When buying a home, you might find out the property you’ve made an offer on has an easement.  An easement can affect your potential home in several ways. Here’s what you should know about this term. 

What Is an Easement?

Property easements give a party the legal right to use land owned by someone else. For example, a utility company might have an easement on your property for access to electrical poles, power lines, and cable lines. You can also grant an easement to your neighbor or anyone else that needs the legal right to access your land. 

There are also other forms of easements. A neighbor may need one to pass through a driveway to access the main road. Communal living areas will have one to allow residents access to public benches and sidewalks. A public based easement will allow a service to excavate a drainage pipeline. A conservation easement will protect the natural resources, like a river or creek, on your property. 

How Are Easements Created

Whenever someone or a company needs to use your land, they should reach out to you for permission. If agreed upon, an easement is created through a legal document. There are two primary types of easements. 

• In gross easement: A personal easement that does not transfer with the property. You might grant your neighbor access to your land, but if they sell it, the new neighbor does not have access. The same goes if you’re buying a home with an easement; the previous agreement may not apply to you. 

• Appurtenant easement: This type of easement is attached to the land and is transferred to any new owner.

Why Are Easements Important?

Many roads, parks, and trails use easements. For homeowners, an easement allows you to share your land with confidence, giving you and your neighbors access to otherwise unusable spaces. When buying a home, always ask about its easement policies. 

For the community’s go-to option for land surveys, trust K & M Land Surveying of Lincoln, NE. With 25 years of experience, this fully licensed company offers a variety of services to help developers with their projects, including computer-aided drafting, land title surveys, GPS topographical surveys, and construction staking. Call them at (402) 476-3020 for information on these services or visit their website to learn how they can help you.