Are you thinking about selling, buying or updating a piece of real estate? Any money you spend on your home and land is an investment that you likely hope will increase your property value. Do you feel like you understand everything you need to know about your property? These are some reasons you should consider having a professional land survey.

Finding Property Boundaries

If you are like many homeowners, you may want to install a fence, update your landscaping or build sheds or other outbuildings. You may even want to expand or build a new home on your land.

No matter what you want to do with your property, you need to know where the boundary lines are. The best way to find these lines is to have a licensed surveyor conduct a boundary survey. Then, you know how much property you legally own. You should understand where your property ends so you can update your real estate, not your neighbor’s.

Uncovering Easements and Other Legal Conditions

Some real estate has easements, shared driveways, rights of ways, abandoned roads and areas where your neighbors are legally allowed to cross your property to get to their own. You likely cannot build or impede these areas, even with landscaping. A land surveyor can locate any of these legal conditions or accesses on your property.

You should understand any easements or legal conditions on your land before you purchase it, but if you didn’t receive a survey upon your purchase, you should get one before you complete any updates to protect your investments.

Locating Water Resources

A general survey of your real estate should outline any visible water resources, including ponds, lakes, streams, creeks, rivers, etc. This survey should also uncover existing, working wells. However, these services don’t go deeper into your land to uncover underground water resources.

For example, you may have a spring or underground river a few feet down that could impact where or if you can build on the property.

Protect your investment as you learn about all the benefits of a professional survey.