Solved Buying house, is this tree cause for concern?

Discussion in 'Identification Area' started by Jess129clueless, Jul 2, 2022.

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Is this tree a cause for concern when buying the property 1m from tree?

Poll closed Jul 9, 2022.
  1. Tree is cause for concern

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  2. Tree is not cause for concern

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  1. Jess129clueless

    Jess129clueless Apprentice Gardener

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    I am not good with trees or plants. I'm looking to buy the house on the left and the site has a newish tree about 1m from the property. Should I be concerned re foundation issues? Or anything else? I'm not sure what tree it is. Thanks for any help in advance

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  2. Jess129clueless

    Jess129clueless Apprentice Gardener

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    • shiney

      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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      We need a picture of the tree. A full length shot and a close up of the leaves. :)
       
    • Jess129clueless

      Jess129clueless Apprentice Gardener

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      Sorry, posted now, took me a while to work it out
       
    • pete

      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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      It wouldn't bother me, looks like a birch.
       
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      • shiney

        shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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        It's a Silver Birch.

        The answer depends on how long you expect to be in the house.

        They can get very tall but it takes a few decades. The branches spread out but they are easily controlled. The roots don't go deep so should not be a problem to your house structurally but they do spread quite far and stay shallow. This can eventually cause a problem for your path but not for many years. Your prospective neighbours are likely to have more of a problem with the roots growing just below the surface and as they thicken they will protrude above the surface of their lawn.

        It will look very nice in their garden for some years and then it may become a big nuisance for them. It may be a good idea to discuss it with the neighbour and ask how long they would expect to leave it there. It is normally recommended to plant them at least 15ft (5m) from a building.

        It's not something that should stop you buying the house if you really like it but there are some approaches you can make to the neighbours. I would suggest to them that as the tree can eventually be a problem you would be happy to pay towards (or even all of it) for them to replace it with something like an apple or pear tree.

        Be careful to read any insurance documents that you receive as they sometimes ask if there are any trees near the house. The type of tree can affect your premium.

        Good luck :)
         
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        • Upsydaisy

          Upsydaisy Total Gardener

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          Hi there @Jess129clueless and a very warm

          [​IMG]

          It shouldn't really be a problem we've had them in our garden in the past. We planted one to replace a tree that had become dangerous. We had the S. Birch for 18 yrs but as @shiney said it did eventually make the path very uneven with It's shallow roots. On the plus side it was very easy to fell, my hubs did it himself :dbgrtmb:
           
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          • infradig

            infradig Total Gardener

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            My biggest concern is that it will likely produce mega thousands of seeds and you may be needing to weed them from any available nook or cranny. I have even found them in cracks in brick chimneys!
             
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            • Upsydaisy

              Upsydaisy Total Gardener

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            • Sheal

              Sheal Total Gardener

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              Silver Birches tend to be tall slender trees and not ideal for a small garden. In my opinion it has been planted much too close to the fence and may be a problem as it matures both above and below ground.

              If your surveyor hasn't already inspected the house it may be wise to point the tree out to him/her.
               
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              • Black Dog

                Black Dog Gardener of useful things

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                My idea would be to have a look into the local regulations.
                Were I live, there are specific distances you need to keep when planting a tree near the border, depending on the height the tree will reach when fully grown.

                My neighbors disregarded them as well, but they are very accurate when it comes to their garden, so they've hired a gardener that prunes the tree into the desired shape twice a year and removes any branches growing over the fence
                 
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                • shiney

                  shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                  Jess's problem is that it is in the neighbour's garden :noidea:.

                  We have one in our garden (used to have two but the other came down in the 1987 hurricane) and it is over 50ft high with a spread of 40ft. Just to emphasise, the tree won't be a problem for some time and it is easy to remove.

                  There are no regulations in this country but there are suggested distances. Insurance companies are more specific than the local authority.

                  Good point :blue thumb:
                   
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                  • pete

                    pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                    Doesn't sound like a good start with new neighbours if you were to start questioning them regarding a tree they have planted.
                    I'm looking at it and it appears very narrow, just a thought, but could it be some kind of upright narrow growing variety.
                    I'd move in, live there for 20 years and if it starts to become a problem, have a word then.:smile:
                     
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                    • shiney

                      shiney President, Grumpy Old Men's Club Staff Member

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                      That's because it is young but, as far as I know, there aren't many narrow growers. The lower branches have obviously been removed so they are trying to shape it. :blue thumb: Betula Jacquemontii is one of the narrower growing varieties if the lower branches are removed.
                      [​IMG]

                      Good idea. Just bear in mind to check your insurance documents well and see whether they ask you about trees.

                      The neighbours look as though they care for keeping a nice garden so may not want it to get out of hand.
                       
                    • pete

                      pete Growing a bit of this and a bit of that....

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                      I'm sorry I just think some times you can go into things too deep.
                      Is a tree in a neighbor's garden going to stop you buying a house, true, it could be a problem in some years time, but by then there could be lots of other trees in the area.

                      It doesn't appear to be growing near windows and looks to be at the side of the house.
                      Alienate your new neighbour at your peril. :biggrin:
                       
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