Understanding Land Information for a 99DIG Digital Property Assessment

1. Start by Identifying the Land Clearly

Before thinking about any assessment result, the first task is to make sure the land being reviewed can be described clearly.

Useful identification information may include:

• land name;
• property address;
• lot number;
• survey plan number;
• land extent;
• GN Division;
• DS Division;
• Local Authority area;
• District; and
• Province.

99DIG uses these details to build a more organised digital property record around the subject land.

2. Land Extent Is a Core Input

Land extent is one of the most important pieces of information in a land-focused digital assessment.

In Sri Lanka, users may encounter land extent in Acres, Roods and Perches, while some records may also use metric units.

If the user has access to a survey plan or other reliable property information, the extent should be checked before data entry.

A simple typing error in the extent can materially change the way the property is described.

3. Acres, Roods and Perches

Acres, Roods and Perches are commonly used when describing land extent in Sri Lanka.

The relationship can be understood simply:

99DIG can allow users to keep the land measurement in a familiar local format rather than forcing an unnecessary manual conversion before the assessment begins.

4. Access Can Change How the Land Is Understood

Two land parcels of similar extent may have very different access.

A parcel directly connected to a recognised road can have a different physical context from land reached through a narrow internal access or an indirect route.

Useful access information may include:

• road name where known;
• main-road or internal-road relationship;
• direct or indirect access;
• approximate access width where known; and
• other observable access characteristics.

99DIG uses access information to add physical context to the land rather than treating every parcel of the same size as equivalent.

5. Frontage Can Be Useful Context

Frontage describes the relationship between the land and the road or access edge it faces.

Depending on the property and the assessment purpose, frontage can be useful information for understanding how the site functions.

Users should enter frontage information only when it is reasonably known rather than guessing an exact figure.

6. Land Shape Matters

Land parcels are not always regular rectangles.

Some may be narrow, deep, irregular, triangular or contain physical characteristics that affect how the site can be used.

99DIG can include a simple land-shape description or user note to help create a more complete property profile.

7. Current Use Should Be Described

A land parcel can currently be vacant, residentially used, commercially used, agricultural, cultivated or used in another way.

Recording current use helps distinguish what exists today from what a user may hope to do with the land in the future.

This distinction is particularly important for development-related assessments.

8. Existing Use and Proposed Use Are Different

A user may have a plan or idea for a future development.

That intention can be useful assessment context, but it should not be confused with the existing use of the land.

99DIG should record these as separate concepts where relevant:

9. Survey References Help Organise the Property

Where a user has survey information, relevant details may help identify the land more clearly.

Useful fields can include:

• survey plan number;
• lot number;
• surveyor name where available;
• survey date where known;
• extent shown in the available record; and
• other useful identification references.

99DIG can store these references as part of the assessment record.

The platform should not represent a user-entered survey reference as independent confirmation of title or boundaries.

10. Boundaries Can Add Description

A user may have information describing the northern, eastern, southern and western boundaries of the land.

Where available, those descriptions can help connect the digital assessment record with the property information already held by the user.

They should be recorded as user-provided information unless separately verified.

11. Location Is More Than the Village or Town Name

A land parcel should be understood within its wider location.

99DIG can organise location information such as:

• village or locality;
• GN Division;
• DS Division;
• Local Authority area;
• District;
• Province; and
• map location where available.

These details create a more precise property record than a broad District name alone.

12. Google Maps Can Add Geographic Context

A Google Maps link or pin can help users identify the general geographic position of the land.

It can also help provide context about:

• road connections;
• nearby development;
• surrounding land uses;
• general accessibility; and
• the relationship between the subject land and other available market information.

13. Surrounding Development Can Help Describe the Context

The land does not exist in isolation.

The surrounding area may be primarily residential, commercial, agricultural, mixed or still developing.

Describing the surrounding context can help users understand how the subject property sits within the wider area.

99DIG can use these observations as part of the property profile without turning them into unsupported planning conclusions.

14. Physical Characteristics Should Be Factual

Users may be able to observe characteristics such as:

• level or sloping land;
• visible filling;
• water-related conditions;
• existing structures;
• vegetation;
• access limitations; and
• other visible site characteristics.

These can be useful as descriptive information.

Users should avoid turning a visual observation into a technical conclusion that requires engineering, environmental or another specialist assessment.

15. Property Photographs Can Support Land Description

Clear recent photographs can help provide visual context for a land parcel.

Useful images may show:

• road access;
• front portion of the land;
• general terrain;
• existing improvements;
• current use; and
• surrounding context.

99DIG treats photographs as supporting information rather than formal proof of every land characteristic.

16. Market Information for Land Needs Care

Users may find other land parcels being advertised or discussed in the local market.

Those examples can help provide market context, but another parcel should not automatically be treated as comparable just because it is nearby.

Users should consider differences in:

• extent;
• access;
• frontage;
• shape;
• current use;
• location;
• surrounding development; and
• date and source of the market information.

17. Do Not Convert Every Asking Price into an Answer

An asking price is a piece of market information.

It shows what a seller is requesting, not necessarily what the property has sold for or will transact at.

A single advertisement should therefore remain one piece of context within the broader 99DIG assessment workflow.

18. Avoid Guessing Missing Land Details

Users sometimes feel that every field must contain an answer.

This can create problems if the answer is invented simply to complete the form.

If a lot number, frontage, access width or another detail is unknown, it is generally better to leave it appropriately identified as unknown than to enter false precision.

19. Review the Land Information Before Completing the Assessment

Before continuing to the final stage, users should review the main land details.

Check:

• assessment purpose;
• property type;
• land extent;
• survey references;
• location;
• road access;
• current use;
• map location;
• photographs; and
• market information.

Correct obvious errors before generating the final digital assessment.

20. A Simple 99DIG Land Assessment Journey

21. What 99DIG Helps the User Do

99DIG can help users turn scattered land information into a more organised digital property profile.

It can help users:

• identify the land clearly;
• record the extent;
• organise survey references;
• describe access and physical characteristics;
• record administrative and map location;
• add supporting photographs;
• review available market context; and
• complete a structured digital assessment.

22. What 99DIG Does Not Need to Replace

Land-related decisions can sometimes require separate professional, technical, legal or statutory services.

Examples may include:

• surveying;
• title investigation;
• boundary determination;
• planning confirmation;
• development approval;
• engineering review;
• environmental investigation; or
• formal professional valuation where required.

99DIG does not need to perform these functions in order to provide useful land-information organisation and digital assessment support.

23. Final Thought

Land assessment becomes clearer when the land itself is described well.

Extent is important, but it is not the only information that matters. Access, frontage, shape, location, current use, survey references and surrounding context can all help users understand the property.

99DIG is designed to bring those pieces together into a structured digital assessment journey.