Before buying land

Updated on October 4, 2026

Land may look simple, but it concentrates many of the most common problems: unclear boundaries, titles without deslinde, uncertain access or restrictions on use. This checklist helps you review the essentials before committing. It does not replace a review of your file by licensed professionals.

General information, which does not constitute legal advice. For your own case, request a check.

Title and legal status

• Obtain a copy of the certificate of title and check that the registered owner matches the seller. — learn more
• Find out whether the land has gone through deslinde, with its own cadastral designation, or is held under a constancia anotada. — learn more
• Request a recent certificate of legal status from the Registro de Títulos. — learn more
• Check for mortgages, oppositions, litigation or other annotations, and agree in writing how they will be cleared. — learn more
• If the seller is a company or an estate, check with your lawyer who can sign the sale. — learn more

Boundaries and survey

• Ask for the approved survey plan and compare it with the land you are shown. — learn more
• Have an independent surveyor locate the boundary markers and boundaries on the ground. — learn more
• Check that the area stated on the title matches the area being sold and used to set the price. — learn more
• Check that there are no occupants, neighbours' buildings or encroachments on the land. — learn more

Access and surroundings

• Check that the land has legal access, via a public road or an established easement. — learn more
• Find out whether electricity and water are available and how wastewater will be handled.
• Find out whether the land is near the coast, a river, a wetland or a protected area, and check the resulting restrictions. — learn more
• Look at the slope, the drainage and any signs of flooding, especially after heavy rain.

Land use and project

• Ask the municipality which land uses are allowed and which limits apply to your project. — learn more
• Check whether your project might require approval from the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales. — learn more
• If the land is part of a subdivision, check that the subdivision has been approved. — learn more
• Consult a licensed architect or engineer about your project's feasibility before committing. — learn more

Taxes and contract

• Ask the seller for proof that taxes on the property, such as the IPI where it applies, are up to date.
• If the land has not gone through deslinde, agree in writing who will carry it out, who will pay for it and at which stage of the transaction. — learn more
• Before paying any deposit, include conditions tied to the outcome of the checks in the preliminary sale agreement.
• Pay by traceable means into an account whose holder is clearly identified in the contract.