House Survey Problems That Can Stall a Sale
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-08-05 · Published and reviewed for compliance by Camilo Palacio, a Florida Licensed Realtor
A land survey can turn up boundary disputes, fences or additions that cross the property line, undocumented easements, and access issues that public records never show. Any of these can freeze your closing until they're resolved or excluded from title insurance. Updated 2026 ALTA/NSPS survey standards actually widened what surveyors must flag, including a new required summary table of encroachments on the face of the survey.
| Factor | Survey Problem Found | No Survey Ordered |
|---|---|---|
| Boundary certainty | Confirmed by a licensed surveyor | Assumed from public records alone |
| Encroachments | Documented on the survey face under 2026 ALTA/NSPS standards | May stay hidden until a neighbor dispute surfaces |
| Title insurance | A current survey can remove the standard survey exception | Survey exception typically stays on the policy |
| Closing risk | Issues get resolved or negotiated before closing | Problems can surface after closing instead |
What a Survey Actually Checks
A land survey confirms the physical boundary lines of a property, notes recorded easements, and identifies any structures or improvements that cross onto neighboring land or a right-of-way. It's a physical, on-the-ground check that public records and tax maps don't replace.
The Kind of Problems That Show Up
Common findings include a fence built past the actual property line, a shed or addition encroaching on a neighbor's lot, a shared driveway with no recorded easement, or a utility line running across the parcel without documentation. None of these show up in a title search alone.
The 2026 Standards Made Surveyors Flag More
The updated ALTA/NSPS Land Title Survey standards added Table A Item 20, which requires surveyors to include a summary table of observed potential encroachments directly on the face of the survey. Previously, documenting these conditions was left to the individual surveyor's discretion.
How Survey Problems Get Resolved
Depending on the issue, resolution can mean a boundary line agreement between neighbors, a title insurance endorsement, or a formal survey affidavit. Some problems need a real physical fix, like removing an encroaching structure, not just paperwork.
When a Survey Problem Scares Off Retail Buyers
A financed buyer's lender often won't close with an unresolved boundary or encroachment issue on the survey. Cash Flow Deals helps you work through title complications and gives you a choice: the Fast Cash Offer, where we buy your house as-is and close, or the Premium Cash Offer, where a pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have, ready to go, pays more and buys directly from you. You choose. Title issues still need to be resolved to meet the requirements for your sale. We cover repair costs, and we figure out a way, so nothing comes out of your pocket. With Premium, only what the buyer's lender requires gets fixed, with repair costs settled from the sale proceeds out of our share; with Fast Cash, you sell as-is without making repairs. For either offer, the number is agreed before any work starts, and it changes only if you agree. The one exception: if something structural surfaces that was not visible or disclosed before we signed — foundation issues, hidden moisture, old wiring, cast-iron drain failure — we re-cost it and bring the number back to you. You decide. You can walk away. We disclose what we know at offer time so this almost never happens. If your Premium buyer's loan falls through, that is our problem, not yours, and you can still choose the Fast Cash Offer at its own number instead of the Premium Cash Offer.
Common questions
What is a survey exception on a title policy?
It's a standard exclusion in title insurance for boundary and encroachment issues, which can be removed once a current survey confirms there's no problem.
Can I sell a house with a known encroachment?
Often yes, but it usually requires disclosure and sometimes a boundary line agreement or title endorsement to satisfy the buyer's lender.
Do I need a new survey to sell, or can I use an old one?
Lenders and title companies generally want a survey current enough to reflect present conditions; requirements vary by market and lender.
What changed in the 2026 ALTA/NSPS survey standards?
Surveyors must now include a summary table of observed potential encroachments directly on the survey (Table A Item 20), which was previously discretionary.
Keep reading
Related reading
What this means for your options
Every path to selling a house has real tradeoffs.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
Two offers for your house, Fast Cash or Premium Cash, and you choose. Cash: Cash Flow Deals buys the house as-is and closes. Premium: More money. A pre-approved FHA or conventional buyer we already have buys directly from you.
See your selling options before you decide anything.