Perhaps you’ve just bought a brand new home on a piece of land, or perhaps you’re thinking about changing up the property that you currently own. A lot of homeowners might not realize this, but without looking into the services of a professional (and licensed) surveyor, you might actually get yourself into some trouble with your improvements or remodeling. There are a lot of laws dictating what you can and cannot do with your property, and most of them have to do with the specific city or municipality in which you live.

Image via: Brian Vanden Brink

We’ve all, at one point or another, probably seen someone working as a land surveyor, and might have even wondered what it was they were doing. If you’ve ever driven past someone looking into what appears to be a very tiny telescope that’s mounted on a full-sized tripod, then you’ve probably seen someone working as a land surveyor. These professionals are a very important part of land ownership, construction, property modification or improvement, and just about any other job or task that requires knowing about or altering a property in any way.

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Why you need a land surveyor

A surveyor, however, serves the very important function of making sure that you know you’re not violating any of those laws. There are a few instances when you definitely want to make sure you bring a surveyor over to check out your property. We’ll talk about some of the times when hiring the right professional surveyor is a great option, so you can have an easier time with your remodel or addition.

New homeowners with a brand new property

If you’ve just bought a brand new property and are in any way unclear as to exactly where its boundaries lie, then you definitely want to bring in a surveyor. You can actually call up your real estate agency or the title company with whom you have a policy and ask them for a recommendation. These types of companies typically have plenty of referrals to offer in the way of a professional surveyor. When he or she arrives, you’ll be able to get a clear understanding of where your property’s boundaries lie. The surveyor will use math, in addition to the documents describing your property’s borders, and will determine exactly where they are, so that there’s no confusion. This is important if you’ve just moved in, or if you’re planning on renovating or building something like a fence or driveway. You need to be sure that you’re not going to encroach on anyone else’s property, even if it’s by mistake.

Image via: Ahbl Land Arch

Refinancing your home

Another great reason to use a professional surveyor’s services is if you’re doing something like refinancing your home. Whether it’s traditional surveying or GPS surveys that are used to figure out exactly where your property’s boundaries lie, this is still an important step in the process of understanding exactly what property you own. This way, you’ll know exactly what you’re entitled to in terms of your home and its value. Hiring a professional survey might not seem like it’s something you had ever thought about doing, but if you own a home and are thinking about making some changes, it might be something you want to begin looking into.

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