You will need a compass, measuring wheel and shovel.
The description of your property will be on your deed. It is usually a Warranty Deed or Security Deed. Find the description on the middle of the first page or close to the last page as an Exhibit. It should have Compass Bearings for direction and the length of the property line (North 15° East for 89.0 feet). It should also have a starting place, the Point of Beginning, and the distance to the nearest street intersection. Buying or renting a measuring wheel is handy. Sometimes the Legal Description on your deed will refer to a plat or map. These are stored at your County Courthouse for your reference. Go get a copy and store it with your deed.
If you live in a platted subdivision there are some simple steps you can do to find property corners. Start by looking at the plat for the width of the street right of way, probably from 50' to 100'. Measure from the centerline to your property the appropriate half width, 25' to 50', and mark the spot on the ground. Usually it is 11' or 12' behind the edge of the pavement. The front property corners will all be this distance behind the curb. Go to where you think your sideline should be and look for the top of a pipe or iron rebar. That will be your corner. Often they get buried under the ground over the years an inch or two. Slide a shovel a few inches under the ground until it hits something solid, an iron pipe has a distinctive sound and feel when the shovel hits it. If that didn't work go up and down the street and find someone else's property corner. Look on the plat and find the distance over to your corner, measure down the street with the wheel and search again.
Next look in the back, often the front corners are destroyed by the utility companies. If you are lucky they will be close to a fence corner. Search with a shovel through the leaves and top layer of soil. Not there? Look at the plat for the neighbor's corners and measure over to find yours. Once you think you have a corner located, measure from it to your next corner the legal distance with the measuring wheel and the compass direction. If all the distances check with the legal description, you have found your corners. Cant find them? Call Brian 770-478-2679 I'll be glad to help.
The description of your property will be on your deed. It is usually a Warranty Deed or Security Deed. Find the description on the middle of the first page or close to the last page as an Exhibit. It should have Compass Bearings for direction and the length of the property line (North 15° East for 89.0 feet). It should also have a starting place, the Point of Beginning, and the distance to the nearest street intersection. Buying or renting a measuring wheel is handy. Sometimes the Legal Description on your deed will refer to a plat or map. These are stored at your County Courthouse for your reference. Go get a copy and store it with your deed.
If you live in a platted subdivision there are some simple steps you can do to find property corners. Start by looking at the plat for the width of the street right of way, probably from 50' to 100'. Measure from the centerline to your property the appropriate half width, 25' to 50', and mark the spot on the ground. Usually it is 11' or 12' behind the edge of the pavement. The front property corners will all be this distance behind the curb. Go to where you think your sideline should be and look for the top of a pipe or iron rebar. That will be your corner. Often they get buried under the ground over the years an inch or two. Slide a shovel a few inches under the ground until it hits something solid, an iron pipe has a distinctive sound and feel when the shovel hits it. If that didn't work go up and down the street and find someone else's property corner. Look on the plat and find the distance over to your corner, measure down the street with the wheel and search again.
Next look in the back, often the front corners are destroyed by the utility companies. If you are lucky they will be close to a fence corner. Search with a shovel through the leaves and top layer of soil. Not there? Look at the plat for the neighbor's corners and measure over to find yours. Once you think you have a corner located, measure from it to your next corner the legal distance with the measuring wheel and the compass direction. If all the distances check with the legal description, you have found your corners. Cant find them? Call Brian 770-478-2679 I'll be glad to help.
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