In the previous two articles, I discussed the necessary due diligence one needs to take while carrying out any land transaction. In those articles, I discussed several things one can do to protect his/her hard-earned money from being lost. This is a follow-up article to the previous ones. In this article, I will discuss the measurement units used in land transactions. It is prudent for you as a buyer to have the basic knowledge of land measurement units and terminologies.Possesion of the knowledge will set you up to enjoy several advantages that include the following:
The first advantage is that the knowledge helps you in your decision-making process as regards land transactions you are involved in. Land measurement is a critical component of any land transaction because purchasing land is an enduring investment.The knowledge is crucial for you as a buyer because it gives you the confidence to engage in land transactions.
The second advantage is that getting acquainted with the units and their meanings can help you navigate the complex dynamics of land measurement with a steady mind. You need to know the terms and measurements units in order not to be cheated or fleeced leading to fraud-proof transactions. Many stories abound of people who have been cheated by getting less of the land they paid for. This is due to their ignorance of the measurement units. As they say, ignorance is no defense so you need to be equipped with the basic knowledge.
A land measurement unit is defined as a standardized measure used to quantify the size or area of a piece of land. There are various units used in different parts of the world. Land is usually described in terms of length and area. Area is defined as the extent or measurement of a surface or piece of land. Length is defined as the measurement or extent of something from one end to another end. In Uganda, the core units of land measurements are Hectares, Acres, Meters, and Feet.
A hectare (ha) is a metric unit of square measure equal to 2.471 acres or 10,000 square meters while an acre is a unit of land area equal to 0.405 ha. A meter is the SI base unit of length (equivalent to approximately 3.28084 feet) whereas feet is a unit of length or distance (equivalent to approximately 0.3048 meters).
In the village settings they usually use sticks or rods called ‘omwigo’ (singular) or ‘emigo’ (plural) which are usually 10 or 12 feet depending on the village location. It is incumbent on you as a buyer to verify the length of the stick or rod that is being used in the land measurements. If you don’t verify you will be fleeced of your money by getting less of what you have paid for. We have had situations where people have insisted on buying and selling their land using those rods.
According to the plots available for sale, the normal plot size is usually 50x100ft. In this write-up, I will dwell on the 50×100 ft dimensions. 50x100ft in simple terms refers to measurements of the sides of the plot with one of the sides (length) being 100 feet, and the other side (width) being 50 feet. If you convert the feet to meters as regards the 50 by 100 feet, its equivalent in meters is 15.24 meters by 30.48 meters.
However, due to the irregularity of land shapes, some plots will come with some sides longer than others but still cover the same area as a 50x100ft plot. The standard area of a 50by 100ft plot is 0.046 ha. Because land is usually not uniform in length and shape, as a buyer the key thing you need to look out for is the 0.046ha area for the given plot you are interested in despite the varying lengths.
In summary what I am saying is:
— One hectare (ha) is equivalent to about 2.471 acres
— One acre is equivalent to 0.405 of a hectare
— One foot (ft.) is equivalent to 0.3048 of a meter (m)
— 50 feet is equivalent to 15.24 meters
— 100 feet is equivalent to about 30.5 meters
— So a 50ft x 100ft plot is equivalent to 15.24 x 30.5 meters
— A standard area of a 50ft x 100ft plot is 0.046 ha. (This is what you will find on your land title).
— One acre is equivalent to about 4,046 square meters (m2)
— A 50ft x 100ft plot (0.046 ha or 0.114 acres) is equivalent to about 461.3 square meters (m2)
— A 100ft x 100ft plot (0.092 ha or 0.228 acres) is equivalent to 922.6 square meters (m2)
When all is said and done, it is best practice to always engage the services of professional land surveyors. They specialize in land measurement and they are competent in these matters. In the case of titled land, you must engage a professional land surveyor to conduct a boundary opening – basically to confirm whether the boundaries are consistent with the particulars on the land title. For unregistered land, it is also crucial to do an area verification of the land on sale. Involving a land surveyor greatly reduces the chances of you being defrauded in terms of the size of the land you are buying. The surveyor will be able to report accurately the acreage of the land available after carrying out the survey.
The author is a Land surveyor and Author of a book: Buy the land; How to make a fraud proof land transaction in Busoga.
