A first time buyer has revealed how he stopped mid-sale after spotting a costly hazard in the garden – and it wasn’t Japanese knotweed.
Lois Connelly, from Bristol, was planning to buy a townhouse in the area in autumn 2023 and visited the house with her sister before completing the process.
However, Lois’s brother soon discovered multiple bamboo shoots growing in the front and back yards and pointed out the potential problem.
speaking to Bristol liveLois, who works for the NHS, said: ‘It was my sister who initially saw the bamboo when we looked at the property. It had been planted directly into the ground in both the front and back gardens.
He added: “Although they had trimmed it back, we could see that it had spread and was growing right next to the house on both sides.”
A first-time buyer revealed how she stopped mid-sale after spotting a costly hazard in the garden – and it wasn’t Japanese knotweed (file image)
Lois Connelly, from Bristol, was due to buy a semi-detached house in the area in autumn 2023 and visited the house with her sister, only to discover that bamboo was being grown.
Surveyors are increasingly singling out bamboo as an expensive commodity, leaving sellers little choice but to remove it or accept a price discount to cover disposal costs.
Specialists in invasive plants in Environment A staggering 55 per cent annual increase was recorded between June and December 2023 in bamboo removal in properties across the UK, indicating that buyers are becoming more aware of its risks and implications.
Lois’ homebuyer report raised the issue of bamboo and advised her to seek expert advice.
A subsequent survey found that the bamboo on Lois’ prospective property was a “working” variety.
This meant the destructive plant was already posing a threat to underground services, including pipes and drains, and had begun to encroach on neighboring property.
The sanitation worker said: “The bamboo was already fleeing and it was only a matter of time before it started causing property damage as it was invading the garden next door.
“I was also concerned about the risk of legal proceedings being brought against me as the new owner.”
Lois requested a price reduction to finance the moving job, which the supplier initially declined; However, after she withdrew her offer, they agreed to a price reduction that covered half of her moving costs.
Experts increasingly point to bamboo as a problem when buying and selling affected properties.
Bamboo’s aggressive growth has earned it a notorious reputation similar to that of Japanese Knotweed, known for its ability to penetrate building structures and wreak havoc on properties.
The invasive plant can penetrate foundations and walls, causing extensive damage and incurring exorbitant removal costs.
It represents a legal risk if bamboo encroaches on neighboring properties and can lead to prosecution or fines worth thousands of pounds.
He adds: “To me, this situation really highlights the lack of awareness about invasive bamboo, as even the seller’s real estate agent didn’t seem to recognize the problem at first.”
“I would advise anyone buying a property with bamboo in the garden to have a professional survey done and, if necessary, be prepared to walk away if the seller doesn’t resolve the issue.”
The aggressive growth of bamboo, often planted in borders and along fences, has earned it a notorious reputation similar to that of Japanese Knotweed, known for its ability to penetrate building structures and wreak havoc on properties.
The invasive plant can penetrate through foundations and walls, causing extensive damage and incurring exorbitant removal costs; Typically, professionally removing bamboo from a residential property costs around £3,500.
It also poses a legal risk if the bamboo encroaches on neighboring properties and can lead to prosecution or fines worth thousands of pounds.
Stephen Neville, 73, discovered bamboo plants growing in his oven in December 2023 and it cost him £6,000 to remove.
In December 2023, one homeowner faced a horrific year-long battle with “out of control” bamboo growing in his kiln, which cost him £6,000 to remove.
Stephen Neville, 73, from Northamptonshire, discovered the plant was two meters tall inside his kitchen when he returned from a family holiday to Center Parcs in the summer of 2022.
Neville planted bamboo in his garden a decade ago, but the invasive plants soon became unmanageable and reached his home.
Meanwhile, another homeowner, Isobel Chetwood, from Knutsford, Cheshire, faced £10,000 worth of damage after a neighbour’s bamboo plant invaded her garden.
After noticing the fast-growing plant starting to pop through a raised bed he had designated for strawberry plants, he realized there was a problem.
As the plant took hold, it was soon learned that the tenants of the house next door had planted bamboo in the backyard.