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  • Writer's pictureAndrew Lardizabal

Planning a Subdivision: Land Surveying & other Important Tasks to Do.


Planning to sell a portion of your land? That’s a long task to accomplish. Before the actual

selling, you would need to subdivide your land. You would need to follow a lot of steps and hire various types of professional services. You must hire a team that consists of a surveyor, a lawyer, an engineer, and an urban planner. In some situations, you might need to ask for the services of other professionals. Are you in the know of these facts? Among the experts mentioned, you might wonder what a surveyor does and why you need to include one in your team. Reality check: most people don’t know much about land surveying and its importance.

Are you one of them? Well, this time you need to be knowledgeable about it, for it is a crucial part of your subdivision plans. In this simple piece of writing, you will learn about the basic steps to take when planning a subdivision; and, yes, the important role of a licensed surveyor.

Land Surveying 101

Generally speaking, surveying is the process of measuring and mapping of the environment

with the use of mathematical and technological skills and equipment. Some types of land surveys are cadastral surveys, subdivision surveys, boundary surveys, mortgage surveys, site planning surveys, andtopographic surveys; which are all related or needed in subdividing a land. Land surveyors guide architects, engineers, and land developers; so you see, their job is no joke and is very much crucial. As for your case, a surveyor can help you with the following: property boundaries, boundary locations, and all the necessary information that affects land ownership. Being a land surveyor requires formal education, licensure exam,

and further trainings. It takes a lot of intelligence, skills, and dedication to become a successful one.

Subdivision of Land

Now, let’s talk about the steps that you need to take when planning a subdivision:

* Gather all relevant information about your property.

This is called conducting due diligence. In this step, you need to gather the following:

previous permits for development (if any), records of past issues (if any), and certificate of title that contains all important information that affects your property. You should also conduct market research: know the previous sales in the area, the prices of similar development sites, and other comparable sales. And of course, you should have a strategy plan. It is a document that details your goals for your development.

* Hire your team.

As mentioned above, you need to ask the help of different experts. And again, a land

surveyor should be included in your team. All those mapping and measurements – no one can do those tasks aside from a professional surveyor. Well, you may have doubts about hiring a professional team because, probably, you have heard about some people who do all the tasks by themselves. They do it to save money. While you may want to serve the same purpose, it is important for you to know that hiring a professional team will help you avoid possible problems. Dear, it is always best to ask for their help in doing tasks like this. If you want to save money, be sure about what types of professional help you need. The answer depends on your situation and specific concerns.

* Work with your team.

Raise all the necessary issues that you might have, and listen to what they have to say;

present your development proposal. You should be serious about working with them to avoid

possible problems. Moreover, these professionals can help you save your money from unexpected payments in case you commit a mistake due to working alone.

* Have a pre-lodgement meeting.

After working with your team, go to your local Council and present your preliminary plans.

It is advisable to take your urban planner with you in the pre-lodgement meeting. There, you would also need to present a copy of the certificate of title and the plan of the existing property.

* Work with your team regarding some changes and further concerns.

During the pre-lodgement meeting, you might realize the need to make some changes in

your plans. For this, you should work them out with your team. Identify the issues and clearly

instruct them on what to do. It is likewise important to listen to their ideas. Remember, these are professionals. They know what they are doing.

After doing the above mentioned steps, all you have to do is track your subdivision

application. It is important to have an idea about how long it takes before an application gets

approved or how you have to wait before getting a planning permit. It pays to inquire about it

during the early phases of your application.

Planning a subdivision is definitely not an easy task to do. Looking at the previously

discussed steps, you must have realized that you truly need to be involved and you need to hire the best professionals that you can. And now, you know that a land surveyor is among the experts that you need. Now, you know that land surveying is a crucial part of subdividing your land.

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