A homebuyer in Exeter has avoided an £11,000 bill to remove invasive bamboo after her surveyor spotted the early signs of a hidden infestation in the garden of her new home.
The case highlights the growing but under-recognised risks posed by bamboo, which experts warn can cause more damage to property and gardens than Japanese knotweed, while also increasing the risk of disputes with neighbours.
A YouGov poll of more than 2,000 adults, commissioned this year by invasive plant specialist Environet, found that 54% of buyers were unaware bamboo could hinder the sale of a property, cause structural damage or spark legal claims from neighbours. By comparison, 71% said they would be deterred from buying a home affected by knotweed, but only 38% would be put off by bamboo.
Although knotweed carries greater stigma and must be declared to potential buyers, bamboo spreads faster and can cause damage more quickly. Its roots can stretch more than 10 metres from the original plant, colonising lawns, paths, patios and even travelling beneath sheds and houses. Unlike many plants, its canes emerge at full thickness and reach full height in a single three-to-four-month growing season.
In the Exeter case, surveyor checks carried out during a Level 3 Building Survey revealed bamboo shoots in several areas of the garden. A specialist bamboo survey later confirmed 350 square metres of underground rhizome. The sellers admitted that the garden had once been invaded by 10-metre-high bamboo, which they had attempted unsuccessfully to remove. The infestation had begun spreading into a neighbouring property, raising the risk of a legal dispute.
“The previous owners were aware of the bamboo but it seems they intended to sell the property without properly addressing the issue or informing me,” said the buyer, Kathy Sanson. “Luckily, I had a good surveyor who noticed roots visible in various places and sporadic new growth, and suggested I get a bamboo survey. That revealed the true extent of the problem. It took a specialist team five full working days to remove it using a mini digger and sifting through the soil by hand to ensure nothing was left behind.”
Sanson negotiated to have the £11,000 cost of removal deducted from the purchase price, with the work covered by an insurance-backed guarantee.
Emily Grant, director of Environet, said awareness of bamboo’s risks is increasing, but buyers cannot rely on surveyors to flag it up. “Surveyors are under no obligation to check for bamboo, as they are for Japanese knotweed, so there are still plenty of cases where buyers inherit a problem they then have to pay to deal with themselves,” she said. “Sellers don’t have to declare it so there’s no legal recourse against them, which is why it’s so important to be vigilant when buying a property and if you’re not sure, get a bamboo survey.”
