November 27, 2009
Mark Weisleder
Special to the Star

Yourhome.ca: Many buyers think that if they have title insurance, they don't need a survey when they purchase a home. In order to properly understand this issue, we first need to look at the advantages to a buyer of having an up-to-date survey when they purchase any property.

Buyers have faced all kinds of difficulties over the years when they purchased a property without a survey froma licensed surveyor. These include:

building a house on the wrong lot;

building a swimming pool on part of a neighbour's property;

building a cottage on land owned by someone else; and

discovering major easements after closing.

It is always preferable to have a current survey before you buy a property: you'll know about fence lines, encroachments, and easements before you complete the transaction. Encroachments include your neighbour's garage that is partly on the land you are buying. In addition, surveyors carry their own errors and omissions insurance coverage. If they make a mistake, their insurance may provide more protection than your title insurance policy. ...

To read the rest of the story, click to www.yourhome.ca/homes/articlePrint/730959.