Why you should survey before you sell

Among the countless problems that can occur during the “sale pending” period of a land transaction, a survey is at the top of the list. Along with title issues, survey problems adversely impact more land closings than anything else. In this article, we will explain surveys and their significance to landowners, particularly those making preparations to sell. Let’s start with a little insight into the practice of land surveying from a historical perspective and then compare that with modern methods utilized today.

Surveying is the art and science of making measurements to locate points on, above or beneath the earth’s surface. The surveyor cannot by his own actions establish new boundary lines. However, he can use his experience and knowledge to formulate an opinion concerning the location of a boundary line in question. The actual survey is the measure of an area, calculated in acres in the U.S. One acre is 43,560 square feet.  Why such an odd number? Acres are based on “chains” or rather 66 ft. increments. An acre is exactly 66 feet x 660 feet or 1 chain x 10 chains. Another measurement based on chains is the mile which is 5,280 feet or 80 chains. A more common way to envision a one acre area is that it covers approximately 208ft. X 208 ft. A typical subdivision lot of 100′ of frontage x 200 feet of depth is about 46 hundredths of an acre. Read more