Do I Need a Property Survey When Buying a Property? Quick Look at When & When Not…
Let’s talk about surveys! A lot of people are relocating here from other states and they're asking questions about surveys. Are they required in Tennessee? No, they are not! In some states a survey is not an optional item, but here it is.
With that in mind, let’s talk about when you do and do not need to get a survey.
If you're buying a property like a large track of land out in the country in a rural setting that may not have transferred ownership in decades, been in a family forever and nobody really knows exactly where the property line is, or is the line is described as “the tree line over here the creek bed over yonder and the ditch line to the back side of the property” you might want to get a survey.
The purpose of a survey is the define the lines of your property. With a survey, you can see where the boundaries REALLY are, in case the tree over there falls down. ;) Now, if you’re buying in town then you’re probably buying in a neighborhood. Your neighborhood was actually already surveyed when it was developed. The neighborhood plat is recorded at the courthouse so if you ever need to see how the layout of the lot is- dimensions and the shape - you can actually get a copy of the plat from the courthouse. You might even ask your agent for a copy of the plat to see the dimensions and shape of the lot.
If you still have questions or concerns, you might want to take the next step and consider a survey. This could be useful if you are concerned about an encroachment or if you can’t tell 100% your back property line lies.
In our area, an in-town survey usually runs $350-$400. The surveyor will come out and mark your corners, as well as note any irregularities on you lot lines.
In summary, a survey is not required in Tennessee. However, there may be times that you feel a survey is worth the expense for your piece of mind.
If you have any questions about this or anything else in the real estate process just give me a call. I’m Alan Castleman with Hickman Realty Group, and I’m here to help you!
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Posted by Alan Castleman on
Oh, okay. It never crossed my mind that property surveys are meant to help us determine the exact boundary of our land. Now that you mention it, I should probably advise my cousin to hire a surveyor quickly. He's decided to purchase an empty piece of land in New Mexico this summer, FYI.
Posted by Sam Andrews on Sunday, October 1st, 2023 at 10:19pmLeave A Comment