I almost bought a new house until something in the garden stopped me in my tracks… and it WASN’T Japanese willow

A first time buyer has revealed how she was stopped mid-sale after spotting a very expensive hazard in the garden – and it wasn’t Japanese willow.

Lois Connelly, from Bristol, was due to buy a townhouse in the area in autumn 2023 and visited the home with her sister before finalizing the deal.

But Lois’ eagle-eyed siblings soon spotted more bamboo shoots growing in the front and back yards and pointed out the potential problem.

Talking to Bristol live, Lois, who works for the NHS, said: ‘It was my sister who first spotted the bamboo when we saw the property. It had been planted directly in the ground in both the back and front gardens.

She added: “Even though it had been cut down, we could see it had spread and was growing right up the house on both sides.”

Lois Connelly, from Bristol, was due to buy a terraced house in the area in autumn 2023 and visited the home with her sister – only to discover bamboo cultivation

Bamboo is increasingly being flagged by surveyors as a cost burden – leaving sellers with no option but to remove it or accept a discount on the price to support the removal costs.

Invasive plant specialists at The environment saw a staggering 55 per cent annual increase between June and December 2023 for the removal of bamboo on properties around the UK, indicating that buyers are becoming more aware of its risks and implications.

Lois’ home buyer report raised the issue of bamboo and advised her to seek expert advice.

A subsequent investigation showed that the bamboo on Lois’s prospective property was a ‘running’ variety.

This meant the destructive plant was already posing a threat to underground services, including pipes and drains, and had begun to encroach on the neighboring property.

The health worker said: ‘The bamboo was already on the run and it was only a matter of time before it started causing damage to the property as it was already encroaching on the neighbour’s garden.

‘I was also concerned about the risk of a lawsuit against me as a new home owner.’

Lois requested a price reduction to finance moving work, which the seller initially refused – but after she withdrew her offer, they agreed to a price reduction that covered half of the moving costs.

Bamboo is increasingly flagged by land surveyors as a problem when affected properties are bought and sold

Bamboo’s aggressive growth has given it a notorious reputation similar to Japanese Knotweed, known for its ability to invade building structures and wreak havoc on properties

The invasive plant can penetrate foundations and walls, causing extensive damage and leading to exorbitant removal costs

It poses a legal risk if bamboo encroaches on neighboring properties and could result in prosecution or thousands of pounds in fines.

She added: “To me this situation really highlights the lack of awareness around invasive bamboo as even the seller’s estate agent didn’t seem to recognize the problem at first.

‘I would advise anyone buying a property with bamboo in the garden to get a professional survey done and if necessary be prepared to walk away if the seller won’t fix it.’

Usually planted in borders and along boundary fences, bamboo’s aggressive growth has given it a notorious reputation similar to Japanese Knotweed, known for its ability to invade building structures and wreak havoc on properties.

The invasive plant can penetrate foundations and walls, causing extensive damage and leading to exorbitant removal costs – typically it costs around £3,500 to professionally remove bamboo from a residential property.

It also poses a legal risk if the bamboo encroaches on neighboring properties and could result in prosecution or thousands of pounds in fines.

Stephen Neville, 73, discovered bamboo plants growing out of his oven in December 2023 and cost him £6,000 to remove

In December 2023, a homeowner faced a year-long horror battle against “out-of-control” bamboo growing out of his furnace and costing him £6,000 to remove.

Stephen Neville, 73, from Northamptonshire, found the plant two meters tall inside his kitchen when he returned from a family holiday to Center Parcs in the summer of 2022.

Mr. Neville planted bamboo in his garden ten years ago, but the invasive plants soon became unmanageable and entered his home.

Meanwhile, another homeowner, Isobel Chetwood, from Knutsford, Cheshire, suffered £10,000 worth of damage after a neighbour’s bamboo plant invaded her garden.

After noticing the fast-growing plant starting to pop up through a raised bed she had designated for strawberry plants, she realized there was a problem.

When the plant took hold, it soon became clear that the tenants of the house next door had planted bamboo in the backyard.