Our detection dog team was out in force this week in the beautiful Peak District, for a customer who is purchasing a house with an acre of land which has been affected by Japanese knotweed.

The seller has been treating three areas of plant growth at the property over a number of years, which he believed to be Japanese knotweed. But with the plant still in its winter hibernation period, meaning no above-ground growth is visible, the seller understandably wanted assurances about whether the plant was indeed present and alive.

Mick, Mack and Buddy scoured the property and found nothing in two of the suspected locations, which we confirmed to be clear following our own investigations, but all three dogs strongly indicated in the third spot, suggesting knotweed was still present. Enabling us to target our dig, we were able to identify the presence of knotweed rhizome in the ground that had been heavily treated. There’s a chance it could regrow, so we will undertake a monitoring programme over the next three years and provide a 10-year insurance-backed guarantee underwritten by an ‘AA-‘ rated insurer. The buyer is happy to proceed on this basis and hopes to exchange contracts next week.

Honesty is always the best policy when it comes to Japanese knotweed. Armed with the facts, the buyer was able to carry out their own enquiries by bringing in the dogs and is now confident to go ahead with the purchase.

If you’re buying or selling a property that might be affected by Japanese knotweed, a dog detection survey will confirm either way with the highest possible level of certainty.

Contact us today to find out more about how our canine team can help you seal the deal.