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Unregistered property

Many properties in England and Wales are registered at HM Land Registry, but some are not. Here at Winston Solicitors, we can deal with the conveyancing of both registered and unregistered properties, whether you are buying or selling.

How to sell an unregistered property?

  • You will need to let us know where the unregistered deeds are. If the property is in mortgage, they should be with the lender. If the property is not in mortgage, the deeds may be with another firm of solicitors/conveyancers.
  • If you do not know where the deeds are, you will need to find out who last held them. If they were held by a firm of solicitors/conveyancers, we can write to that firm to see whether they still hold the deeds.
  • If the deeds cannot be found, we can obtain copies of any documents from the archives to the former West Riding Deeds Registry. This process can be costly.
  • We will forward copies of the relevant deeds to your buyer’s solicitors/conveyancers with the draft contract and other papers.
  • Your buyer’s solicitors/conveyancers will check the title and will raise any relevant queries.

If you are buying an unregistered property

  • We will check the title documents supplied by your seller’s solicitors/conveyancers and will raise any relevant queries.
  • If any documents are missing, we will asking for missing information indemnity insurance.
  • We will register your title at HM Land Registry after completion.

Are there extra costs when dealing with unregistered properties?

The Land Registry fee for “first registrations” is twice as much as their fee for dealing with registered titles. The Land Registry normally takes longer to complete “first registration” applications than applications relating to titles that are already registered.

There is more legal work involved in selling or buying an unregistered property. We charge a supplement to reflect this.

Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) could be payable depending on the purchase price. See our Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) calculator for a guide to this.

With all property transactions it is important to have a will to reflect your wishes. 

Client feedback

Very happy with Winstons, Amr was a tremendous help guiding me and my partner through our first house pruchase. He ws thorough and prompt at all times.
Charlotte a
Very attentive service and excellent communication throughout the selling process. Would firmly recommendation and will be using again for my purchase. Thank you!
Anonymous
Great experience with Winston Solicitors. Communication was clear and consistent, and the work was completed quickly and efficiently. Overall, a smooth and professional service
Subiea
I am very pleased with the service I received from Winstons, this is the second time I have dealt with them for conveyancing services and on both occasions Leasa was incredibly thorough and reassured me every step of the way. When other parties failed to deliver, Leasa ensured things were chased up and delivered/received with accuracy. I would highly recommend and will be sure to use Winston's again for any future property purchases
Charis
Would highly recommend Winston's.Both Leasa and Julie were extremely professional and we recieved regular email and direct call updates.In the middle of an extremely challenging chain, they went above and beyond and became intermediary's liasing with everyone else in order to get the conveyancing completed on time.Thanks again for a great service.Regards
Richard
My conveyancer Samantha and her associate Michelle kept me informed of the progress of my sale throughout the transaction. It was of benefit to me that the Winston office was local with plenty of parking. I would recommend them for any conveyancing
Ms H
Winston’s acted for us with our house sale and onward purchase. They have been excellent from start to finish. Leasa is extremely quick to respond to emails and more than happy to answer any questions. The online system is very efficient and helps keep you up to date with progress of the sale/purchase. Leasa and her team made the whole process so much less stressful than it could’ve been and we can’t thank them enough. We wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them.
Lucy
A helpful and thorough service that meant I felt confident that the house sale would be handled well.
Helen
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