A first-time buyer has warned people after she nearly bought a house with a harmful plant growing in the garden - which could have cost her a hefty sum to remove.
Lois Connelly was considering buying a home in Bristol last autumn when she discovered it had a potential problem with bamboo, which was planted in both the front and back gardens.
Increasingly surveyors are flagging the plant as an issue when affected properties are bought and sold. This forces sellers to either take action to remove it or accept a discount on the price to reflect removal costs.
Between June and December 2023, invasive plant specialist Environet saw a 55% annual increase in enquiries for bamboo removal relating to property transactions.
Read more on manchestereveningnews.co.uk