Survey plan for a property contract: sale, gift to children, inheritance

When a contract needs a survey plan

The Spatial and Urban Planning Code (Law 5306/2026) provides that when an urban plot or a farm plot is transferred, with or without buildings, a topographic survey plan is attached to the contract. The law sets exceptions, for example where the property lies in an area where the Hellenic Cadastre (Κτηματολόγιο) is in operation, an implementation act (πράξη εφαρμογής) has been ratified and registered, and the transfer does not change the boundaries. Your notary will tell you what applies to your deed.

Separately, every transaction between living persons that transfers or creates a right in rem, such as a sale, a gift from parents to children (γονική παροχή) or another donation, requires an engineer's certificate (βεβαίωση μηχανικού) on the legal status of the buildings. With some exceptions, the certificate is accompanied by a survey plan tied to the national coordinate system. Accepting an inheritance does not require a survey plan. We are often asked, however, to research the property so that the notary knows where things stand: Cadastre records, areas, town-plan status and buildings. A survey plan may be needed later, for a division between the heirs or a sale.

What it contains

By law, the survey plan for a contract shows the lengths of the property's sides, the boundaries with neighbouring properties and the names of their known owners, and the area. It includes a declaration by the engineer on whether the property can be built on under the planning rules. If part of a larger property is sold, the engineer also certifies whether the part the seller keeps meets the building terms. The plan is signed by the contracting parties and by the engineer who prepared it.

On a MAPS survey plan you will also see the buildings, fences, roads, the coordinates of every corner and, where there is one, the street alignment line.

Why tied to GGRS87

GGRS87 (ΕΓΣΑ87) is the national coordinate system of Greece. When the survey plan is tied to it, every corner of the property has coordinates that can be found again on the ground and compared directly with the cadastral diagram. Survey plans attached to deeds registered in the Cadastre are submitted online by the engineer who prepared them, and the proof of submission is attached to the contract.

The Cadastre and the KAEK

Where the Cadastre is in operation, the certified extract of the cadastral diagram of the land parcel, with its KAEK (the 12-digit cadastral code), must be attached to the contract. If the deed changes the geometry, for example when part of a land parcel is sold, a geometric change diagram (διάγραμμα γεωμετρικών μεταβολών) showing the new shape of the properties is submitted instead of the extract.

Before the contract we compare our survey with the cadastral diagram. If the boundaries or the area differ beyond the accepted deviation, it is better to know before a signing date is set, because a correction takes time. You can also see your land parcel on the free Cadastre map.

What you need / steps

• Your title deeds and any earlier survey plan
• The KAEK and, if you have it, the extract of the cadastral diagram
• The building permit and its drawings, if there are buildings
• Someone who can show us the boundaries on site
• A survey in the field and a comparison with the title deeds and the Cadastre
• Preparation, signature and online submission of the plan, and hand-over to the notary and to the engineer issuing the certificate

We prepare the topographic survey plan; the certificate on the legal status of the buildings is signed by the engineer you have chosen (if you do not have one, we can recommend one we work with). Send us the location and title deeds of the property as soon as you decide on the transfer. See how we prepare topographic survey plans.