What are the benefits of conducting a survey before buying land?
posted 1st October 2024
When you own a property, you are faced with numerous rewards, along with many risks. The aim of a survey before you buy land is to record your boundary lines, along with other features on your plot of land.
When you have a survey carried out before buying land, you enjoy the following benefits:
Know Boundary Lines
The most common reason why neighbours have disputes is boundary lines. Before your buy land, you should have a survey conducted to identify the location of your boundary lines. These are the legal boundaries for possession and occupancy. You also want to know your boundary lines when building a fence, adding a conservatory, or even paving your driveway.
The survey will show you and your neighbours where your property starts and ends. Before you have a fence installed, you want to ensure it doesn't encroach on your neighbours property. The boundary lines will also help you determine if your property legal description is accurate or not before the final sale goes through.
The information you receive regarding your boundary lines are essential for mortgage surveys and lenders. It is vital information, identifying how big your piece of land is, recording it accurately on the property deed.
Alleys, Roads, and Streets
While this forms part of your boundary lines, many surveys include a statement that there are no discrepancies between your property and the boundary, along with any adjoining properties. This is essential when your property is next to a road, street, motorway, or alley.
Easements and Rights of Way
Surveys provide valuable information conditions imposed by the law. If your property blocks your neighbours access to the road, or is an old agreement giving neighbours the right to walk across your garden to access the street. This information should be publicly available, shown in all property records.
Property Responsibilities
Before purchasing land or a property, you need to know what property responsibilities you will need to be aware of. This can be a shared driveway or a party wall agreement, for example. You may not be aware until the survey that you will be obligated to support your neighbours driveway by maintaining your own.
Improvements
If the piece of land you are purchasing includes a building, you need a surveyor to confirm that the building and any improvements do not violate any laws or restricts, including height, dimension, building lines, and parking. This helps you identify if any improvement violates local planning.
Determine Utility Features
A professional land surveyor will help you determine utility features on your property from vaults and electrical wiring, to water pipes and drains. They will be able to identify any manhole covers or catch basins, along with lines, poles, and cables that may require access from time to time.
Utility companies or the municipality may need to access your property to carry out repairs and improvements. Knowing the location of any utilities is also important if you want to develop the piece of land you are purchasing. You need to know this information before any excavation and construction can begin.
Conclusion
Conducting a survey before you purchase land can be very beneficial for you. It helps to ensure you are paying for what you are receiving, without any unexpected surprises. Whether you are buying a plot of land or an existing structure, give the MB Survey Solutions team a call and let us carry out a thorough survey, ensuring you make the best purchasing decision.