3 Reasons to conduct a property check

Before buying a property, it’s important to conduct certain searches and checks to ensure there are no major problems. From building inspections to personal inspections and title searches, there are a lot of items that need to be considered when conducting an inspection in person and before settlement day.

 

Title Search

If you are dealing with the owner of a property it is important to conduct a Title Search to verify that they are the true owner and find out if there are any encumbrances with the property so as to protect yourself from potential fraud. Be aware that it is unsafe to rely on a duplicate Certificate of Title as there may be obstacles that are only registered on the original document.

Purchasing a title search will help you verify a lot about the property including:

  • The correct address of the property you would be buying (e.g Apartment 8A rather than the whole lot)
  • A confirmation that the seller is the current owner
  • Any barriers related to the property (easements that restrict the ability to use the land for instance part of the land is reserved for sewer drainage; or a restrictive covenant agreement that restrains the owner of the property from carrying out certain developments such as renovating externally).
  • Whether the owner has a mortgage over the lan

 

Registered Plan Search

In addition, a registered plan or cadastral survey plan search will allow you to see the property boundaries as well as your neighbours’. The plan indicates pegs in the ground used to define property boundaries in the form of bearings and distances as well as the area. This allows property owners and neighbours to easily identify the property boundary if there is a boundary dispute.

 

Local Sewer Diagram Search

It may not sound very appealing but checking a property’s sewer service diagram before you buy can save you a lot of money and trouble in the long run.

Many easements, covenants or restrictions on the property may subtly include an easement that is related to sewerage or water usage.

Checking the sewer diagram can save you from potential disaster as it will show you if there are any trees that may be large and growing close to the building. The roots of these types of trees can easily cause structural problems and damage and can clog water and sewerage pipes.