Land Description Real Estate

Pro Tips for Dealing with Land Descriptions

Now that we've covered the basics, let me share some insider advice that most people don't think about until it's too late.

• Take photos of the physical markers. When you have a survey done, the surveyor will typically set iron pins or other markers at the corners. Take photos of these markers and note their locations. A few years from now, when the grass has grown over them, you'll be glad you did.
• Read the description out loud. This sounds weird, but it works. Reading a land description aloud forces you to slow down and actually process each direction and distance. You'd be surprised how many errors you catch when you're not just skimming.
• Ask about the "gap" or "overlap" issues. Sometimes two adjacent properties have descriptions that overlap. This can happen when old surveys were done sloppily. If you're buying land next to a property that's also for sale, it's worth checking whether the descriptions conflict.
• Consider the cost of a boundary dispute. If you think a survey is expensive, wait until you see the bill for a lawsuit. Boundary disputes can easily run into the tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees alone. Spending a few hundred or even a few thousand on a survey is cheap insurance.
• Don't forget about water rights. In many areas, land ownership includes rights to adjacent water—rivers, streams, lakes. But not always. If water access matters to you, make sure the land description and the associated rights cover it.

What Exactly Is a Land Description?

A land description is a legal way of identifying a specific piece of property. It's not just an address or a "pretty good" idea of where the property sits. It's a precise, legally binding set of words or numbers that uniquely identifies one parcel of land from all others. Think of it like a fingerprint for your property—no two are alike.

When you see a land description in a deed, mortgage, or survey, it's usually one of three types. A first is a metes and bounds description, which uses distances and angles to trace the property's perimeter. This is common in older areas and the eastern United States. The second is the plat map method, where the property is identified by a lot number on a recorded subdivision map. You'll see this a lot in suburban areas. Your third is the government survey system, also known as the rectangular survey system, which uses townships, ranges, and sections to locate land. A is big in the Midwest and western states.

Here's the kicker—the description in your deed might not perfectly match what's physically on the ground. Trees grow, fences move, and old surveys can be inaccurate. That's why understanding the basics of how land descriptions work is so important. It's not just legal jargon for lawyers to argue about. It's the difference between owning what you think you own and owning something entirely different.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Let's talk about the pitfalls. These are the mistakes I see people make over and over again, and they're all avoidable if you know what to look for.

• Trusting a verbal description. "Oh yeah, the realty goes back to that big oak tree." No. Just no. If it's not in writing, it doesn't count. Even if it is in writing, if it references natural features like trees or rocks, those can move or disappear. You need a description that's tied to permanent markers or recorded plats.
• Skipping the title search. A land description might be perfectly accurate, but if there's a lien, easement, or old mortgage on the property, you could be inheriting someone else's problems. Always get a title search or title insurance.
• Ignoring easements. Just because you own the land doesn't mean you have exclusive use of all of it. Utility companies might have the right to run power lines across your real estate A neighbor might have a right-of-way to access their land through yours. These easements should be noted in the land description or the title report.
• Assuming the fence is the boundary. Fences are notoriously unreliable indicators of property lines. People put fences where it's convenient, not necessarily where the legal boundary is. Don't assume the fence is right—verify it with a survey.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the land description in my deed doesn't match my survey?

This is a red flag that needs immediate attention. If the legal description in your deed doesn't match what a surveyor finds on the ground, you need to figure out why. It could be a simple typo in the deed, or it could mean the deed is describing the wrong parcel entirely. Contact a real estate attorney and your title company right away. They can help you correct the deed or determine what went wrong.

Can I write my own land description for a realty I'm selling?

Technically, you can, but you really shouldn't. Land descriptions are legal documents, and getting them wrong can invalidate a sale or create disputes down the road. A licensed surveyor or a real estate attorney should prepare the description. The cost is minimal compared to the potential headaches of an improperly described property.

How do I know if an easement is included in my land description?

Easements are typically recorded separately from the land description, though they might be referenced in the deed. Your title report should list any easements that affect the property. If you're unsure, check with the county recorder's office or have a title company run a search. It's better to know about a utility easement before you build that new garage, not after.

Land descriptions might not be the most exciting part of real property but they're one of the most essential Whether you're buying your first piece of land or just trying to figure out the realty you already own, taking the time to wrap your head around the description can save you a lot of stress—and a lot of money. When in doubt, hire a professional. Trust me, it's worth every penny.

How to Read and Understand a Land Description

Let's walk through this step by step. Whether you're looking at a realty for sale or trying to make sense of the paperwork for land you already own, these steps will help you decode what's really going on.

Step 1: Identify the Type of Description

First, figure out which of the three main types you're dealing with. Look for clues in the language. If you see words like "thence," "north 45 degrees east," or references to "point of beginning," you're looking at a metes and bounds description. If you see "Lot 12, Block 3 of Maple Grove Subdivision," that's a plat map reference. If you see "The Northwest Quarter of Section 15, Township 3 North, Range 5 West," that's the government survey system.

Each type has its own quirks, but they all serve the same purpose—to give a definitive location.

Step 2: Locate the Point of Beginning

For metes and bounds descriptions, everything starts at the point of beginning, or POB. A is a specific starting point, often marked by a physical object like a stake, a tree, or a stone. From there, the description walks you around the property's perimeter using directions and distances. It's like following a treasure map, except instead of gold, you find your property lines.

Pay close attention to the direction references. They'll typically use degrees, minutes, and seconds. For example, "North 30 degrees East, 200 feet" means you're heading northeast at a specific angle for 200 feet. Sounds simple enough, right? Just wait until you get to a description with twenty or thirty of these calls.

Step 3: Double-check the Measurements

Land descriptions use precise measurements, and you need to make sure they add up. If the description says the property is 200 feet on the north side and 200 feet on the south side, but the east and west sides are wildly different lengths, something might be off. You don't need to be a math whiz, but you should have a general sense of whether the numbers make sense for the parcel size you're expecting.

Here's a quick example of what a simple metes and bounds description looks like:

Beginning at the iron pin at the northeast corner of Lot 5,
thence South 0 degrees 15 minutes West, 150 feet to an iron pin;
thence South 89 degrees 45 minutes West, 200 feet to an iron pin;
thence North 0 degrees 15 minutes East, 150 feet to an iron pin;
thence North 89 degrees 45 minutes East, 200 feet to the point of beginning.

See how it traces a rectangle? The description starts at one corner, walks around all four sides, and ends back where it started. If it doesn't close—meaning the math doesn't bring you back to the POB—you've got a problem.

Step 4: Get a Professional Survey

Honestly, the best thing you can do is hire a licensed land surveyor. I know, I know—it costs money. But consider this: a survey might run you anywhere from $500 to $2,500 depending on the size and location of the real estate That's a small price to pay compared to the cost of a boundary dispute, a lost lawsuit, or discovering your new house is actually on the neighbor's land.

A surveyor will physically locate your property corners, set new stakes if needed, and give you a map that shows exactly where your land begins and ends. They'll also check for encroachments—things like a neighbor's fence, driveway, or shed that might be sitting on your side of the line.

Step 5: Compare Everything to the Public Records

Once you have the legal description and a survey, compare them against the county's public records. The county assessor's office should have a record of the property that matches what you're seeing. If there's a discrepancy—say the county thinks the property is 2.5 acres but the survey shows 3.1 acres—you need to get that sorted out before you close.

This step is especially important if you're buying land that's been in the same family for generations. Old descriptions can have errors that were never caught because nobody really cared about a few feet here or there. But now that you're buying it, a few feet might mean a lot.

Why Land Descriptions Matter More Than You Think

Here's the thing about buying or selling land—it's completely different from buying a house. When you buy a home, you can see the four walls, count the bedrooms, and check if the roof leaks. Land is trickier. You might be standing on a beautiful grassy field, imagining where your dream home will go, but if the land description in the paperwork doesn't match what you think you're buying, you could be in for a world of hurt.

Honestly, most people don't give land descriptions a second thought until something goes wrong. Maybe the fence is in the wrong place. Maybe the neighbor's shed is actually on your property. Or maybe you discover the five acres you paid for is actually four and a half. That's when the panic sets in.

Let's break down everything you need to know about land descriptions in real estate—what they are, how to read them, and why getting this wrong can cost you thousands.

Comparison of Land Description Methods

Here's a quick reference table to help you understand the differences between the three main types of land descriptions: