Land Registry

That is very weird. Should have been registered at the time of purchase, as far as I am aware. Is it the same solicitor as when you bought? If so, then ask why it did not happen - or go back to the solicitor's firm who organised the purchase and get them to do it for free.

AS far as I am aware - from talking to my solicitor - deeds are now a thing of the past - the registration is the thing.

Yes, Luckygirl is right, I think.
Properties are Registred at the LAND REGISTRY - there are no Deeds as such - just a Land registry Certificate, with your unique registration number.

Thank you, I'll check with the original solicitor but I purchased the house in 1982 , so well before the internet

Mauriherb they would have posted/fax/phone I expect

It wasn't until 1990 that house sales and purchases were automatically registered with the Land Registry. From what I remember deeds were held by the building society until the mortgage was paid off. They should have been returned to you then but maybe they went directly to your solicitors.

£700 is a lot of money for filling in a few forms - done on line these days so even quicker. I've just searched on the web "can I register my property with the Land Registry?". This took me to hm.gov and basic information on what to do. You should then be able to do it yourself. There will be a few fees to pay to the LR.

You will need to get hold of the deeds because there should be plans and other information that you might need, such as rights of way.

Depending upon the age of the house deeds make interesting reading. We used to own an 18th century cottage and the deeds were passed on to us by the previous owners because the house was registered. They showed that in the first half of the 19th century rents for the cottage were paid to someone living in Rome. A different house we owned was built in the early 60's and was registered when we bought it so we were given the old deeds. These showed the previous owners of the land, going back to the 19th century and how it was divided up as and when parcels were developed.

Good luck. I'd be interested to hear how you get on.

Dinahmo, thank you so much. I have arranged to collect the deeds from the solicitors on Friday so will have a look over the weekend. My house was built in 1883, so should be interesting. Thank you again

I used to register each property and land transaction made by our local Council (I worked in the Council's Conveyancing Section). I am surprised that your deeds weren't registered when you purchased the house as it is mandatory, maybe you purchased the house before registration was compulsory (in our area that was in the 1970s). If, as you say the property is unregistered, I presume there will be numerous documents that will need to be lodged with the registration application. Maybe you could google how to make the application, but I just wanted to warn you that if the house is old, it isn't always very straightford (as the house will probably have been bought and sold quite a few times and each purchaser's documents must be lodged alongside your purchase documents and you will need to establish that all is in order and all relevant documents are lodged). Personally, I would get a conveyancer or solicitor to do it and would be enquiring why the deeds weren't registered when you purchased the house.

I purchased the house in 1982 and I don't think registration was compulsory in this area at that time. I'm just surprised to be told now that this needs to be done , and at quite a substantial cost. I'm just wondering if it is necessary

Well a property is only usually registered when a sale takes place. So if you are still in a property that did not need to be registered when you bought it I can't see why you should have to register it if you are not selling it. A solicitor will maybe give you a reason, but I can't think of one! (It is quite a few years since I worked in conveyancing, so things may have changed).

The Land Registration Act of 1925 made registration compulsory but it wasn't until 1990 that every transaction was actually registered. After all, if you owned a house but weren't selling it why would you bother yo get it registered?

Mauriherb If you register your house now, if it's not too difficult, then it could save problems if/when you eventually decide to sell.

May I make a suggestion? Find out where your local land registry office is and ring them for advice. I've had some very rewarding & interesting telecons with our regional office & found the staff very helpful & full of guidance. Don't pay a solicitor anything until you've done your research. Any forms you need to complete are likely to be on the Gov.uk website. The land registry will tell you which ones you need I expect. It's reassuring to be correctly registered & I'm on the list to be warned by the Land Registry if someone fraudulently tries to sell my properties without my knowledge. The service is free & I get a reassuring email twice a year OR if someone tries to sell my houses. Yes, it can happen that crooks will advertise your house & try to sell it without your knowledge, but too much to go into on here. Research is key, information gives power.

Thank you all for your help and guidance