Buying New Land? Make Sure You Do These 2 Things First
Posted on: 29 May 2019
If you are purchasing new land, before you spend this great deal of money there are things you should do first. Below are two of these things so you can know if this land will work out well for you and the purpose you are using the land for.
Get an ALTA Survey
An ALTA (American Land Title Association) is a detailed survey that is done by a licensed and registered professional surveyor. This type of survey is more expensive when compared to a traditional land survey contractor, but it is well worth the money.
This survey will show you where the boundary lines are on the property. It will also show you if there are any utility lines on the property. One important thing you will learn is if there are any easements on the property. An easement is someone else having a legal right to use your land for a specific purpose. For example, there may be a neighbor that wants to build a fence that is on your property or they could even build a structure, such as a shed, a house, etc. on the land. The land itself remains in your name, however, but you may not want anyone or anything else on your land.
When the ALTA survey is finished, you will receive a report showing their findings. Knowing your property lines is important, as you can prevent someone from encroaching onto your land in the future.
Test the Soil
If you plan to grow anything on the land, including a vegetable garden, flowers, and more, you should have the soil tested. To do this, gather soil from different areas of the property. Put each sample into a container and mark where you got the soil from. You can then take the soil to a local easement office to have them test it for you.
This soil test will show you if your soil is lacking in any nutrients. It will also show you what type of soil you have. For example, if the soil is mostly clay it will be difficult to grow anything on as clay is thick and not porous. If you add drainage to clay soil, however, plants and flowers will grow well as the soil will hold in the nutrients. The soil could also be sandy, which would likely require nutrients to be added. This is because water easily washes away nutrients in sandy soil.
Besides these two tips, determine where utilities are located, and if there is a septic tank where it is located. This way you will not dig in these areas and cause a lot of damage.
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