A boundary survey for your Philippine lot or property. How much should it cost? It’s not unusual to have an already surveyed subdivision lot resurveyed. Some subdivisions have permanent boundary monuments. Our lot is technically in a subdivision, but really is just a patch in an larger farm field. There were no monuments, although the lot had been surveyed previously. We asked that the seller resurvey the lot and set boundary monuments before we proceeded with the purchase. The seller did so. There were no problems. The surveyor set those prefabricated concrete monuments which are sold at building material stores. They are about 5″ in diameter and about 2′ long.
Carabao investigating the surveyor - "here goes the neighborhood"
It took a while before we built our fence. Our property is low-lying and gets pretty wet and muddy during the rainy season. By the time we were ready to start with the fence, the monuments had been scattered.
Concrete survey monument
So we had to have it surveyed again and the monuments anchored in concrete rather than just stuck in the dirt. The cost for this was less than P5,000.
Of course the monuments have to be displaced again when the excavation for the fence is done. Before they moved the monuments, the workers put up batter-boards and used galvanized tie wire to mark the boundary lines during the fence construction. During construction, we had a huge storm which collapsed some of the trenches and generally made a mess of the project. One of the neighboring property owners came by and asked us to be sure that our fence was not off by even a millimeter. I was so worried that I asked the surveyor to come back to recheck the fence but he was tired of surveying the property!
This photo shows how batter boards and a wire guide line were used to ensure that the wall was built precisely on the property line. The batter board and line were installed before the monuments were removed. The monuments had to be removed to allow the corner fence posts to be formed up and poured.
January 28, 2013 at 3:03 am
Hi, I would just like to reiterate the neighbour’s remark of “not being a millimetre off” especially due to location. As you stated, you are technically in a subdivision and although you made sure, your readers may not be as conscientious when dealing with Philippine barangay authorities.
Currently we rent on Mactan Island, the lot is supposed to be 1000 sq.m. The empty lot next to us was bought by a developer who is planning a shopping mall. Upon survey, our 8ft. concrete security wall shares the property line and either needs to come down or the owner must buy the 4 inches of land that it occupies from the developer. Plus, must pay for resurvey and any replanning the developer may have to do. I would assume buying a lot in a subdivision would cause someone to be equally responsible or else future development may come back to haunt them as it did here.
Also, as you stated, we as immigrants are not allowed to buy land here and resale for profit or otherwise is a futile venture. A person who wishes to live out their ‘golden years’ here may be best suited in a condo, which can be bought and sold by said immigrant. But even at that, turnover is slow.
Thanks for your webpage… love the pics and best of luck with your new home!
January 29, 2013 at 5:28 pm
Dave,
Thanks for sharing your story. Just another reason to rent or lease and not buy. Boundary disputes are not unique to the Philippines, but in the U.S. many have title insurance and the title insurance company may defend your title or pay compensation. I did everything I could to ensure that our fence was built in the right place. I thought it was interesting that my neighbor was so direct with me about not infringing on his property. Usually Filipinos are highly diplomatic and indirect. I guess he wanted to be sure there was no misunderstanding.
Bob
June 7, 2012 at 9:01 am
Hi thereGoIIllo,After moving and retiring in the Philippines and building a Home have you found it ALL WORTHWHILE as i and my Philippine Partner are thinking of doing the same in the next two years although the area we are looking at is in Gatasan Catanauan beach QUEZON PROVINCE about 4 hours drive south of Manila etc thats if I am accepted for Permanant Residency.Would appreciate your important views on the subject Cheers Roger Potter 99 Tawari Street, Matamata North Island.New Zealand
June 8, 2012 at 1:38 pm
Roger,
Yes, we are very happy living in our house. It adds immeasurably to our quality of life as compared to any rental property we could expect to find. Does it make economic sense? The very low rates of return on other investment options make putting money in a house look a bit more rational. Just remember a couple of things. The property will be owned by your wife or partner, so be very sure of your relationship. Also, generally the Philippine property market is not very liquid, so be sure you want to live where you build for many years. Finally, don’t spend more on property than you can afford to lose.
Bob
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