Updated 17 September 2026
Identify the parcel
Ask for a plan that matches the land being offered, including any retained strip, shared entrance or excluded building. Compare the documents with the site. A fence or hedge alone should not be treated as a definitive legal boundary.
Understand access
- Where is the entrance, and who owns the road or track to it?
- Is the access suitable for the vehicles needed for your intended use?
- Are maintenance responsibilities or costs shared?
- Are there rights, gates, keys, seasonal restrictions or third-party arrangements to clarify?
Get the documents checked
Use a solicitor to establish the legal position and a surveyor where the physical extent is unclear. Ask them to reconcile the plans, written rights and what you observed. Do not assume physical use of a route proves a legal right to continue using it.
Viewing safely
Arrange permission to visit, obtain the correct entrance and follow the advertiser’s instructions. Do not enter an adjoining field or woodland because it looks like part of the same parcel.