The gold plot due diligence checklist: 25 checks before you pay
27 Oct 2026 · Aurelot
Due diligence is what separates a gold investment from a gamble. Use this checklist with your advocate and geologist before any money leaves your account. Tick every box, or know exactly why you are accepting the risk.
General information, not legal or investment advice.
Land (checks 1 to 6)
- Official land search completed by your advocate, confirming the registered owner.
- No charges, cautions or restrictions on the title, or a clear plan to discharge them.
- Tenure confirmed: freehold, leasehold (with years remaining) or community land.
- Boundaries match the survey map, and beacons can be found on the ground.
- Eligibility confirmed: if you are not a Kenyan citizen, your advocate has confirmed how you can hold an interest (usually leasehold of up to 99 years, or a lease or joint venture rather than a purchase of agricultural land).
- Required consents identified: Land Control Board for agricultural land, community land management committee for community land, spousal consent where relevant.
Mineral right (checks 7 to 11)
- Mineral right exists and its type is clear: artisanal permit, prospecting licence, mining permit or licence.
- Cadastre check: the licence number, holder, area and expiry match the official mining cadastre.
- Coverage: the licence area covers the land you are buying, not just a neighbouring parcel.
- Transferability: you know whether the right can be transferred to you, and what approval that needs.
- Obligations up to date: licence fees, work programmes and reports are current, so the right is not at risk of revocation.
Geology and grades (checks 12 to 17)
- Original lab certificates seen for every result you rely on, not retyped tables.
- Lab and method known: an accredited lab, and fire assay for gold in rock.
- Sample type understood: grab samples overstate grade; channel samples and drill core are more representative.
- All results disclosed, including the low ones, not only the best samples.
- Sample locations recorded with GPS coordinates and photos.
- Independent resampling by your own geologist at a lab you choose, before you pay.
If any of these are unfamiliar, read Gold grades explained.
Ground and access (checks 18 to 20)
- Site visit by you or someone you trust, matching what you saw in photos and maps.
- Access, water and power confirmed: road type and seasonality, distance to the power line, water for processing.
- Existing workings and miners identified, including who is working the ground today and on what terms.
Community and environment (checks 21 to 22)
- Community engagement documented: meetings held, consent recorded, expectations on jobs and benefits understood.
- Environmental requirements known: what approvals the planned activity needs, and any existing environmental liabilities such as open pits or tailings.
Money and contract (checks 23 to 25)
- Written agreement drafted by your advocate, with conditions precedent tied to searches, consents and licence transfer.
- Escrow: funds held by a licensed bank or an advocate's client account, released only when conditions are met.
- Total cost understood: price, stamp duty, legal fees, survey, licence transfer, and the first year's exploration or operating budget.
Red flags that should stop the deal
- The seller refuses an official land search or independent resampling.
- Pressure to pay quickly, in cash, or to a personal account.
- Grades that come only from handheld XRF or a single spectacular grab sample.
- A mineral right held by someone other than the seller, with no clear transfer route.
- Unresolved disputes with neighbours, family members or the community.
How Aurelot helps
Every Aurelot listing shows the mineral right and land tenure separately, lists all gold samples with their method and certificate, and states which checks our team has completed. You can request the data room, a site visit or an independent geologist straight from the listing, and deposits go through escrow.