Land Site Visit Checklist: What to Check on the Ground

What should I look for when visiting land?

A paper title cannot show you the slope, the neighbours, the crops or the road. Daily Monitor's guides name the site visit as the first thing a buyer does and advise asking locals about the property. Go with the seller, a copy of the title and the plot number, and a plan to stay at least an hour. The checklist below is in the order you will meet things on the ground.

How do I check boundary marks?

Ask the seller to point to the corners. Then compare with the deed plan or survey sketch. Daily Monitor's land guidance says a registered land surveyor should open the boundaries using the title, and the signed, stamped report shows whether the title matches the ground, the real size and any encroachment. Do this before you pay. The Ministry of Lands lists a boundary opening report for dispute resolution at no cost, with a 10 working day target. A private surveyor will give you a separate quote, so ask for one in writing. Do not hire a surveyor who cannot show their registration.

Tell the neighbours and the LC1 chairperson before the surveyor visits. A Daily Monitor letter notes that boundary openings can be mistaken for an eviction and cause tension. For measurement units, see what is a decimal of land; for the paper side, see how to read a land search report.

Who is on the land, and what are they growing?

Walk the whole plot, not only the road edge. Note houses, graves, gardens, animals and tools. Ask who planted the crops and when. Occupants may be tenants, relatives of the seller, or people who claim to have bought. A kibanja holder has rights under the Land Act. If someone is using the land, ask for their name and write down what they say, then check with the seller and the LC1 chairperson. Plots with an occupant need a clear written plan for their removal or their agreement before you pay. See buying land on installments if the seller wants you to buy and settle the occupant yourself.

What about road access, drainage, soil and water?

These checks absorb what many buyers do on a farm visit, and they also matter for a house plot.

• Road access: walk from the nearest tarmac or all-weather road and note distance, surface and who owns the strip. A path across a neighbour's land is not a right of way.
• Drainage: look for low spots, flood lines on trees or walls, and ask neighbours how the plot behaves in heavy rain.
• Slope: steep land costs more to build on and may erode. On a farm it changes what you can plant.
• Soil: dig a small hole and look at the colour and texture. For a farm, ask a local extension officer or agronomist to advise. We do not quote soil standards here.
• Water: ask where people draw water, how deep wells are, and whether a borehole or piped supply is likely. Check the answer with the local water office.
• Wetlands and reserves: if the plot is wet, near a swamp or a lake, ask the district environment office whether it is protected. See land you cannot legally buy.

Check utilities and planned roads and projects separately, because those answers come from offices, not from the plot.

Should I talk to the neighbours and the LC1 chairperson?

Yes. Ask each neighbour who owns the land, who uses it, and whether there have been disputes. Ask the same of the LC1 chairperson. Use open questions and write names, dates and answers. A letter from the local council is local evidence, not a title. It cannot replace the registry search. Daily Monitor's due diligence reporting also points to local officials and neighbours as part of the checks. Do not let the seller interpret for you or stand beside you while neighbours answer.

What should I record, and what do I do after the visit?

• Photographs of each corner, the access road, the occupants and any marks, with the date.
• A phone location pin at each corner and at the entrance.
• Names and numbers of neighbours and the LC1 chairperson, kept in your own notes.
• The date and time of the visit and who was there.
• Anything the seller said that you want to verify.

Then compare your notes with the title and deed plan, run a search (UGX 10,000 per search on the public portal), and do the due diligence checklist. For the wider process see the sale agreement guide.

Can someone visit for me, and what about homes and plantations?

If you live abroad or cannot travel, we run paid, escorted, verified visits. You pay a booking fee and a verified guide escorts the visit. See book an escorted site visit. For standing trees, use inspect a plantation before buying, and remember that a tree listing sells the trees only, not the land. For apartments, see what to check when buying an apartment.

Where we have local pages, you can read area facts before you go: Kiwenda, Busukuma, Nakasajja, Kajjansi, Kitende, Lubowa and Garuga. Browse plots for sale or return to the land hub.

Listings available now

Live from Land & Property on 4 November 2026. Prices are the sellers' asking prices.

• 25 Decimals in Bunga at Ugx820m Buziga, Kampala · Plot UGX 820,000,000
• 1 acre for sale in Kololo at $2,500,000 Kololo, Kampala · Plot UGX 9,250,000,000
• Plot For sale in Masoli kitetika at 80m Kasangati, Wakiso · Plot UGX 80,000,000
• 33 Decimals in Bukoto Town at Ugx1.4bn Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 1,400,000,000
• 53 decimals commercial Plot in Bukoto Bukoto, Kampala · Plot UGX 3,500,000,000
• 71 decimals in Kira Bulindo at Ugx500m Kira, Wakiso · Plot UGX 500,000,000

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

• Land Due Diligence Checklist for Uganda (Printable)
• Water, Power and Access: Check Before Buying Land
• Check Planned Roads and Projects Before Buying Land
• 12 Questions to Ask a Land Seller Before You Pay
• Inspect a Forest Before You Buy: Site Visit Checklist
• How to Read a Land Search Result, Line by Line