Survey Property Before Closing

Where is everything?

Get a property survey before closing on your new home. Why?

When you understand the purpose of surveys and the contract requirements related to them, you’ll see the value.

• You need to know where the property lines are, in relation to the house and other structures.
• Does your fence fall within your property lines, or does it wander onto your neighbor’s property?
• Do you have encroachments from neighbors
• Where and what type of easements are on the land? 
• Is there room for additions to the house in the future?

Get a property survey before closing.

Prior to development, the City Planning and Zoning departments must approve the plans for land use.

A survey is a nice visual representation of the property. It may be a requirement of the lender, but in practical terms, it is a useful document for the buyer for years to come. And it gives you an overall picture of your purchase as it relates to surrounding property.

What is a Title Survey?

Sometimes called a Title Survey or Loan Survey, a property survey is the evaluation of real property and includes the

• legal description
• property boundaries
• physical characteristics
• matters of record
• land use

A survey is done by a qualified surveyor, licensed in the state where your property is located.

The surveyor does a physical location of the property and typically flag the property points.

He then draws a map that shows the property lines and all structures within the boundaries including the house, garage, fences or walls, driveways, and sheds. The survey also shows any easements, setback lines, and potential encroachments.

Why is it Necessary?

A land title survey is used in a real estate transaction when the lender requires a clear “lender’s” title insurance policy covering the face value of the mortgage. The title company must have a survey to ensure title and satisfy the lender requirement.

But that’s not all. It will be extremely useful to you for making decisions about closing on this home, and in the future when you want to add improvements to the property.

Future Use, After Closing

Do you want to put in a pool, patio, new fence, storage shed? Pull out your survey. Keep an extra copy for easy reference. Before you do anything, simply check the details of this convenient document.

When it’s time to sell again, pull out your survey. It may help speed things along toward the sale and closing, with you as the seller. Many times the existing survey is acceptable for the next transaction.

In Texas, a T-47 Survey Document is used for the seller to advise the potential buyer of any changes during their ownership of the property.

Property Survey Terms:

Setback Lines

The distance from a curb, property line, or structure where a building is prohibited. Setback requirements are normally provided by ordinances or building codes (provisions in zoning ordinances regulating the distance from the lot line to the point where improvements may be constructed.)

Easement

The right of the owner of one parcel of land, by reason of such ownership, to use the land of another for a specific purpose.

Right-of-Way

It is the legal right to pass along a specific route through grounds or property belonging to another. It can be on the surface, overhead, or underground. The most common usage and/or examples include drainage, irrigation canals, ditches, electric power, telephone, oil, gas, water, other pipelines, and highways.

Plat

A map of a town, section, or subdivision showing the location and boundaries of individual parcels of land subdivided into lots with street, alleys, building lines, and easements.

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