Why do I Need a Survey?

 Many buyers wonder if having a survey of the property completed necessary when buying a house?  They may see it just as another added questionable expense in the home buying process.  So why bother shelling out another $400 or more for a piece of paper with a picture of the house drawn on it?   

Well, as a Realtor I can tell you that a this little piece of paper is very important.  It is important for many reasons, but most importantly it tells you what you are buying.  

• It shows you that the entire house that you are purchasing is on your property.  
• It shows you if the house is in a flood zone.  
• It tells you if your neighbor's fence is on your property.  
• It assures you that your fence is on your property.
• It shows you if the town, gas, or other entity has an easement on your property.  
• It protects your title insurance, as the title insurance company will not pay claims regarding encroachments if you did not have a survey when you purchased the home.  

By having a survey completed prior to purchasing a property, if there are any encroachments you as the buyer will have an opportunity have the seller rectify any issues.

What about the nice seller who offers to share the old survey with the buyer?

That is very nice of the seller, however things may have changed since the survey was completed or items could have been missed.  Also if the buyer did not purchase the survey, the surveyor has no obligation to that buyer.  Therefore they will not have survey coverage on their title insurance policy if it turns our that the survey has errors.  Title Insurance will only offer survey coverage to the buyer when they purchase a new survey.  

So, bottom line for buyers, YES, you do want a survey!