Why do I need that? I can find the property lines myself.

I hear this a lot, especially if my clients are buying in a subdivision where property lines are fairly obvious.

Well what’s obvious isn’t what you need to worry about. It is the hidden things. Like drainage and sewer easements, wetlands, flood zones, utility or right-of-way easements. These things will dictate, in part, how you can use the land you’re buying, where you can put the detached shop, where you can put a fence, whether your property is a designated ingress for legal access for another party to their property or one they plan to do work on.

Sometimes the underground drainage/sewer easements contain large concrete structures you could walk in. They are there for an important reason and you may never know they’re there unless they are on your property and there’s a problem. And if they fail, you might need to dismantle that shop, move the fence, give up on the landscaping…at your expense, by the way.

A survey will also show you if someone else has encroached on your land…often with a fence, or is using your property for their needs. And…if a legal issue does arise, you having a survey in hand will go a long way towards protecting your interest.

I always cringe at the cost of a survey; however, it is far more important than even the cost indicates. By the way, if you DO have one, it is extremely kind to share that with your listing agent so it can be shared with your future buyers. They will still need to do their own survey, but having the one YOU did in hand, will show them the big green light to purchase your listing.

Get the survey. I promise, it’s worth it for far more than property line location, although it does that too.

Best Regards,

Brenda Briggs, Premier Advantage Realty: 919-210-6113