Regardless if it’s a new or existing property, the level of importance remains the same – get a property survey when purchasing real estate. This may seem like a step that can be skipped, but the purpose of a survey is to show the buyer exactly what property is being purchased, if there is an easement or right-of-way, and who may own the property against an ally, street, sidewalk or other areas. Getting a survey helps buyers recognize what land they will legally own.
What is a survey?
Many surveyors research a property’s background before taking measurements. It’s common for a surveyor to search the deed’s history and find out if there are any notes related to encroachment or negotiations with neighboring landowners. Next, measurements are taken to ensure there are no discrepancies about who owns what land and where the boundaries are located. This is important information as it shows if the city, a neighbor, utility or other source owns adjoining land. Once the survey is complete, a written description, with the survey, is given to the buyer and filed with the county.
Why is a survey important?
If the homeowner ever decides to install a fence, pool, shed, expand the driveway, or make other changes to the property, a survey is the only document that helps keep contractors and the homeowner safe from building or digging up a neighbor’s land. A survey is important for new construction too, because without one the builder could accidentally put part of the house on the neighbor’s property, and then there will need to be negotiations to fix the problem.
For example, in 2015, in Utah, a family chose to not get a survey for property they wanted to purchase and ended up building a home on land that belonged to someone else. A survey would have indicated that the tax ID number for the lot they looked at was different than the one in the purchase agreement.
In some cases, a neighboring property may not have access to a road without going through someone else’s land. This sometimes happens for driveway access, but when it does a formal letter should be included in the county’s records of a land survey. Agreements of when adjoining properties can use land that belongs to someone else can be discovered during a survey.
Additionally, most, but not all, mortgage companies require a survey to confirm the property is worth the amount being loaned.
How to schedule a survey?
Talk to your realtor about local surveyors in the area. A licensed and experienced realtor will know which companies to talk to about getting a survey and how much it costs. Prices can range depending upon the size and location of the property being surveyed.