When you’re considering getting a massive property like a home, you’ll need to conduct a lot of research. This investigation is frequently referred to as “due diligence,” a real-estate term. Knowing the exact position of your land’s property borders is vital whether you’re a first-time property owner or seeking to expand your home. The majority of individuals have a basic sense of where their land begins and stops, but how can you be sure? Some property lines are plainly indicated by terrain changes or roadways, while others are undetectable or have altered over time. A property survey is required to acquire the most precise information about the land you possess. However, Let’s discuss property survey, how much it cost, survey lines, and how to check survey records.
First, let’s know what property survey
What Is Property Survey?
A property survey verifies the legal description and boundary lines of a property. It also evaluates whether there are any other limitations or restrictions on the land. While you can legally have your property surveyed whenever it is a vital component of the property purchase process to validate the boundaries of your land.
You can have your property surveyed at any time, but you’ll almost certainly engage a surveyor while buying a house or building something. A property survey is usually required by most mortgage providers to ensure that the property is worth the amount of money they’re lending. However, a property survey isn’t always needed by law. Some lenders will accept title insurance as proof of ownership.
Although getting a property survey, on the other hand, allows you to know exactly what land you own and where you can develop, while also empowering you and your mortgage lender or title insurance business to define the most precise conditions of your agreements.
Completing Your Due Diligence With Property Survey
With a property survey, you can do your due diligence. Your property survey informs you about the property you’re considering buying and any conditions attached to it. When it comes to a property survey, it’s still crucial to complete your due diligence. To begin, obtain different quotations from surveyor firms and choose the one that best suits your needs. Then make sure you are present for the property survey with the surveyor. This will help you find out more about the property you’re considering purchasing and learn about any potential issues firsthand. Lastly, you should feel free to ask questions after viewing the property survey.
Types Of Property Survey
There are several sorts of surveys because there are diverse reasons to conduct one. For instance, land surveys illustrate a parcel’s borders. Topographic surveys reveal the land’s plane and height. A topographic survey is necessary for road improvements, for example.
Other survey types:
- Monumentation surveys: Done if you wish to build a fence.
- As-built surveys: Identify property lines and potential improvements like driveways and sidewalks.
- Mortgage surveys, like as-built surveys, reveal the boundaries of a mortgaged property or to be mortgage property.
- Surveys of floodplains:
- If you need a property survey, be precise about why it’s necessary. So that when you get an estimate for the project, it’s realistic to what you need.
What Are the Benefits of a Property Survey?
While property surveys aren’t compulsory in every state, they are in a lot of them. This is because they specify how your property is defined in a legal sense. You don’t have to guess where your property lines are because you have a document that spells it out for you.
Also, For some, conducting your due diligence when it comes to the property survey may not look to them as a real issue, but it can stop you from making an expensive error like constructing your house on another’s land.
Property Survey Lines
This may seem evident, however knowing your property lines as legal boundaries can significantly affect your homeownership adventure. You can develop or expand your home at ease, avoiding encroachments – property disputes with your neighbors, by erasing any uncertainty or hazy regions.
An incursion occurs when a neighbor constructs anything that encroaches on the property of another neighbor. Because there is so much on the line when it comes to property ownership and building rights, this type of argument can easily evolve into a legal matter.
Consider what can happen as a result of a new structure on your land, such as legal liability for injury or damage, higher insurance rates, and a lower resale value in the future. It’s not uncommon for potential buyers to make a lower offer or even pass on a home with ill-defined property limits.
How To Get A Property Survey
You may be asking how you can get the most detailed idea of your property’s legal boundaries after knowing what a property survey is. There are various options for obtaining a property survey.
#1. Employ a Land Surveyor
Fortunately for grazing deer and ravenous rabbits, not every parcel of land is clearly demarcated and fenced in. Some initial property line-markings may be lost due to terrain shifting. If you’re unsure about your property lines, call a land surveyor for a proper survey.
A land surveyor is an expert at determining boundaries. Experts in property surveys employ their knowledge, training, and specialized equipment. They can even testify as experts in land disputes.
A land surveyor compares historical records and data with existing markers to precisely identify your property limits. Hiring a well-respected and well-reviewed land surveyor before purchasing land or undertaking any new house extensions is your best choice to avoid potential legal complications. Get several quotes before making a decision, and be aware of lowball offers.
Process for hiring a property surveyor
One of the greatest ways to locate organizations to complete the task is to look for property surveyors in your region.
“Every state has a surveying society, and all of the links with NSPS,” Sumner explains. “Each of those societies has a website with a ‘Find A Surveyor’ section,” says the author.
Don’t be afraid to seek advice from your title company or lender. This might assist you in locating a reputable and professional surveyor in your area.
You should also ask your prospective surveyor necessary questions. Discuss your requirements ahead of time to ensure that they can be met. Sumner recommends double-checking that the surveyor is licensed to practice in the state where the property is located.
Keep in mind how long it takes to complete a survey. Property surveys can normally be through in a week, but they can take up to three weeks, according to Wooll.
According to Sumner, there’s no way to know how long a survey will take because there are so many variables to consider, such as the quality and availability of property records like deeds.
#2. Examine the Deed to the Property
In real estate, there are several different forms of deeds. A property deed is a written legal document in which the grantor transfers ownership of a property to the grantee. (This is not to be confused with a title, which is the legal document stating who owns the land.) This type of deed will include various pieces of critical information regarding the property, including correct owner names, exact addresses, tax map numbers, legal descriptions, limits, and other details such as transfer conditions and past owner reservations of rights. While some documents just list a lot or block number, many include exact measurements in the form of a property survey conducted by a land surveyor.
#3. Lookup Property Survey Records
Despite the fact that there is no national repository for real estate records, several states require property surveys to be filed with the local government. Visit the courthouse, property, or assessor’s office where your new land is located to look for property surveys. You’ll have to manually examine the property for transfers, requirements, and restrictions. This method can be time-consuming, but it’s a low-cost or no-cost approach to arm yourself with legal knowledge and history about your new home’s legal boundaries.
#4. Online Property Surveys
if you cant get to court, Many local governments provide property survey records online. To find a land, you’ll need precise information on the property you want to search for. Go to the county or assessor’s official website and look up any information you can like the street address, boundary descriptions, and date of the last survey.
Having additional information can help you find the survey you need. While not all records will be digitized, the results of your search may assist you to identify your property survey location. Then phone the office and ask for a copy of the survey.
If you have minimal information about your property, Geographical Information System GIS maps and property search engines are better options. These sites often require a fee or subscription.
#5. Contact The Last Surveyor
Land surveyors preserve copies of completed property surveys. (The survey is legally theirs.) Try contacting the former land surveyor if you have his name and contact info. They can probably mail you a copy for a cost. Land surveys often last 5 to 10 days or more, so even if you find the official paperwork, it’s generally best to be through with a fresh one.
How Much Does Property Survey Cost?
A property survey’s cost depends on the sort of survey you require as well as the size, location, and history of the property. According to statistics from HomeAdvisor, which provides average fees for several types of property surveys, a simple property boundary survey will cost somewhere between $100 and $600, while a mortgage survey costs on average $500. The more complicated the features and survey records history of a property, the more you’ll likely pay for a surveyor’s time.
You will pay for a survey if you are purchasing a home and need one to define property lines, verify whether the property is in a floodplain, or because your lender demands one.
Conclusion
Finally, a property survey may not be a requirement for purchasing a property. Your lender or title firm may require one however, in some situations, thus ensure you’re ready for the extra labor and money. So, identifying your estate’s actual boundary lines can prevent you from getting costly complications and disagreements with neighbors further on, if you’re buying on a home or constructing a large extension.
FAQs
what is property survey?
A property survey verifies the legal description and boundary lines of a property. It also evaluates whether there are any other limitations or restrictions on the land.
what are the factors to determine property survey cost?
A property survey’s cost depends on the sort of survey you require as well as the size, location, and history of the property
How Much Is Property Survey Cost?
A simple property boundary survey will cost somewhere between $100 and $600, while a mortgage survey costs on average $500
What is the Benefit of a Property Survey?
It can stop you from making an expensive error like constructing your house on another’s land.
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