Although a land survey may seem tedious and unnecessary, in fact there are several cases in which you ought to have your land surveyed, to save lots of confusion or legal troubles later.
For those who have two surveys done, they will often have slight differences, because land surveying is really as much a skill as a science. Measurements are always at the mercy of error. In land surveying, these measurements tend to be taken from landmarks such as for example fence posts; in two separate surveys, exactly the same landmarks will not be available, or could have shifted.
A land surveyor will research the documents available about your land, including titles and previous surveys. Then, they will physically gauge the property, and check these dimensions against the previous records to get any discrepancies. Land surveyors may also use electronic equipment, GPS positioning, or other devices to determine the boundaries of one's property.
You should always consider a new land survey in case you are buying a piece of real estate. Even though many mortgage companies or title insurance companies usually do not require one, it really is still smart to have a survey done. You ought to know of any boundary discrepancies that could affect the value of your property before purchasing it. Any disputes about the boundaries of the house ought to be settled before you consent to purchase it, or you can be in for a legal headache later.
You may also want to consider having a land survey done if you're planning to sell your premises. It is especially important in areas where road access is questionable. Determining the status of roads on your land can help your realtor regulate how marketable the property is. Shoreline footage and acreage are two more selling points which might be measured by way of a land survey. Continue reading might put in an offer that's contingent on a survey; when you have the survey done ahead of time, you can save time and increase the chances of selling your premises quickly.
Before building a shed, fence, or other structure on the edges of your land, consider having a land surveyor mark the exact edges of one's property. That way, you could be assured that you will be not building on your own neighbor's land, and you will assure yourself that you are not fencing out any land that's actually yours. That is especially important when creating a house or other large, permanent structure. There are numerous things to bear in mind when situating such a building, including easements, setbacks, and other requirements that will be marked on your new land survey. Don't let your contractor or builder determine where to place this structure, because they will probably not be any more alert to your boundaries than you're.
Conversely, if your neighbor is building such a structure and you believe it to be on your property, have a land survey completed. This is actually the first rung on the ladder towards resolving the issue and ensuring that your land remains yours to use.
Utilizing an outdated survey to determine either of these matters puts you at a disadvantage. Newer measuring techniques, including GPS, mean that newer surveys could be the most accurate. Some areas, especially rural land, haven't been surveyed since the nineteenth century, meaning that in many cases neighbors could be unknowingly encroaching on each other's land.