If you have purchased a plot of land that is covered in overgrowth and dilapidated man-made structures with the intention of constructing a building on it, you will need to clear the foliage and structures before you can begin your project. However, there are two steps you should take before initiating the land-clearing process.
Have the plot surveyed
One crucial step that you must take before you start clearing your plot is to have a qualified land surveyor survey the land. Surveying the land will allow you to accurately identify which areas of it belong to you. This will ensure that you and your construction crew do not inadvertently destroy, damage or remove structures (either natural or man-made) that belong to someone else during the land-clearing process.
For example, if there are any trees or hedges which straddle the boundary lines of your property, it could be very useful to have a survey which confirms whether these things belong solely to you or whether they are shared with the owner of the plot next to yours.
Having access to this information will eliminate the risk of you damaging property that belongs to the owners of the adjacent plots and these individuals subsequently taking legal action against you.
Hire some heavy construction equipment
A lot of people who need to clear a plot of land try to carry out this work manually. They usually decide to do this in order to avoid the costs associated with renting heavy construction equipment. However, if you want this element of your project to be done quickly and thoroughly, it really is worth hiring things such as bulldozers and excavators. Heavy-duty equipment of this kind can remove large quantities of foliage in a matter of minutes, without risking anyone's safety (provided the equipment operator is experienced and sensible).
Conversely, if you were to try to do this task by hand, it may take you many hours and may result in you sustaining a back injury (from manually pulling up tree roots, weeds and thickets) and lots of lacerations (from coming into contact with thorns and sharp twigs).
Additionally, you may not be physically strong enough to perform some of the more demanding land-clearing tasks. Extracting the roots of a mature tree, for example, usually requires the use of a lot of force. In most cases, machinery is needed to fully remove the entirety of the root system.
As such, it is best to hire a few pieces of heavy construction equipment, as this will enable you to clear the land in an efficient and safe manner.
