The Top Four Reasons to Get an Updated Residential Land Survey
Getting an updated residential land survey is a great idea when you buy a home or property. A residential land survey isn’t required as part of the purchase. The title underwriter will most likely accept the seller’s survey defining the property boundaries and easements. Skipping this step may be one less expense for you, the buyer. But here are the top four reasons you might want to get your survey.
- You plan to make improvements to the home or property.
- There is a chance the seller made improvements and didn’t update the survey.
- You suspect the survey on file might be incorrect.
- The owner’s title insurance won’t cover boundary issues.
What a land survey includes
The legal term for a land survey in Florida is a “certified property boundary report.” This is a study performed by a licensed property surveyor.
A legal property survey examines the historical boundaries of the land and documents any improvements made since the original land survey was filed. The survey team uses legal property records from the county to compare the current land condition with the previous condition. They will also use aerial observations, GPS, and robotic survey systems to make an independent and unbiased determination about the land as it exists today.
