Ah, property lines. The invisible barriers that divide our land from that of our neighbors and the general public. Sometimes they’re marked by fences, while other times we simply accept them to be where our neighbor’s lawn mowing endeavors end. But these lines can occasionally be blurred as a property is transferred from one owner to the next, especially with older estates. So if you find yourself wanting to know the true boundaries of your property, here are 5 ways to do just that.
1. Check Documentation: When you purchase a property, your documentation may include a Property Line Map and/or a legal description of your boundary line within the Property Deed. Both of these are invaluable resources if you’re lucky enough to get your hands on them, though it should be noted that some of the features referred to in the deed may have changed since it was first written up.
2. Find Property Line Markers: Found in the form of stakes hammered into the ground at the borders of the property, these markers are left by the last professional survey team to have surveyed the property. However, since the stakes are moveable, tampering is a potential issue.
3. Get a Land Survey: This is the most expensive option, but also the most accurate! Professional survey companies will not only come out to physically measure the boundaries of your property, but will also do some digging for any records pertaining to the land’s property lines.
4. Go Online: Sometimes you can find the boundaries of your property by checking local county websites for maps. For the Fort Myers and Cape Coral area, you might try leepa.org. You can also search geographical information system maps like Google Maps for a more generalized estimate of your property lines.
5. Use An App: Aside from Google Maps, there are a number of apps you can download that can help you get a better idea of where your property begins and ends, though their accuracy might not be completely spot on. Some popular apps include Landgrid, LandGlide, and Property Survey GPS.
Now, you might think that asking your real estate agent would be the easiest method of finding out where your land starts and finishes—after all, they’re experts on every other aspect of the property! But in reality, unless they were to utilize one or more of the above methods, they won’t know for certain where the property line is located, and within the real estate industry they are advised not to show where they believe the property line is to ensure that they don’t accidentally give incorrect information.
At Title Junction we care about helping you stay informed throughout your real estate transaction. Have questions? Give us a call at 239.415.6574.
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