A grandmother has been left with little choice but to knock down her family home of more than 50 years following the nightmare discovery of asbestos.

Mary Porritt, 76, had plans to sell the Hamersley property in Perth’s northern suburbs and downsize.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Perth grandmother faces nightmare after asbestos discovery

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But those dreams have been derailed by asbestos riddled throughout the ceiling, wall cavities and living areas.

“This has been really devastating for not only myself but my whole family,” the widowed pensioner told 7NEWS.

Assessors said the amount of asbestos — which was popular in building products in Australia from the 1940s to late 1980s — is rarely found, even in industrial buildings. 

The grandmother is currently couch surfing between her children’s homes and weighing up whether to knock the house down or a huge operation to remove the loose asbestos manually.

Experts say the latter option would make the home safe but impact future owners by restricting them from doing basic home improvements in the future.

An asbestos discovery has left Perth grandmother Mary Porritt facing a huge bill. Credit: 7NEWS

An asbestos discovery has left Perth grandmother Mary Porritt facing a huge bill. Credit: 7NEWS

Porritt’s family has launched a fundraiser because they say insurance will not cover a demolition — which will cost about $115,000.

One in three homes in WA has asbestos.

“Any home built before 1990, you should have it checked, and this is going to cause a ripple effect,” Asbestos Diseases Society of Australia chief executive Melita Markey said.

Porritt’s son David Porritt said it is worth people looking to see what is in and around their own homes.

“A lot of people buy old houses and want to renovate them and you could come unstuck real easy finding something like this,” he said.