Duplex 201 / 15
What Is on Title, and Why It Matters Before You Buy
By Sonia Felix, REALTOR® | byfelix.
Oakwyn Realty Downtown
It sounds administrative
At some point in a deal someone mentions the title search. It sounds like paperwork. Your lawyer will look at it, you assume, and you go back to thinking about the house.
That document deserves ten minutes of your own attention. Title tells you what you are actually buying, which is not always what you toured.
What you will find on title
Easements. Someone else has a right to use part of your land for a specific purpose. Utility access, a shared driveway, a neighbour's right of way. You own the land, but you cannot build on it or block it.
Covenants. A registered restriction on how the property is used. Sometimes a city requirement, sometimes a developer's condition. It can govern what you build and what you cannot change.
Statutory rights of way. Similar to an easement, usually held by the city or a utility, often along a strip of the lot.
Building schemes. Rules binding several properties in a development, controlling design, materials and sometimes landscaping.
Financial charges. Mortgages, liens, judgments or claims registered by someone else. The seller's mortgage is normal and gets paid out on completion. Anything unexpected is a red flag that needs an answer before you remove subjects.
Why it matters on a duplex
On a stratified duplex, title also points you to the strata plan, which shows exactly what you own, what is common property and what is limited common property, such as a yard or parking space.
None of this shows up on a walkthrough. You can plan a garage, an addition or a landscaping project and discover after completion that something registered on title makes it impossible.
Read it with someone
I review title with my buyers before subjects come off. Ask me to pull one on a property you are considering.
Common questions
- How do I do a title search in BC?
Your REALTOR® or lawyer can pull a current title from the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC for a small fee. Registered documents can be ordered as well.
- What is a restrictive covenant on a property in BC?
A registered restriction on the land, often required by the city or a developer, that limits how the property is used or built on.
- Should I be worried about an easement?
Most are routine, such as utility access. Read the document itself so you know where it runs and what it allows.