When you are buying a property, are looking to sell or are making renovations, it is always wise to check your property boundary lines. Over the years with the erection of fences and the planting of hedges by multiple homeowners, it is common for the boundary to shift significantly. This can mean that you are losing a significant number square metres from your backyard and around your home. This can be a costly loss when it comes time to sell because you will be advertising the property as less than it is worth. Herein we consider how to go about checking the boundary lines of your property.

Why Boundaries Matter

Boundaries are important because land is very valuable. Particularly in a country like Australia, the value of land can be significant. A boundary line that is out of position by just a metre can mean that you are losing a significant portion of your land and significant amount of money too. A misplaced boundary may seem insignificant on paper, but when you tally up the lost land and revenue, it can be noticeable.

View the Blueprints

The blueprints and deed to your home are an important place to start because they outline your rights of ownership. Getting a tape measure and checking the boundaries as best you can prove to be helpful. The best way to measure boundaries and long distances is with string. This will allow you to measure round the corners of your fences and calculate the distances effectively.

Checking For Yourself

Checking the boundaries for yourself is an important first step because it is possible that your fences enclose more than you are actually entitled too. If you get the land surveyed and it is noted that you have too much land then you will be required to shift the fences inwards to release the land that you do not own. Measuring yourself at first can allow you to recognise this and ignore the fact that your boundaries are spread too wide.

Surveying Your Property

To get an accurate measure of the boundaries of your home it is important to get your property surveyed. A surveyor will come to your home and accurately measure the area enclosed by your property. The surveyor will measure to the fences as a boundary and to the centre of the hedgerows too. The middle of the hedgerows is deemed to be the edge of your property because this point is shared with your neighbours.

Defining Hedgerows

If you do recognise inaccuracies in the boundary lines of your property, it is important to take steps to claim the land as your own. This will always be a difficult conversation with your neighbours because they will not want to sacrifice part of the land enclosed within their borders. With evidence from a surveyor, you will be able to justifiably discuss the movement of the borders to represent the actual ownership. It is also important to remember that your deeds and blueprints will make it clear which property owner is responsible for the fence line between the properties because this could add costs.