Are you considering buying a piece of land, selling your property, or making improvements on your land? Well, before you get started, have you considered having a land survey done?

Before Buying a Piece of Land

If you’re planning to buy a piece of land, it’s always wise to have a new land survey done. Even though mortgage companies or title insurance companies may not require one, you should be aware of any boundary discrepancies that could affect the value of your property. Trust me; you don’t want any disputes about the boundaries of your property after you’ve purchased it.

Before Selling a Piece of Land

If you’re planning to sell your property, you may want to consider having a land survey done as well. This is particularly important in areas where road access is questionable. Knowing the status of the roads on your land can help your realtor determine how marketable the property is. Additionally, shoreline footage and acreage are two selling points that can be measured by a land survey. Some buyers might even make an offer that’s contingent on a survey, so having one done ahead of time can save you time and increase your chances of selling your property quickly.

Before Building on or Improving Your Land

Before building any structures or making improvements on your land, it’s essential to have a land surveyor mark the exact edges of your property. This will ensure that you’re not building on your neighbor’s land and that you’re not fencing out any land that’s actually yours. This is particularly crucial when building a house or other large, permanent structure. There are many things to keep in mind when situating such a building, including easements, setbacks, and other requirements that will be marked on your new land survey. Do not let your contractor or builder determine where to place this structure, as they will probably not be any more aware of your boundaries than you are.

If Your Neighbor is Building Near the Property Line or If There is a Dispute as to Boundary

If your neighbor is building such a structure and you believe it to be on your property, have a land survey completed. This is the first step towards resolving any encroachment issues and ensuring that your land remains yours to use. Likewise, if you and your neighbor are in dispute in any way about the correct boundaries of the land, a survey will usually resolve such questions.

If The Most Recent Survey is Old

Using an outdated survey to determine boundaries puts you at a disadvantage. Newer measuring techniques, including GPS, mean that newer surveys will be the most accurate. Some areas, especially rural land, have not been surveyed since the nineteenth century, meaning that in many cases neighbors may be unknowingly encroaching on each other’s land.