When it comes to land surveys, the deed description is essential to any property record. Writing a deed description is basically about taking the ‘house on Main Street’ and describing it in a much more descriptive manner to demonstrate exactly where the property is located, what its measurements are and what is nearby. Property descriptions have their own terminology, and knowing these terms often makes it easier to write a deed description.
Metes and Bounds
Two terms that are common to deed descriptions are metes and bounds. Metes refers to an explanation of the distance and course of the property, while bounds is a description of the property boundaries.
To better explain this, bounds would be used to state that a property is “bound on the north by Green, on the east by Smith, on the south by Jones, and on the west by Crane Creek River.” Taken alone, this information is incomplete; all it really tells us is what surrounds the property, and that property itself has four sides. A metes description is more specific, something along the lines of “thence westerly for a distance of 300 feet to the eastern boundary of Crane Creek River.” This description details that the property runs to the west for 300 feet, at which point it comes into contact with the edge of the river. Using both of these descriptors provides a much better understanding of the property when writing a deed description.
Many people have trouble understanding a deed description, but when it is deciphered, it basically states where the property is located and how far it is from neighboring properties. It also shows property boundaries and the size of the structure and existing land. This description is a professional surveying piece that advises on the extent of the land title in a written format, and is best prepared by a professional land surveyor with plenty of experience in land surveys. For more information on writing a deed description for a piece of property, contact Point to Point Surveyors, Inc. at 866-706-9114.