Japanese Knotweed Report

MLA can facilitate both Remediation reports and Diminution reports, which will provide an accurate and impartial account of any Japanese knotweed issues.

Remediation Reports

An experienced Horticultural Expert or Chartered Surveyor who is a Certified Surveyor of Japanese Knotweed, who specialise in invasive species can provide detailed and efficient Remediation reports. The expert will carry out an inspection of the land in question, and identify with plot evidence, evaluate the extent of the infestation and advise of the most effective method of treatment or removal. The distance of the infestation to the habitable space is measured using a calibrated laser measure and a RICS risk assessment rating is confirmed. A conclusion is provided with an estimation of the costs and processes involved in treatment of the infestation, which typically include a Herbicide Management Plan to treat the stems and installation of a protective root barrier.

Diminution reports

A site assessment will be undertaken by an experienced Chartered Surveyor to identify the presence of JKW (or review recent Remediation Report outlining the extent of infestation) and accurately assess how it may affect the market value of the property.

The Chartered Surveyor will consider the RICS Professional Standard “Japanese Knotweed and Residential Property” to categorise the Knotweed infestations into one of the four  Management Categories: A, B, C & D, with Management Category A being the most serious impact / treatment and D being the least serious impact.

The Chartered Surveyor will then set out the framework advocated by the RICS Professional Standard when considering the full affect on value of the presence of knotweed used by Phil Santo in 2017 in his paper “Assessing diminution in value of residential properties affected by Japanese knotweed.”

These factors will be detailed in the report when assessing the likely impact of Knotweed on market value:

• Costs of Works
• Impact in the market prior to remediation
• The restrictions on use of the property
• The impact during remediation
• The impact of the infestation present on adjoining land
• Post-remediation impact on future saleability
• Summary affect on value