If you’re in the market for a home or a piece of property, then you’re in the market for a land surveyor — whether you know it or not. By providing you with a comprehensive overview of your potential investment — including any risks or outstanding issues — a land surveyor can save you a lot of time, hassle and money. More specifically, the right land surveyor can save you a lot of time, hassle and money. Choosing the wrong one can multiply your woes.
So, make sure you select the ideal surveyor for you and possible property. Read on to find out how to do this with confidence and ease.
Get Specific
Just like you wouldn’t hire a criminal lawyer for a personal injury case, you wouldn’t want to hire a land surveyor who specialises in residential properties if you’re looking at buying a commercial lot. Sure, the residential surveyor may be able to do the job, but likely not as well as one who has made a living from surveying commercial properties.
If you have enlisted the services of a land surveying company, they will usually have both kinds of experts on staff and will automatically give you the one you need.
Get Experienced
For most people, buying property is the biggest investment they’ll ever make. Part of taking this investment seriously entails entrusting every aspect of its purchase to professionals — preferably seasoned professionals. Before signing on with a pro, check to see how long that person or company has been in the industry. The length of time will stand as a testament to their customer service, work ethic, abilities and affordability.
Get Opinions
Here’s an obvious but often overlooked tip: ask around! Solicit recommendations from people you trust, be they friends, family or coworkers. You can ask your real estate agent, too, but just bear in mind that they often have symbiotic relationships with certain surveyors and can receive financial kickbacks for recommendations, so your agent’s opinion may be biased. Biased, but not always wrong. If you trust your agent (and you should if you are entrusting them with guiding you through this massive purchase), then chances are, you can put faith in their recommendation. After all, making a bad recommendation makes them look bad, too.
Other places you can look for recommendations include the online forums and social media platforms.
Get Pros
A consummate professional won’t only be registered, but they will also commit to furthering their education by attending seminars and workshops. These are the experts who understand that the industry and the rules are continuously evolving, and to stay relevant, competitive and accurate, they have to evolve too.
Get Personal
We’re not suggesting you start inviting each other over for dinner parties, but you and your surveyor should have personalities that are in synch. A lot of this will come down to expectations about work ethic: is your surveyor both friendly and professional? Are they open and accessible to answer your questions? Are they timely in their deliverables? Determine how important these things are to you. This will help you decide on the right land surveyor.
Get Priced
In any industry, you’ll get what you paid for. This means getting the cheapest surveyor won’t always get you the best survey. In fact, a survey that’s drastically less than the competition is likely overlooking major considerations, and these considerations could cost you big time.
Imagine not knowing about a deed dispute that makes your property line a foot less than you thought. Now imagine putting up a fence and being taken to court by your neighbours. Not good, right?
So while price should be a consideration, it should not be the most important. Shop around. Look for an amount that is within the industry standard, and make sure you have outlined in writing what you can expect for that price.
Once you have a cost, a personality and a set of expectations that are agreeable to you, you’ve got the right land surveyor for the job.
