Plants to avoid when buying or decorating an Ashford home!

You're looking at a home and thinking that it's the perfect place to make your life better. You see yourself there, surrounded by friends and family. You might even dream of having a dog or cat—but if that's the case, you should be warned: some plants can be dangerous for animals or the structure of your home! While you may think it’s just a plant… think again as they are not always as they seem. These are just some of the plants that we would suggest you avoid or at least take precautions with when buying and decorating a home.

Japanese knotweed

Japanese Knotweed is a problematic plant that is super invasive and can create a whole heap of problems when you come to move. Did you know that it can grow up to 10cm a day? Japanese Knotweed is so forceful it will push its way through cracks and even destroy brickwork, foundations, tarmac and even pipes. If it is in your garden keep an eye out to make sure that it doesn’t spread to your neighbour's land, otherwise, you could be sued! When it comes to selling or buying, be careful as some lenders will refuse an application and some could even downvalue the home by up to 15%!

Bamboo

Bamboo is much like Japanese Knotweed in how quickly it grows, meaning it can become problematic quite quickly. While this plant can look pretty and even somewhat tropical, some varieties of bamboo can have rhizomes of up to 30 ft, meaning it can cause issues for not only you but your neighbours. These rhizomes can cause damage to structures such as tarmac, foundations and brickwork.

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a succulent, so it can be difficult to kill. It's also an invasive plant that spreads easily and can grow up to three feet tall! If you have this plant in your yard, you'll want to keep an eye on it so it doesn't take over the entire garden.

If you're looking for a hardy plant with similar features as Aloe Vera but without the potential for taking over your entire yard, consider buying some lavender instead! Lavender is another popular choice among homeowners because it smells great (and attracts bees), looks nice against other flowers and plants (like roses), and has healing properties that can help with skin irritations like burns or bug bites.

Snake Plant

The snake plant (also known as Dracaena trifasciata) is a very popular houseplant due to its ability to thrive in low light and humidity. However, this plant is toxic to humans and pets, so please make sure it is out of reach.

The leaves of the snake plant contain saponins, which are mildly toxic and therefore if ingested will cause irritation of your digestive tract as well as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.

English Ivy

You may be surprised to learn that one of the most common houseplants is also toxic to pets and humans. English Ivy is a climbing plant that can grow indoors or out. The leaves are poisonous to dogs, cats and humans if eaten in large enough quantities (about 1/2 cup). If you have children in your home who might be tempted to eat this plant, it's best not to keep it around at all!

Ivy can also be problematic if growing on the outer walls of a property, it is extremely hard to get rid of. Also, it is important to know that when it grows on the walls it can end up creating structural damage to the property, such as damage to brickwork where the ivy penetrates the cracks and joints.

We hope that this list of plants to avoid when buying or decorating a home has been helpful. We know how exciting it is to move into a new place, and we want you to be aware of any potential problems before they become serious issues. If you would like some advice on buying or selling in Ashford, call us today on 01233 501601.