoriously hard to kill it off, and there are severe legal implications for property owners who let Japanese knotweed spread onto neighbouring properties, or who don’t dispose of it properly.

Selling Up with Japanese Knotweed

Then there is the entire issue of estate agents preparing to sell a property for a client, only to discover that it has Japanese knotweed growing in the garden or elsewhere. The roots can easily grow into cracks in walls, expanding them as they go and causing structural damage to homes. The weed — paradoxically brought into the UK in the 1800s as an ornamental plant — can interfere with water and sewage pipes and even grow up through asphalt in the driveway and floorboards in a house. It can seem like an unstoppable alien invasion.  

It’s for these reasons that mortgage providers will typically not approve a new mortgage if the surveyor’s report indicates there’s Japanese knotweed on a property that a potential new customer wants to buy. They will insist that professional eradication first be carried out and that it comes with an iron-clad guarantee that Japanese knotweed won’t grow back on the property. If it does reappear, estate agents insist that further work is carried out by an expert Japanese knotweed eradication firm.

In recent times, many people have been shocked to read in the papers that Japanese knotweed is even responsible for dramatically slashing the value of properties. In one case last year, a pensioner in Wales learned to his horror that his home that he was trying to sell was not worth the £130,000 it had previously been valued at, but almost half that amount: just £70,000. It was all because a surveyor discovered Japanese knotweed on the property.

Killing off Japanese Knotweed for Good

There is one thing the Japanese knotweed experts will tell you: that DIY methods to eradicate the plant just do not work. You can spend vast amounts of time and effort — and plenty of cash — trying to kill the thing off yourself, but it just keeps popping back up, Lazarus-like, and will not die off. There’s really only one solution. It’s a minor investment that will work and save time and money, as well as ensuring the value of properties is secured. It’s time to call in the pros.

Available to expert Japanese knotweed eradication firms are potent herbicides that are not available to the public. They’re able to use these in a variety of ways to kill Japanese knotweed and make sure it stays that way: dead. Herbicide treatments take some time, however — usually at least two growing seasons — and that may not be an option for estate agents looking to deal with the problem ahead of a rental or sale.

If time is critical, Japanese knotweed removal firms can do a controlled dig-out of the infested site and make sure none of the roots are left in the ground to start growing again. This can be done in a matter of days and, with an insurance-backed guarantee for up to a decade, it’s happy estate agent days once again.

EAN Content

Content shared by this account is either news shared free by third parties or sponsored (paid for) content from third parties. Please be advised that links to third party websites are not endorsed by Estate Agent Networking - Please do your own research before committing to any third party business promoted on our website. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Revealed: the most lucrative shared living postcodes

New research from COHO, the HMO management platform, reveals that the shared living market in England & Wales generates an estimated monthly rental income of £1.4bn. But which postcode areas are creating the most income from shared living? How much are HMOs making in your postcode? Find out here COHO has analysed the estimated number…
Read More
Breaking News

Mortgage approvals continue to climb in June

The latest mortgage approval data from the Bank of England figures show that: – Mortgage approvals on house purchases for June sat at 64,167 up (+1.4%) from 63,288 in May. This signals two consecutive months of growth. Approvals are also up (+5.6%) when compared to the 60,761 seen in June 2024. This growth is positive,…
Read More
bank of england interest rate
Breaking News

Bank of England Money & Credit Report June 2025

Net borrowing of mortgage debt by individuals increased by £3.1 billion to £5.3 billion in June, compared to a £2.8 billion increase to £2.2 billion of net borrowing in May. Net mortgage approvals for house purchases increased by 900, to 64,200 in June. Approvals for remortgaging also increased by 200, to 41,800 in June. This…
Read More
Breaking News

Housing market’s summer surge dampened by soaring stamp duty costs

Housing market activity has surged, with buyer demand up 11 per cent and agreed sales up eight per cent year-on-year, defying typical summer slowdown National house price inflation has slowed to 1.3 per cent, driven by a 12 per cent increase in homes for sale and higher stamp duty costs for many buyers Higher stamp…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Rents reach another new record as tenants pay £400 more than five years ago

The average advertised rent of homes outside of London has risen to another new record this quarter of £1,365 per calendar month (pcm), but the yearly pace of rent growth continues to slow: London rents also reach a 15th consecutive new record of £2,712 pcm this quarter Five years on from the pandemic, new tenants…
Read More
Breaking News

Six UK vineyards where homebuyers avoid the 84% premium

Six affordable UK vineyards where homebuyers avoid the 84% house price premium and toast a better deal The latest research from Yopa has revealed that living close to one of the UK’s top vineyards will set homebuyers back an average of £494,739, 84% more than the current UK average house price. However, there remain a…
Read More