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.

Selling an unregistered property
Buying an unregistered property
Extra costs with unregistered property

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

Used Winstons for the conveyancing of my first property. Leasa, Julie and everyone there were very friendly and helpful throughout keeping me updated and chasing with the sellers solicitors. Excellent firm, I would definitely use them again.

Barnabus

I have used Winston Solicitors a couple of times now during a purchase and Sale of a property. Most recently i have used them for the sale and my main contact was Joe Bright. Joe kept me updated through every part of the process and made the selling of the property less stress than it would have been. I would like to thank Joe and the team for their hard work and support in ensuring the property sale when through as efficiently as possible.

Jhangir

We had an excellent experience throughout the entire process. The team was extremely helpful, informative, and kept us updated at every stage. They were very knowledgeable, particularly regarding our funds coming from Romania, and they were thoroughly involved in all the required checks, which gave us great confidence. Communication was clear, timely, and professional, and we always felt well supported. We are very grateful for their dedication and would not hesitate to recommend their services to others.

Aurora

We have just used Winston Solicitors for any sale which went very well but the purchase had a few problems and took longer than expected but with the help of Sam and her team we finally got there. Sam was very good any problems we had were dealt with correctly and straight away acted on which was good professional work always. We would definitely use them again and recommend them.

Michael

I recently used Winston Solicitors for the puchace of a new house and I don't have anything other than positive things to say obout the service. Olivia was always availble when I needed to get in touch for updates, either by phone or email. The level of customer service really shone through and that's what I would say made the difference. I'd have no hesitation in recommending them to anyone who is looking for a conveyencing solicitor.

Matt

I am really happy and thank you very much.

Habtom

Very quick same-day responses and always keep you in the loop

Adnaan

I had an excellent experience with this firm during my property purchase and would not hesitate to recommend them.Throughout the process, the Solicitor and Conveyancing Assistant were highly professional and incredibly patient in responding to my many questions. They both supported me from start to finish, and I am extremely grateful for the care and reassurance they provided along the way.The office itself is welcoming, with friendly and helpful staff, and I particularly appreciated being able to meet in person when I needed clarity on which documents required signing. That personal touch made a potentially stressful process feel far more manageable.Their fees were very reasonable, and the online portal for tracking the progress of the purchase was extremely useful, especially the ability to upload documents securely and easily.Importantly, they identified a potential obstacle to the purchase and clearly advised on a practical route to resolution, which was ultimately successful. I will always be grateful for their diligence and expertise.I would absolutely use this firm again and highly recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable, supportive, and professional conveyancing service.

&quot;Angela&quot;