Are you planning on building a new project?
It’s easy to remember most of the essentials when building a new home: having your contract in place, your insurance in order, preparing the finances, and more. However, there’s one essential that often gets overlooked by people: their site survey. Moreover, it might be tempting to ignore getting a site survey during the construction process as they can cost at least $1,000, which seem like a huge amount of money for something intangible.
However, site surveying can actually save a lot of time, money, and resources. It helps you to avoid any future legal disputes, which often costs a lot of fortune. Furthermore, it provides you with additional information to help you make better and more informed decisions, thus reducing the likelihood of costly errors made during construction.
Here are the 3 different site surveys and why they are important:
1. Identification Survey
Identification Survey is a survey that is required for identifying a parcel of land, as well as the position of related existing buildings and improvements. It includes a boundary fence survey which confirms their correct location on the land. It also confirms that the Title Reference is correctly lined up with the street in relation to boundaries. This survey may only be undertaken by a Registered Surveyor, and is usually carried out prior to the sales of the property.
It is important for a prospective buyer of a semi-detached, semi-attached, or freestanding house to get this survey in order to ensure they are buying the exact property they have been shown. It will also reveal any problems or property defects, such as encroachment or easements, which may devalue the property for future resale.
2. Boundary Marking Survey
A boundary marking survey defines your property boundaries and determines the location of any easements, covenants, or restrictions around your land. It is conducted by first determining the exact location of the property boundaries, and then physically marking the corners of your land. This survey will provide you with a plan or sketch showing all marks placed in the boundaries.
This survey is particularly important to prevent future legal disputes over boundary locations. It is recommended to conduct a residential boundary survey prior to erecting a fence, or starting any construction near the boundaries of your home if you haven’t done so.
3. Re Establishment Survey
Re-establishment survey involves determining the location of title boundaries relative to existing occupation surrounding the site, marking these title boundaries, as well as identifying issues and rights regarding the title. The survey will also provide a re-establishment plan in order to indicate any existing issues.
Re-establishment surveys are needed to establish exact boundaries for strata title purposes, or when you are planning improvements to a house, building, wall, or fences near the boundary. It may also be required when buying or selling, especially if the property is old or subdivided. Failure to establish the correct boundaries can lead to a major financial burden if discovered too late.
Ultimately, engaging with a registered land surveyor greatly reduces the risk and possible future cost during the construction process.
If you’re looking for a trusted property surveyor in Melbourne to undertake your site surveying, get in touch with Sam and team at Linear Land Surveying today. Give them a call on 9873 8888, or email survey@linearlandsurveying.com.au for a free set-out quote on your next building, land subdivision or construction project.
