Before you head out to preview a piece of rural property, here are a few key tips that will make your next outing more enjoyable, safer, and your time more beneficial.
1. Contact the agent– Always touch base with the agent before heading out to view the property. Arrange for them to meet you and show the proper access, boundary markers and key features of the land. This way you get a clearer picture of the property being offered, and you head off any potential confrontation because you are trespassing. To ensure our clients get the best service and to make everyone safer, Southeastern Land Group insists that all of our properties are shown by appointment only.
2. Have maps handy– If you are going with an SELG agent, then we will have this covered for you. Also, you can always download our free app, TerraPlat, that shows all of our listings. Printing aerial and topographical maps from the agent’s website will be helpful as you walk the property. You can find streams, boundary lines, homes, and other key features if you have your map handy.
3. Dress the part– I am always amazed when a potential buyer shows up to preview rural land in shorts and flip-flops or isn’t prepared to handle cooler weather. It is hard to walk in the woods in Alabama without being properly outfitted. I suggest wearing long pants and boots or closed-toe shoes if you are walking trails or through the woods. Alabama has all sorts of creatures and plants that like to leave their mark on bare legs, so come prepared.
4. Bugspray
5. Hunting Season– Fall and winter are great times to visit a property to view it in low-vegetation conditions so you can really see what features it offers. Alabama is blessed with an exceptional game population, and subsequently we have long hunting seasons. Our whitetail deer hunting season runs from mid-October until the end of January. For safety you need to know before you go onto a tract that no hunters are present. Additionally it is a good idea to wear bright colors, preferably blaze orange to make you visible to any outdoorsmen in the area. The same rule applies to turkey hunting in the spring. I keep a few extra orange hats and vests in my truck, so if you come with me you’re covered, but if not please plan ahead and be safe.
If you follow these common-sense tips your next outing will be more profitable and safer.
Written by: Jonathan Goode– Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) with Southeastern Land Group is a licensed broker in Alabama and Mississippi