Why Do You Need a Re-Establishment Survey If You're Getting Ready to Sell Your Property?
Posted on: 10 October 2017
If you are thinking about moving home and haven't done so for a very long time, you've got a lot of planning ahead of you. Over the decades, perhaps you have carried out a number of different improvements to your property, might have built an extension, or even introduced a new boundary wall. One of the first questions that you need to ask is whether your original title is still fully accurate, as a consequence of all of these changes? Why do you need to do this and what do you need to think about?
Everyone on the Right Page
Local councils always require full details about any potential alterations to a property, but from time to time also require that a property survey is undertaken. This is necessary, so that all potentially interested parties are always looking at the same detail.
Therefore, a re-establishment survey may now be called for. It's possible that some data was gathered whenever you carried out your earlier improvements, especially with regards to something like a retaining wall on the periphery of your property. However, it's now important to define the boundaries very specifically once more.
How the Process Unfolds
To begin the process, gather all the important information from local council offices, where their records will provide initial information for reference purposes. If these reference marks are present, then planners consider this to be a "direct link" for the work ahead. However, sometimes they need to dig a little bit further and look for "indirect" links. These could be specific landmarks within your property, or even a simple mark in brickwork that has been previously logged as being important. The presence of these markers will need to be verified once again and reintroduced to the plan, as work goes forward. Sometimes it is necessary to look for new markers and introduce those to the masterplan instead.
Detective Work
In an ideal world, a number of different reference points will be identified, as this is likely to lead to less confusion in the long run. If the project was particularly complex, planners will usually insist on gathering as many data points as possible. It's not unheard of for technicians to look at similar properties in the nearby vicinity, to help them more accurately plot the details.
In particular, the planners will be looking for any differences when they compare the current survey results to the original information. They will need to clearly identify why these differences have arisen and they may not always be linked to any introduced improvements. Occasionally, a difference can result from movement in the earth or settlement, particularly if the original survey is very old.
Doing It the Right Way
It's in your best interest to ensure that your title is completely accurate before proceeding with any sale. Have a word with land surveyors to help you re-establish the exact location of your structure and all the boundaries, so that you get it right.
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