Ah, yet another pesky thing we’ve got to look out for when buying a home…
As we all know, buying our first home certainly isn’t a walk in the park – not only is it incredibly expensive, but it can also come with many hidden problems that will make your life a nightmare.
And this is something Lois Connelly sadly knew all too well.
The Brit has issued a warning to first time buyers about a red flag she encountered at a property she very almost bought while house hunting in Bristol, UK.
A woman dodged a bullet when she spotted a ‘red flag’ in a property she was about to buy (Getty Stock Image)
She was in the process of buying a terraced property last year when she noticed something in the garden that she initially didn’t realise was a red flag.
Connelly, who works for the UK’s publicly funded healthcare system the NHS, told Wales Online: “It was my sister who spotted the bamboo initially when we viewed the property.”
Yep, bamboo had been planted ‘directly into the ground in both the back and front gardens’.
“Although it had been cut back, we could see it had spread and was growing right up against the house on both sides,” she added.
“When the surveyor flagged it up on his report, recommending that it be checked by an expert, I realised I was going to have to do something about it.”
Bamboo is a major red flag in properties (Getty Stock Image)
While for some bamboo may look like a great garden addition, Homebuilding & Renovating explains that as bamboo rhizomes can undermine foundations in a property, ‘this is a worry regarding the condition of the property as well as the possibility of disputes or legal action involving affected neighbours’.
Connelly continued: “The bamboo was already on the run and it was only a matter of time until it started causing damage to the property.
“As it was already encroaching into next door’s garden, I was also worried about the risk of a legal case against me as the new homeowner.
“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 won’t resolve it.”
While bamboo may look easy on the eyes, it can get out of control real fast (Getty Stock Image)
This is exactly what Connelly did – and it could have saved her thousands of pounds.
The publication went onto explain that back in 2022, a homeowner in England experienced a similar bamboo problem but far more severe, as it ended up growing through her flooring – costing around $131,000 to fix.
Looks like bamboo is now on the list of many property red flags along with the likes of black mould and poor lighting!
