What does a surveyer actually DO??? And when would I instruct one??

Question

If I like a property and want to put in an offer-at what point would a surveyer come in?

Thanks :-)

Answer 1

In the UK you put an offer in (which doesnt form any sort of contract or bind you to a property), then you instruct the surveyor to assess the state of the property before you agree to exchange contracts.  You DO have to pay for the survey whether you end up buying the property or not, but it's important to get it done so you dont end up with a house that's falling apart.  If there are faults with the property, you can make an informed decision about whether to buy or not, and also use the results of the survey to negotiate price - for example if there is £2000 of electrics works to be done, you could ask the seller for a £1500 discount.  There are basically 3 levels of survey you can get done, the lowest level (and cheapest) of which just ensures there are no major structural problems and the more you pay for the survey, the more detail they go into.

In other countries where the offer you put in forms some kind of contract to buy, you would probably get the survey done before putting in an offer, but it works as above in the UK

Answer 2

get the survey done before you put an offer in as his report could affect you bid

Answer 3

determines the metes and bounds of a property.

or...if given the outer perimeter, will determine where those

end/start.....and if any easements are involved.......[usually

that is included.]

Also, let's say that you buy a home with 5 acres and you

are told that the 3 apple trees on the back of the lot are where your

property end.  YOU start picking apples.  The back neighbor

asks why you are picking his apples and you tell him--

he says, your line stops 10 ft before the trees.  THE

surveyor can tell you in 15 min if the trees are on your

lot or his.

thus, a good surveyor can solve lawsuits.

MANY A TIME, a neighbor has encroached on a property

and the next door neighbor has said nothing.

IF the nice neighbor says nothing, the encroaching neighbor

can actually sue for adverse possession and gain that

land free!

So, when we own property, we not only must keep it up

and pay taxes on it, we must legally protect it!

thus, if buying land, it helps to know exactly what you are getting. If just a house, it is often unnecessary to hire a surveyor.

Answer 4

If you are not sure where the boundaries of the parcel lie. A surveyor will locate the property corners and mark them for you. His marking carries legal weight as well making it convenient for you to improve the property. If you are confident the corners are accurately marked, you may never need to have it surveyed. A newer home will have probably had the land  surveyed before construction began. Many times you can find the corners  yourself marked with a metal pipe or rod with a surveyors mark and number on them. Sometimes the mark is in the street. If you can find one corner then the rest are usually a matter of using a long tape measure from the first point to the next corner. The parcel map will have the distance noted along each property line.

Answer 5

If  it  has  been  surveyed  before  a  copy  should be  in  court  records.