Factors to Consider when Sub Dividing your Property

Subdividing a property into lots or small parcels of land may be required for a variety of reasons. Being a land owner or a real estate person about to subdivide your property you need to take many factors into consideration. Let us see some of the most important among them that must weigh in your mind before undergoing the process of subdividing the property.

First thing you must understand is that there is no standard process for doing this, and the law and regulations that govern the subdivision process also varies from location and location. Even there may be variation from property to property also. Though process of subdivision starts from you as the owner who wants to pursue the process of subdivision either for profit or convenience and necessity your local Planning and Development Office is your starting place for putting the process in motion. 

Sub dividing a property divides it into several smaller parts that can be sold for profit or used for other purposes and this leads to the increase in the value of the property. You must be aware that smaller parcels of land are easier to subdivide rather than larger ones that involve complex procedures and methods to achieve your sub division objectives. 

Factors to be considered:

1. Enlist all the preliminary items that must be determined to know whether your property is eligible for subdivision. Make sure that there are no restricting Laws, Regulations or Covenants that prohibit the subdivision of your property and give utmost attention even to any minor adverse fact to avoid huge financial losses and future headaches.
2. Do your due diligence research and study to the best of your knowledge and ability and never omit anything willfully and make an in-depth research on each item that is necessary to constitute the due diligence tests.
3. Choose subdivision plans as per the size of the land: The complexities and problems you may have to face during subdivision process increase with the size of the land. So, be prepared to handle the problems as per the size of the land you are taking up for subdivision.
4. Know if the subdivision may escalate into a larger development project: When you are taking larger tracts of land for subdivision it may require you to create new public roads, utilities and other basic infra structure to comply with your community or county regulations
5. Do Title search: If you are not the full owner of the property and doing sub division on behalf of others also, do a title search to ascertain if the owners of the land has the legal right to go for sub division of the property.
6. Research the Market: If the main aim of the subdivision is for selling the subdivided parts for profit consider local real estate market conditions for determining the lot size, layout of the proposed subdivision and price you can expect for the lots after dividing the property.
7. Comply with all the Zoning Requirements: Even in the absence of Federal or state laws and ordinances prohibiting subdivision of your property, still you have to comply with local municipality and county Zoning regulations, lit- size and building size regulations and the requirements for the maintenance of open spaces. Study all these and find out if these have a negative impact on your overall plan for sub division.
8. Consider Site development and technical Due Diligence requirements: if you are subdividing property for selling housing lots, each of the lots you propose to sell should have full access to water, sewer, power and public roads. See if you can comply with these basic requirements after the subdivision. 
9. Site development and Impact fees to the local body: Every local body levies development fees for providing basic services and these vary with the site location and soil conditions and hence you need to know and consider this vital aspect before subdividing your property and developing it as house plots. The impact fees charged by Governments may also add as a considerable cost so know from your local office the amount of Impact fees to be paid for sub divided lots and add this to the overall cost of sub division and decide whether it will work out for you as per your original plan.

Once you have considered all these and other aspects of subdivision of your property and decide that you can go ahead with your plan, the next step is to take action to do the actual sub division. You start with a Title search to ascertain your right to do the sub division and you are complying with the all the Governmental and local body Acts and Regulations. 

Then engage a Developer or a Civil Engineer to survey your property and prepare the plan with application for subdivision to be submitted to your County or Municipal office for their approval .

Once your application is approved by the local office and you pay the required fees you can engage a surveyor and subdivide the property as planned by you.