Are You Selling Property?

You may have to provide your buyer with an up-to-date survey of your property in order to:

• Give your buyer confidence in the purchase
• Allow your buyer to register the transaction at the land registry office
• Enable your buyer to make mortgage arrangements
• Verify to your buyer the size and extent of the property

Avoid later legal disputes arising from inadequate or inaccurate property descriptions

Are you Buying Property?

You need to know what you're getting. Only a survey plan made by a licensed land surveyor can legally define what you've purchased.
Your surveyor will undertake the necessary research, survey the property and prepare a survey plan that will reveal:

• Whether other people are entitled to partial use of your property through easements for utilities or rights-of-way
• Whether fences, trees, buildings, gardens, embankments, driveways, walkways, swimming pools, house additions and other property improvements actually lay on your property
• Whether your deed describes your property accurately

Your survey thus gives you a form of protection in addition to clarifying what you've bought, since it will reveal any encroachments or other irregularities that might be the cause of later legal disputes. In addition, your surveyor can mark the exact corners of your site with survey monuments.

If no up-to-date survey exists for the property you wish to buy, you should make it a condition of purchase that one be provided for you.

It pays to know the boundaries of your land. A small distance can make a big difference. The erection of a fence can be the source of expensive litigation and ill will between neighbours. Your licensed land surveyor can help you avoid disputes.

Building, Fencing or Adding On?

You need to protect your investment by making sure you are building on your own property. A mislocated fence, driveway or carport can cause legal problems and extra construction costs. Before you build, let a licensed land surveyor determine your property boundaries, replacing missing stakes if necessary. Allowing a surveyor to mark the location of your building on site before construction begins will also ensure that you meet setback requirements and other restrictions enforced by the Municipality in their zoning By-Laws. Failure to comply with zoning By-Laws could result in the loss of a future sale if the purchasers have an up-to-date survey done. Mortgage lenders generally do not advance money until by-law infringements are cleared up.

Are You Subdividing?

A licensed professional surveyor will:

• Check and ensure extent of title, and note planning restrictions, easements and other legalities
  
• Survey the site
• Engage other consultants to carry out preliminary studies, Engineering, Planning and Environmental issues to submit with draft plan
• Draft a proposed plan of subdivision
• Prepare final plans

Refinancing or to Obtain A Mortgage?

A mortgage company, whether it be a bank, trust company or others, may require a survey before they will lend money. Why is this a necessity and why are you often asked for an up-to-date survey?
Do the lot size, building set backs, pool and fence locations meet with local Zoning By-Laws?

The mortgage company will require the survey to protect their investment. They want to be sure that the land and buildings on which they are lending money are as described in the documents which accompany the transaction. They also wish to know that if they have to foreclose there will be no problems in re-selling the property.