In the state of Illinois, if you own a single family home or a townhouse with its own lot number, and you are selling your property, your real estate contract will require you to provide a survey to your buyer dated within the last six months.
If you have bought the home in the past five years, and you can sign an affidavit stating that you have made no changes to the home since you have owned the property, it is possible to ask the buyers if they would accept an old survey with an affidavit of no improvements. However, do not get your hopes up, the older the survey is, the more likely your buyer will say no, and there is no argument to be made to take the old survey because the standard real estate contract states you must provide one dated within the past six months.
The average cost for a survey in our area is approximately $400 – $500. A licensed surveyor must prepare it. The survey will show exactly what land is being purchased, including the property boundaries, structures, any easements, setbacks and potential encroachments.