02 · Finding your home
Buying, selling & reading a plano
“Buildable lot” is a claim to investigate, not a conclusion. Connect the current title, registered survey, access, water, intended use and professional studies before you commit.
In this chapter
A plano catastrado is a cadastral survey plan. Start by matching the current finca (registry property reference), owner, registered plano and the parcel actually being sold. A parent property and a proposed portion can show different areas; they are not interchangeable.
Look for north, scale, numbered boundary points, dimensions, area, road frontage, servidumbres (easements), rivers or streams, and written restrictions. Ask a licensed surveyor to explain boundaries on the ground and a lawyer to explain the legal effect of notes. A stamp or registered drawing does not, on its own, authorize your project.
- Finca / folio real: the registry reference your lawyer checks against current records.
- Área: distinguish the offered parcel from the parent property and verify units.
- Servidumbre: ask who may use it, for what purpose, its width and maintenance obligations.
- Uso agrícola / “solo para uso agrícola”: do not assume residential, commercial or subdivision rights.
- Watercourse lines and protection notes: ask for a site-specific assessment, not a guessed building envelope.
A survey plan and legal report answer different questions; neither replaces current property-specific verification.
My buyer due-diligence checklist
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