Correcting Misconceptions Regarding Land Surveying
Property development can be costly. So it is not uncommon to find some landowners trying their best to minimise costs by neglecting some services under the assumption that they are frivolous. However, land surveying is not one such service that should be an oversight. In fact, by not hiring a land surveyor before you start building on your property, you could end up losing exorbitant amounts of money due to encroaching on property that does not belong to you. To assist you in having clarity about this process, this article corrects a few of the misconceptions regarding land surveying.
Existing survey stakes discount the need for a fresh survey
One of the biggest misconceptions people have is that if the land was previously surveyed, they do not need to conduct a new one. However, the presence of survey stakes does not negate the importance of hiring a land surveyor to furnish you with a fresh report. Survey stake on your land only implies that someone did analyse the property, but it does not accurately define your property line. In some cases, the stakes on the land may not even be survey monuments in the first place! Therefore, it is always judicious to have your own survey carried out so that you have conclusive findings that can be presented in court in the event of a dispute.
You can erect a fence on your lot before a survey is conducted
You may have a rough estimate about the scope of your land. Nonetheless, this does not mean that you have the all clear to erect a fence. Without being fully aware of your boundary lines, you could easily end up fencing part of your neighbour's property too. This invasion will not only pose the chance of land disputed, but in all likelihood, you will also have to take down the fence. Resultantly, you will have wasted money on supplies and construction, which is money that would have been better spent on just having a land survey done in the first place.
An existing fence means your land is accurately delineated
Properties with a pre-existing fence may give you the confidence to go ahead with your development plans without enlisting the services of a land surveyor. But this should not be the case. If a fence has been on the lot for several decades, there is a high likelihood that the land survey carried out in the past will not be as accurate as those carried out with the latest technology are. Instead of developing your lot under the assumption that you know your boundary lines, it is best to have this professionally established.