Residential
Surveys for buying or selling a house
When considering buying or selling a house or investing in property, it is a good idea to contact a land surveyor to have them conduct a boundary retracement for the property. As an owner looking to sell, you have the assurance of knowing exactly what you are selling. As a buyer or an investor in a property, having a boundary retracement will establish exactly what you are buying or investing in and will indicate any potential problems with encroachments of the property boundary, by you or others. A certified plan of the survey can be prepared when required or requested by the client.
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Renovating your home
If you are looking to renovate or add to your lot, a boundary survey can help you decide where to build – preventing expensive mistakes such as an encroachment. Request a boundary survey before:
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Adding an extension to your house near the edge of your property
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Building a garage or shed near the edge of your property
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Extending your driveway
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Building a fence
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Subdividing Land
Are you looking to divide your property into smaller lots? There are many rules involving the division of land, which can include a requirement for a legal survey and Municipal approval. We can help you to subdivide your property and even liaise with the municipal authorities on your behalf.
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Boundary Survey
Thompson Conn Limited performs legal boundary surveys, including retracement of lost and obscure boundaries, and specializes in disputed boundary surveys.
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What is a Boundary Survey?
If you have a need to know exactly where your land begins and ends, you will need a professional surveyor licensed with the Association of Nova Scotia Land Surveyors to perform a boundary survey. The licensed surveyor uses measurements from existing boundaries and assessed evidence as well as historical survey information obtained from the Land Registration Office and other sources to retrace or establish boundary locations.
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When should I have my Boundary Surveyed?
A boundary survey should be done anytime a land owner is purchasing or selling a home, building a home, adding to an existing home or making improvements to a property. A boundary survey is very important when purchasing a home, as you can never be sure that the deed to the land that is being purchased will match exactly what is on the ground. In the case of adding to or building a home, it is advisable to have a boundary survey done before the addition or new construction so that there is no confusion or uncertainty. This will remove any risk of encroachment onto others property which may prove expensive to resolve in the future. It is a good idea to have a survey done before you extend your driveway, build a large garage on the edge of your property or build a fence.
Location Certificates
Location Certificates serve several purposes. They are usually required by Municipal Building Inspectors to insure that new construction has been built in accordance with municipal and subdivision by-laws related to boundary sideyard or street line setbacks. They may also be recommended by lending institutions to certify that the building lies entirely within the lot being purchased or refinanced and that improvements to the property do not encroach onto adjoining lands.
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A Location Certificate provides a major advantage over relying solely on Title Insurance, in that a potential problem can be dealt with prior to or in conjunction with the property purchase.
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Thompson Conn Limited has extensive experience and a solid reputation for providing on-time Location Certificates to Realtors, Home Buyers, Home Builders, Commercial and Retail Developers. We have prepared Location Certificates for residential dwellings in both rural and urban subdivisions, hotels, office towers, industrial buildings, department stores and retail outlets within Downtown Halifax, Burnside Industrial Park, Burnside Business Park, Bayer’s Lake Retail Park, Dartmouth Crossing, Tacoma Centre and Bedford Commons.
Subdividing Land
The subdivision of land, whether it is the division of a small parcel of land into two separate lots or the creation of many lots from a large block of land, requires a legal survey and Municipal approval. Thompson Conn, through its knowledge and experience, can assist you through all the subdivision and planning steps leading to final municipal approval and registration of the subdivision.
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Small Lots
There are many factors that control the division of land including: Municipal By-Laws, Zoning, and Environmental requirements. On unserviced lots, soil assessments must be made by a Qualified Person and close consideration must be given to wetlands and watercourses. For serviced lots, a lot Grading Plan is required in order to be granted a building permit. This plan shows the proposed house location, connection to the services and the proposed lot grading to ensure positive surface drainage.
On behalf of the landowner, Thompson Conn will liaise with the municipal authorities with respect to land use and subdivision by-laws to facilitate subdivision approvals.
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Large Lots
Thompson Conn will work closely with the developer and other consultants to ensure that all work is accomplished in a timely manner. We have a very good working relationship with Municipal staff and work with them from concept to final endorsement.
In conjunction with Eastcan Geomatics, we can provide design grade topographical mapping to ensure that the early design work is based on existing conditions. From the detailed topographic survey stage through to the staking of the roads and lots and through to the production of plans, our surveys are accomplished with an eye to detail and performance.