Land listing checklist: explain the plot, access and map boundary
Prepare a land listing with an owner worksheet, a hectare-to-acre area example, access details and map checks, keeping measurement and legal evidence distinct.
By MarkMyProperty · Updated
Define the parcel you are describing
Identify the land actually being offered. If the advertisement covers part of a larger holding, make that distinction explicit. A reader needs to understand whether the asking amount covers the whole described parcel or only one part. Keep the title, area, description and drawing consistent with the offer.
Use the closest supported property type and describe the land’s present observable characteristics. Do not label a parcel as approved residential or commercial development merely because a nearby site has that use. Permitted use, development approvals and the seller’s right to offer it require checks appropriate to the jurisdiction.
Complete a parcel fact sheet before listing
Prepare these notes using facts about the actual offer. Replace brackets, identify unknowns and keep source documents and contact details private. This worksheet is a planning aid, not a saved form, a survey or an advertisement to publish unchanged.
Price, currency and area need actual values before publication. If the extent or measurement is unresolved, resolve that question before presenting an area as fact. Do not use the area of a whole holding when you are advertising only part of it.
| Prepare | Your note | Where to enter it |
|---|---|---|
| Offered parcel | [Whole holding or identified part]; [actual property type and present use] | Type, title and description |
| Area and unit | [Original value] [unit]; [extent measured, source, date and whether measured or estimated] | Area / size and Unit in Details; basis in description |
| Asking amount | [Total asking amount for the offered parcel] [currency]; [explain any quoted per-unit amount separately] | Price and Currency in Details |
| Map position and outline | [Check actual location, selected pin or outline, and entrance] | Location; explain any approximate outline in description |
| Access | [Observed approach and entrance]; [rights that remain to be verified] | Description; distinguish the physical route from legal access |
| Utilities and site conditions | [Known connections, terrain and observable conditions]; [unknowns] | Description; do not describe nearby services as connected |
| Photographs and evidence | [Current images you may publish]; [source records retained privately] | Photos; explain measurement basis without exposing documents |
| Contact and offer status | [Usable private phone or email]; [sale or marked purpose]; [visibility] | Private contact fields, purpose and visibility |
State the area and its measurement basis
MarkMyProperty supports square feet, square metres, square yards, acres and hectares in the listing form. Enter the value and unit together, then explain where the measurement comes from. A user-drawn polygon can provide an orientation shape and calculated area, but should not be presented as a cadastral survey.
Area terms can refer to different things. RICS land measurement guidance distinguishes legal ownership area, a planning site area and net development area. This means a single number may not describe every relevant area of a parcel. Ask a qualified local surveyor to resolve a measurement or boundary question when it affects the offer.
Convert units without changing the parcel
This arithmetic example represents the same hypothetical area in the five units available in the form. It is not a real parcel, a surveyed measurement or a market-price example. One hectare is 10,000 square metres. The acre conversion here uses the international foot: one acre is exactly 4,046.8564224 square metres, as documented in NIST’s revised conversion factors.
The square-foot and square-yard figures below are rounded to two decimal places, and acres to six. Those decimal places describe a conversion, not the precision of a survey. Keep the original value and measurement basis in your notes, choose one unit in Details and use a precision justified by the source. Changing units does not make an ownership area, a development area and an offered part of a holding interchangeable.
Historical records may use a U.S. survey-foot acre, which differs from the international acre. Identify the convention before comparing records; do not silently replace a historical measurement. Regional names such as bigha, kanal and marla also need a locally supported definition. If your record uses a unit outside the form’s five choices, confirm the applicable conversion before entering a supported unit and explain the original measurement in the description.
| Unit in the form | Equivalent area | Conversion basis |
|---|---|---|
| Square metres | 10,000 | Starting area for this example |
| Hectares | 1 | 1 hectare = 10,000 square metres |
| Square feet | 107,639.10 | 1 square foot = 0.09290304 square metres; rounded |
| Square yards | 11,959.90 | 1 square yard = 0.83612736 square metres; rounded |
| Acres | 2.471054 | International acre = 4,046.8564224 square metres; rounded |
- Compare values for the same offered extent and measurement basis.
- Record the original value, unit, source and convention.
- Label estimates and avoid implying extra precision from converted decimals.
- Resolve an unclear regional unit before using it in a comparison.
Reconcile the source area with a drawn outline
For a new drawing with at least three points, leaving the Location step can prefill a calculated area when the area field is empty. Review that value and unit in Details. A drawing-based estimate may differ from a source record because the outline, extent, measurement method or units differ; neither number automatically validates the other.
Check that you drew the offered parcel, placed each point appropriately and selected the intended unit. If the discrepancy remains, explain which source supports the listing area and seek an appropriate local measurement review. Do not move corners simply to force the drawing to match an expected number, or present an approximate screen outline as a legal boundary.
Describe access as a separate fact
A plot may be near a road without having established rights to use it. Describe the physical approach visible to you and identify the entrance. Keep legal access rights separate from the map route. If the approach crosses another holding, do not assume the drawn line establishes permission.
Explain practical conditions that you can support, such as an unpaved approach or a visible slope. If seasonal access, utilities or drainage are uncertain, state what remains to be checked rather than promising them. Photos of an access road should make clear whether it is part of the advertised parcel or simply a nearby route.
Use a pin or drawing to explain location
Search for the place in the marking flow and compare the selected location with the written details. Drop a pin to identify a point, or use the boundary controls to draw the shape you intend to show. Check the result at an appropriate zoom level before saving so the outline does not accidentally cross unrelated properties.
Treat the drawing as an owner-entered description of location. It does not settle ownership, boundary disputes or permitted use. Keep sensitive ownership documents out of public text and photographs. Provide appropriate evidence through a private process when a qualified buyer or professional needs to check it.
Prepare the questions a buyer will ask
Before advertising, note which facts you can explain and which require further verification. Buyers may ask about the source of the area, the exact parcel being offered, access, current use, utilities and nearby features. Explain unknowns honestly and direct formal questions to the relevant records or professionals.
Publish one current listing, choose sale purpose when the land is offered for purchase, and keep its contact route usable. If you are only recording a family plot or a place of interest, choose marked purpose instead. You can change the purpose later through My Properties after reviewing the required details.
- Parcel and extent of the offer
- Asking amount, currency, area and unit
- Source of the area figure
- Map position and orientation drawing
- Physical access and any unresolved rights
- Current photographs and usable private contact route
Sources and further reading
Frequently asked questions
Which land area units can I choose in the listing form?
The form offers square feet, square metres, square yards, acres and hectares. Enter a value with its unit and describe the offered extent and measurement basis. Verify any conversion from a regional unit before entering it.
How many square metres and acres are in one hectare?
One hectare is 10,000 square metres, equivalent to approximately 2.471054 international acres. This is a unit conversion; it does not establish the extent or accuracy of a particular parcel measurement.
Why might an old acre measurement use a different conversion?
Historical U.S. survey-foot acreage uses a different factor from international-foot acreage. Check the convention stated in the source record before comparing or converting it, and retain the original measurement.
What should I do if the drawn area differs from my land record?
Check the offered extent, drawing points, unit and measurement basis. Review any prefilled area in Details. Resolve a remaining discrepancy with an appropriate local professional; do not adjust the outline merely to force a matching number.
Can I draw my land boundary on a property map?
MarkMyProperty provides boundary drawing in its marking flow. The saved shape communicates the outline entered by the user; it is not an official survey or proof of legal ownership.
Can I list agricultural land without a broker?
You can create an owner land listing on MarkMyProperty without platform brokerage commission. Check locally applicable advertising, transfer and professional requirements separately.