It is vital to involve an attorney, do a proper survey of the property, conduct a land search, conduct proper due diligence on the seller (if possible) and properly engage with local custodians or administrators of the land before purchasing. The images below show our excursions up, down, around, and through the property site. It wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. If you're planning to do this, be sure to pack lots of bug spray!!! Some of us like going into the bush because it gives us a sense of adventure…similar to going on safaris or something lol.
Best practices:
1. Be aware of the old method of calculating land (compass) and the newer method (GPS). The GPS method is more accurate…be sure to survey land using the GPS method and not accept land acreage totals that do not have GPS coordinates.
2. Be prepared to get dirty and walk your entire boundary. If you’re not willing to do so, have someone that you trust to walk the boundary with a GoPro or other recording devices so you can identify all markings. It's also a good practice to record the audio and video when you walk the boundary with the land seller as they have a lot of insight about neighbors etc.
3. Familiarize yourself with your land quickly. Walk the land and try to learn as much as you can about it…does it have water…what types of trees and vegetation are there? How does water flow when it rains? What's the makeup of the soil? Where can snakes hide? Is there anything on my neighbor's land that I should know about? Try and get aerial shots if possible. Be sure to put concrete markers around your land to make sure people aren’t trying to encroach
4. When doing a survey, try to get multiple surveyors to cross-check. Also, be sure to have your own Garmin or other areas calculating device…it will save you many headaches in the future. We had the district surveyor, a private surveyor, and others when reviewing our land. Official and unofficial options
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