Check surveys when buying rural land

June 28, 2021

There has been intense interest in 2021 from Canadian urbanites who want to buy recreational and rural property—motivated by the number of people working from home due to the pandemic and those seeking a retirement destination.
One of the first investments such buyers should make is a professional boundary survey to make sure they know exactly how much land they are buying, according to realtor who specializes in rural property.
“Even with established lots it can be hard to know where the property pins are after landscaping, fencing, vegetation and outbuildings get established. At the time they were placed in the ground—perhaps decades ago—the top of the pin marker was at the surface. Final grading and landscaping buries the survey pins deeper into the soil, so when you look for them, they can be up to a 10 inches underground and not easily locatable,” said Freddy Marks, managing broker of 3AGroup with Re/Max Nyda Realty of Agassiz, B.C.
If you have a title map with measurements, a hand-held GPS and a metal detector, you can locate the original pins yourself with some effort. But, if you have a property with many different angles or property that is split by a road or other easement you could have 10 or more locations, and it may be much easier to hire a survey company to complete a property boundary survey, Marks noted.
A boundary survey crew will triangulate and place highly visible ribbons at all the boundary points of a property with exact accuracy. If a survey crew cannot locate a property pin because it was removed or lost over time, they have the authority to calculate and replace the lost pin and ensure that the new pin coordinates are legally registered with the correct district’s land title office.
“A boundary survey adds value to your title, it allows the title owner to confidently create a land use plan and develop the acreage to add maximum value and comfort,” Marks said.