2 differing pieces of advice

[concertplayer]

We are desperate to buy a house but it has a small amount of Japanese KW
visible We know about the risks getting mortgages etc
We sent photos to a couple of JKW firms who confirmed it was JKW
I told them as it was growing out of the housewall into the garden we were concerned it was in the foundations. They said unlikely but the paving next to the wall would need to be pulled up.
Our sols who is experienced with JKW cases apparently advised us to get a local RICS surveyor to survey. Why a local one? Is that relevant?
According to the ROCS site you would still have to get a JKW company in to treat it so why have a Survey?
This all seems like another money making racket

[whois]

I would expect the seller to be dealing with all the JKW issues? Their problem as it will be a problem for all buyers?

[clarrrp]

Don't buy it.

Unless you have access to napalm you are never going to get rid of it - it causes serious structural damage and you'll never be able to sell the house.

Not only that - but the cost involved of getting rid of it - licenced removal and landfill - and that INCLUDES all the soil on your land that has been contaminated by the knotweed because it's considered controlled waste.

And even when you have shelled out all that money time and effort and stress the fucking thing STILL comes back. It's like herpes.

I told them as it was growing out of the housewall into the garden we were concerned it was in the foundations

If it's already growing 'out' of the wall then there's a good chance the whole structure is riddled with it - you'll need to get a surveyor in to assess the building, but honestly, I'd steer clear if I were you.

[JT05]

Personally I'd rather have a house with asbestos than JK. At least when asbestos is removed it's gone!
Don't buy it!

[Whereareyouscooter]

That's nonsense! We have a management plan in place for knotweed found in our garden. The company dealing with it (members of the pca) will come for three consecutive years to spray it and inject industrial strength herbicides into it. They will then come back for the following ten years to check it and treat if necessary - although in their extensive experience this won't be necessary. The whole thing is covered by an indemnity insurance for ten years and if anything happens to the management company in the next ten years, we'll be covered by the pca. In the 14 years that the company has been around they've only seen two cases of knotweed getting in the foundations, one was an old church and the other already had severe structural problems. As for excavating the knotweed, this is rarely done in residential settings as a management programme is adequate. We are passing around £2500 (though I would expect the vendor to pay for it.)