Should you be talking to a land surveying company?

If you are thinking about buying a piece of land, you will want to know as much about the land as possible. Information that could be crucial to you includes the location of the land, the topography and what existing structures or immovable natural features may be present on the land. You could walk over the land, but without suitable knowledge and equipment, something important could be missed, particularly if the piece of land is large. The only reliable way to ensure that the land is exactly what you expect is by working with a land surveying company.

What will the land surveying company do?

When you arrange for a land surveying company to look at your land, they won't start by walking over the site. Often, they may not need to walk across the land at all. They will begin their investigation by looking for the existing legal paperwork. They will want to know where the boundaries of the property are and what other information is recorded. Once they know what should be present, they will physically measure the land and see whether any existing boundary markers are in the correct place. More often these days, they will conduct their research using drones. The drones will fly over the land taking multiple high definition images from different angles. Once the images have been collated, they will offer a detailed picture of every aspect of the land.  

What might the survey show?

Land surveying can highlight many problems that might otherwise go unnoticed until a legal dispute arises when someone tries to develop the site. One of the most common problems is a misplaced boundary marker. What is recorded on the paperwork isn't always reflected in the ground. Sometimes a landowner will deliberately encroach on a neighbours property, but accidental incursions are more common. Over the years, fences will be replaced, and they aren't always put back in precisely the same location. Fixing the boundary accurately is important, especially if you are building on the site and want to know where you can put a new building.  

When is land surveying needed?

Arranging for a survey before you purchase a piece of land is always important, but there are other times that it might also be useful. Perhaps you are thinking about changing the way your land is used. You might want to erect farm buildings or grow crops on the site, or you may be thinking about moving arable land to more industrial or commercial uses. Whatever you want to do, land surveying can provide a clear indication of exactly what you own and how it could be used.