Checklist

Farmland due diligence

What to inspect on the ground, and the questions that reveal problems documents alone will not show.

Editorial informationLast updated: 23 September 2026

Walk the full boundary

Walk all four sides with the owner and the survey sketch in hand. Look for boundary stones, fences that sit inside or outside the line, structures belonging to neighbours and paths in regular use. Encroachment is easiest to settle before you buy and hardest afterwards.

Water, honestly assessed

Ask the depth, yield and drilling date of any borewell, and whether it was tested in summer. Look at what neighbours grow, since a field of paddy next door tells you more about groundwater than any claim. Check for tanks, canals and natural drainage across the parcel.

Legal access, not goodwill

Confirm the approach road exists on the survey sketch or is a recorded public road. A track across a neighbour's field, however long it has been used, is not access you own. Where access is shared, get the arrangement in writing.

Soil, slope and drainage

Dig a hole. Note depth of topsoil, stone content and how water sits after rain. Steep slope raises the cost of anything you build and affects what you can plant. A parcel that floods in October will flood every October.

Power and connectivity

Find the nearest transformer and ask who pays to extend the line. Check mobile signal, since you will depend on it for everything from payments to caretaking.

People and practice

Speak to two neighbours without the owner present. Ask how long the land has been idle, whether anyone else claims it, and who has farmed it. Local knowledge surfaces disputes that no certificate lists.

Before you pay

Have the advocate's written opinion in hand, confirm every co-owner consents, verify the extent against the extract, and agree in writing what is included in the price.

This guide is general information about buying land in the Bangalore region and is not legal, tax or investment advice. Rules change and local practice varies. Confirm anything that affects your money with a qualified advocate in the district where the land is registered.

Frequently asked

What should I check before buying farmland?

Boundary against the survey sketch, water source and yield, legal access, soil and drainage, power availability, the seller's authority and the full document set verified by a local advocate.

When is the best time to visit?

Visit once in the dry months and, if you can, once during or just after rain. Access roads and drainage behave completely differently in the two seasons.