If you’re thinking about buying, selling, or just updating your property, you may have heard about ‘property surveying.’ But what exactly does it involve, and why is it important?
A property inspection is an essential part of managing real estate transactions because it helps identify problems that aren’t immediately obvious, confirms property lines, and helps prevent disagreements in the future.
Buying property is one of the most crucial purchases. Yet, many home buyers skip getting a property survey to save money, akin to making a major deal while blindfolded.
Wouldn’t it be better to be prepared?
What is a Property Surveying?
A property survey is all about examining the legal values and boundary lines of a specific piece of land. It also helps identify any easements that might be on the property.
While you can get a property survey done at any time, it is especially important to know the exact boundaries when you are buying a new home. Depending on where you live and your mortgage company, you require a property survey to secure a mortgage or meet certain legal requirements.
Having a survey is super helpful because it clearly shows what land is yours and where you can build. This clarity makes it much easier for you, your lender, or your title company to set clear terms for any agreements.
Types of Property Surveys
When you’re buying a home, it’s crucial to know exactly what you’re getting into. Just like a health check-up gives you a clear understanding of your well-being, a property survey provides a thorough examination of the home and land.
To help clear up any confusion, let’s break down the different types of property surveys available:
a) Topographic Surveys
Topo surveys map out both the natural landscape and built structures on a piece of land. They show details like hills, valleys, and buildings. These details are especially required in planning and designing construction projects, environmental protection efforts, and other land use plans.
b) Construction and Engineering Surveys
These surveys are done to set the starting points and important markers needed for building and engineering work. They make sure that constructions are placed accurately according to the plans, helping in the layout and ensuring the buildings are structurally sound.
c) Legal Surveys
Legal surveys are used to figure out and record the property lines of a piece of land. They are important for solving property disputes, managing boundaries, and complying with local laws regarding land use. They are commonly required for property sales and legal documentation.
d) Drone Surveys
Drone surveys use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect detailed images and data from above. They are particularly useful for covering large areas or places that are hard to reach on foot. Industries like farming, mining, and city planning use drone surveys for detailed mapping, regular inspections, and progress tracking on projects.
Depending on the property type, you can seek relevant services from your Property Survey Vancouver specialist.
How Will a Property Surveying Company Near Me Be Beneficial?
Validates the Description of Land Before the Purchase
Buying a property is a big financial step. You need to ensure that what the contract and title state matches the actual property you plan to buy. Property surveying is a vital process that confirms you are truly getting what you paid for.
It looks at both the land and any structures of the house to avoid any surprises or problems. If you are buying or selling a house, putting up a fence, or planning any big changes to the structure, you should think about getting a survey of the property done.
Avoids Conflicts Over Boundary Lines and Corners
It’s important for a property owner to have clear information about where the property lines and markers are. This is especially necessary before you start any work like building a fence, adding a room, or paving your driveway.
Guessing where these lines lie can lead to serious disagreements with neighbors, especially if you move forward with building or extending anything.
Many people aren’t aware of the exact boundaries of their property. A thorough survey of property can help uncover if there are any issues with boundary lines or property corners. From this survey, you’ll get accurate details about the size and shape of your property, which can show whether there are problems like a part of your driveway being on someone else’s land.
Highlights Problems with Fences and Buildings
House surveying helps sort out any problems with fences and buildings that are on property lines. Normally, when you put up a new fence between two properties, it should sit right on the boundary line.
This way, both neighbors own half the fence and split any costs for upkeep or replacement. But sometimes, things aren’t that straightforward. Disagreements over where the boundary line can lead to big problems with fences. A property survey will clearly mark the boundary lines, making sure there’s no confusion about where the fence is or who it belongs to.
Property Surveying Decodes Zoning Classification
Zoning classification tells you if a property is meant for living in (residential) or for lighter types of businesses (light industrial). Most owners know what their property is zoned for, but they might not be aware of certain rules they need to follow.
A certified survey can show if there are any special rules about how you can use your property and make sure you’re using it the right way according to zoning laws.
Find Out If You Can Subdivide
If you’re thinking about splitting your property into smaller parts in the future, you need to know the rules about doing this first. Often, people buy property planning to divide it later, either to give pieces to family members or to sell for profit.
Different places, like countries and cities, have their own sets of rules on how you can split property. Getting a property survey Vancouver done is a good step because it will show you any rules that might affect your plans to divide the property.
Detailed Reports on Underground Cables and Drains
It’s simple to see wires above ground when you check a property, but what about what’s hidden below? It’s important to know where things like water, electricity, gas, phone lines, and cables are buried.
Utility companies might need to use part of your land to fix these lines, and if they’re under your house, they have the right to do so. It’s also good to know where these underground utilities are before you start rebuilding anything.
Clarifying Rights of Way, Easements, and Encumbrances
This part of a property survey checks if you or your neighbor have the legal right to walk across each other’s land to get to your homes. These rights, called easements, might be mentioned in the title report, but the survey will clearly show them.
Easements usually aren’t listed on your property’s deed. The survey will map out the easement and show if your neighbor can legally walk through your yard to get to the street. The survey also looks at encumbrances, which are any claims or issues that could impact who legally owns the property.
Protecting your Investment for the Future
The biggest benefit of property surveys is protecting your investment. Without an extensive and qualified examination of your land and house, it’s very easy to run into costly issues and disputes down the track.
The right surveying company near me offers a better understanding of the property before you commit to the purchase.
Conclusion
Thus, a property survey is more than just a document, it’s an essential instrument in real estate dealings, providing security and clear understanding. It enables you to grasp fully what you’re purchasing, helping to protect you from future complications.
Never overlook its significance. After all, it’s always better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it? So, go the extra mile, have the property surveyed, and guarantee a more streamlined and secure real estate transaction.
Spending a bit on a Property survey cost now can save you a lot of hassle and money later.