06/17/2026
One of the more overlooked parts of buying or selling a home is the title search.
Most people are naturally focused on the home itself. They’re thinking about layout, condition, location, schools, commute, and whether the property feels right. That makes sense. But sometimes the legal details attached to the land can matter just as much as the house sitting on it.
I wrote a new blog post about positive and negative easements because this is one of those subjects that tends to sound technical until it becomes very real.
An easement may give someone the right to use part of a property for a specific purpose, like access over a driveway. It may also restrict what an owner can do on their own land, such as limiting where they can build or what they can alter near a boundary. In British Columbia, some negative easements are commonly registered as restrictive covenants.
There are also statutory rights of way, often for utilities or public infrastructure. Some have very little practical impact. Others could affect landscaping, fencing, excavation, or future building plans.
The important part is understanding what the registered document actually says, where the affected area is located, and whether it changes how the property can be used now or later.
This is especially important for buyers thinking ahead. Maybe you want to add an extension, build a detached structure, change access, or simply understand what comes with the property. Those plans may be affected by rights and restrictions that are easy to miss at first glance.
Read the full post here: https://reimers.ca/blog.html/positive-vs-negative-easements-what-buyers-and-sellers-should-know-9056586