Do I Need A Survey?

What does a survey tell you?

The physical boundaries of the property and anything that might alter or interfere with those boundaries!

•        Are structures, driveways, means of access, fences, and chicken coops on your property or on a neighbors?
•        Are there areas that the city or county has access to for things like sewer or drainage maintenance?
•        Is it on a flood plain?!?
•        Setback guidelines (i.e. do you have to make sure that structures like a new fence or shed is set back a required distance from your property line.

What things can change from an older survey to a more current survey?

•        Flood plains can change and do!
•        New zoning or codes are regularly introduced by neighborhood HOA’s, city/townships and counties.
•        Structures and other improvements on the property can be added on to, torn down or built from scratch.

Why do buyers get a survey when they buy a home?

•        In order to get title insurance which is often required by mortgage companies.
•        To verify that that a driveway or fence is on the right property.
•        To show which trees, structures, and pavement is belong to the buyer and could become their responsibility.

Do you need a survey if the seller already has one?

A survey is strongly recommended, even if that seller has one.  If you want to be sure, ask the real estate attorney that will be helping you with your close and see what they would recommend.  Doing a survey for new construction is even more important to make sure the builder’s plans and the reality match.

How much does a survey cost?

That depends on the size of the property and how many items (structures, fences, creeks/ponds, and pavement) will need to be noted, as well as the amount of research the surveyor will need to do to find easements, zoning, flood plains, etc. A typical standard and simple survey will range from $250 to $400.

It’s important for every buyer to have a complete understanding of the property they are about to purchase. That understanding includes knowing how much property they have, the boundary lines and anything that might affect the usability of their property. A survey is one part of the due diligence process for the buyer to get information about the home, townhome or piece of land they are purchasing.

The High Performance....House?

My dad and I have met some wonderful and amazing folks during our real estate careers.  Some are our clients and some are the various contractors and vendor's we meet.  Last week, we sate down for an incredibly education lunch with Bradley Yoder from BuildSense.

Our stimulating topic was home performance.  When buying and selling homes, Realtor's and consumers are usually focused on the value of a particular home and how functional and attractive it might be. Rarely do we have an opportunity to explore how hard a home works to make it's occupants comfortable, and whether that comfort is cost-effective.  In other words, is the house drafty?  Are their hot rooms and/or cold rooms?  I know that in my house, the rooms directly over the garage are either too cold or too hot.  And, until I spoke with Bradley, I thought that was just how my house was going to be.

Bradley and his company are able to review your home and provide a report that identifies areas in your home that might be altered to increase your comfort, often while decreasing your utility bills.  Bradley has been doing some work on his own home to do just that.

Click here to read about some of Bradley's personal project.

While BuildSense can do so much more that just evaluate your home's performance, we thought that this was an important service to highlight for our readers.  In a real estate market where many can't afford to build a new energy efficient, the opportunity to tweak the homes we live in to increase or own comfort is a great option!

Click here to learn more about BuildSense.

Movers - A Ringing Endorsement!

In our line of business, people ask us all the time to recommend all sorts of people, contractors and companies.  The most common request is about moving companies.  Every single time I answer with enthusiasm, "Trosa!"  Trosa is a professional moving company that will pack, move and, even, store your stuff.  They are also part of an organization that helps former substance abusers get back on their feet.

Trosa has moved me and my all of my junk several times. Each time they were punctual, pleasant and professional.  I've also heard great reviews from my clients who have used them in the past.

Learn more about Trosa!

Trosa Moving

The Trosa Organization

If you're moving, give them a call for a free estimate - - and tell them The Kemble Team sent you!