Do you own the land under your house?
John Johnson
Updated on March 13, 2026
Typically, when you purchase a home, you do own whatever lies in and around the property. However, in some parts of the country, homeowners are realizing the land they paid for does not include the land beneath it. Another party, home builders or home sellers, may own the mineral rights.
What is the process of selling land?
When you sell land more traditionally, either for sale by owner or by working with an agent, you need to wait for the buyers to come to you, usually on their own schedule. With an auction, you set the time and date of the sale, and potential buyers come then. You can sell pretty much any type of land at auction.
Is flipping land profitable?
Land flipping is a great place to begin or enhance a real estate career. House flipping can be very profitable but the barriers to entry are much higher and more complicated. Both can yield tremendous return. It’s simply much easier to make the same amount of money flipping land vs.
What is it called when you own the house but not the land?
Under a ground lease, tenants own their building, but not the land it’s built on. Since this is a lesser-known type of leasing structure, here’s a primer on ground leases for real estate investors.
How do you split land to sell?
If you plan to split your land, it’s best to create a rough draft of how the property will be divided. Draw an outline to represent the land parcel that is being split. Then draw division lines on the parcel to represent how it will be divided.
How to sell lots and land different from selling a home?
Selling a house in a changing real estate market can be challenging. Selling dirt can be even more challenging…in any market. In this article we provide tools for landowners and real estate professionals about how to sell lots and land, and why your strategy with vacant residential land needs to be different from selling a home.
Do you have to sell vacant land before selling your home?
If you sell such vacant land before you sell the home it surrounds, the sale will not qualify for the exclusion at that time. But, if you sell your main home within two years after you sold the vacant land, the prior sale will come within the exclusion.
How long does it take to sell land without a realtor?
A Quicker Buying Process for Your Land or Real Estate Time is money, and selling your land or real estate property without a realtor can save you both. It takes an average of 45-60 days to close on a house, so the house isn’t officially sold until well after that time period. When you sell directly to the buyer, the process is much quicker.
What are the rules for buying and selling land?
A fundamental rule in English law is that any agreement to buy or sell land must be made in writing, incorporating all terms on which the parties have agreed. This means a verbal agreement to buy and sell land is not legally enforceable.
Generally speaking, it’s likely that you own the property underneath and around your house. Most property ownership law is based on the Latin doctrine, “For whoever owns the soil, it is theirs up to heaven and down to hell.”.
How can I find out who owns the land below my house?
Access to the land below your home would have to be granted via a deed and, as such, it would show up on the preliminary title report. The title report provides ownership information and acknowledges loans, deeds or trusts, easements, encroachments, unpaid property taxes or anything else that has been recorded against the property.
What’s the best way to build on your own land?
Our biggest piece of advice for anyone who wants to build on their own lot is to consult a builder before buying land. Choosing to involve your builder early on in your decision-making has the potential to save you time, and a lot of money in the long-run.
Do you need a realtor to build on your own land?
It’s not always a comfortable conversation, but sharing your budget with an experienced builder up-front allows them to help you make the right choices throughout the build process, ultimately saving you money. Most of the time, you either inherit a piece of land or choose to work with a realtor to buy one.