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The Lay of the Land

Knowing your property is essential, especially when it comes to plot plans and easements.
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The Plot Plan
As you go about your examination of the property, update your plot plan (or sketch one if none exists). Incorporate substantial elements that aren't represented: the garage, garden shed, or other outbuildings the driveway and walkways; large trees; established shrubs, gardens, and other major plantings. Don't forget to indicate the house on the survey. Sketch its outline. Pace off distances and dimensions and try to keep these elements roughly in scale. You may be surprised how putting what you know on paper helps you see it anew.

Easements
Not everything about your lot can be seen with the naked eye. Easements are rights of access that utility companies and the owners of adjacent properties may have to some portion of your property. If, for example, there's an underground electrical service beneath the site of your proposed addition, you're probably going to have to shift sites.

Are there any restrictions on your deed? Is there, for example, a right-of-way through the property? In one instance in a small Massachusetts town west of Boston, a friend of mine was horrified one day to receive legal notification that a road was about to be cut across his property, right through his vegetable garden. A previous owner had agreed to a right-of-way in the deed and, years later, a local developer took advantage of the option to construct an access road in order to build a subdivision behind my friend's house.

© 2001 BobVila.com

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