FAQ
What things should I consider in regards to surveying prior to construction?
The high costs of construction materials and installing septic systems should be reason enough to get a survey before beginning a project. A survey assures you that your new improvements are being built within your property boundaries. Be sure that your structure is in compliance to local government-required building setbacks. Be especially careful when building adjacent to government lands as they may require the removal of any trespass. Do not depend on your building contractor to determine your building location in relation to your lot lines unless you are very sure where they are. Contractors are not surveyors!
Will surveying help determine if I have legal road access into my new property?
Legal road access is another area that often arises during a real estate transfer. Our area is integrated with all types of road corridors going in and out of rural parcels. These roads often cross adjoining parcels and may or may not have a legal easement to do so. Easements, when written properly, identify centerline location, width, grantor, grantee, transfer rights, and uses. Attorneys and/or title companies will take a very close look at this when interpreting marketability of title.
Does surveying help with taxable acreage verification?
At times we have been asked to verify the acreage of a parcel in comparison to assessed acreage. County Assessors require certified surveys in order to make taxable acreage adjustments.
I am buying a new house. Should the property be surveyed?
Be sure to get a new survey of the property you are buying. The majority of our rural real estate in Alabama has not been resurveyed in a very long time. Pins set in subdivision plats of the early 1900s to the 1980s should be checked and verified by a Licensed Land Surveyor. Many landowners and real estate professionals describe parcels as surveyed when pins appear at boundary locations. Anyone can stick a pipe or pin in the ground, a practice often found in and around our area. Be sure you know that what you are buying is located within the parameters of your legal description. Contrary to buyer beliefs, title insurance does not insure for encroachments.
Will conducting a survey benefit the seller in a real estate transaction?
Providing your realtor with a current survey will definitely improve your chances for a quick, trouble-free transaction. Often, buyers make offers contingent on a survey. A belated survey not only adds time to the situation but if any problems arise as a result of the survey, you may lose a good, qualified buyer. Knowing the accurate locations of the property boundaries will also make for a much better presentation by your agent when showing the property.
The high costs of construction materials and installing septic systems should be reason enough to get a survey before beginning a project. A survey assures you that your new improvements are being built within your property boundaries. Be sure that your structure is in compliance to local government-required building setbacks. Be especially careful when building adjacent to government lands as they may require the removal of any trespass. Do not depend on your building contractor to determine your building location in relation to your lot lines unless you are very sure where they are. Contractors are not surveyors!
Will surveying help determine if I have legal road access into my new property?
Legal road access is another area that often arises during a real estate transfer. Our area is integrated with all types of road corridors going in and out of rural parcels. These roads often cross adjoining parcels and may or may not have a legal easement to do so. Easements, when written properly, identify centerline location, width, grantor, grantee, transfer rights, and uses. Attorneys and/or title companies will take a very close look at this when interpreting marketability of title.
Does surveying help with taxable acreage verification?
At times we have been asked to verify the acreage of a parcel in comparison to assessed acreage. County Assessors require certified surveys in order to make taxable acreage adjustments.
I am buying a new house. Should the property be surveyed?
Be sure to get a new survey of the property you are buying. The majority of our rural real estate in Alabama has not been resurveyed in a very long time. Pins set in subdivision plats of the early 1900s to the 1980s should be checked and verified by a Licensed Land Surveyor. Many landowners and real estate professionals describe parcels as surveyed when pins appear at boundary locations. Anyone can stick a pipe or pin in the ground, a practice often found in and around our area. Be sure you know that what you are buying is located within the parameters of your legal description. Contrary to buyer beliefs, title insurance does not insure for encroachments.
Will conducting a survey benefit the seller in a real estate transaction?
Providing your realtor with a current survey will definitely improve your chances for a quick, trouble-free transaction. Often, buyers make offers contingent on a survey. A belated survey not only adds time to the situation but if any problems arise as a result of the survey, you may lose a good, qualified buyer. Knowing the accurate locations of the property boundaries will also make for a much better presentation by your agent when showing the property.