The Benefits of Voluntary Registration Through Property Solicitors

If you own property or land that has not been registered with the Land Registry, then there are several advantages to voluntarily registering that land. The experienced team of property solicitors at Holdens Law can help you through this process to formally register your ownership and establish the boundaries of your property.

What is land registration?

The formal registration of land ownership was introduced in the Land Registration Act of 1925. Since then, all land or property that has been sold, mortgaged, gifted or inherited has had to be registered.

Although over 25million titles have been registered, according to HM Land Registry, as much as 15% of UK land and property remains unregistered. This is because it has not changed hands or been mortgaged in the last hundred years. The Land Registry aims to achieve comprehensive registration by 2030, and it has incentivised voluntary registration to help them reach this goal.

Why choose voluntary registration?

“Registering your land or property may not be compulsory, but it is a good idea,” says Lucy Chiddey from Holdens Law conveyancing team. “It can bring many benefits to you as a property owner, even if you’re not looking to sell.”

Voluntary registration gives you:

• Clear proof of ownership
• A plan of your boundaries
• Protection from adverse possession or ‘squatters rights’ claims
• All the information about your property in one, easy to access place

If you are looking to sell, voluntary registration makes it much simpler, and quicker. Registration means that all the information your buyers’ solicitors need is held digitally by the Land Registry, rather than spread over multiple historic and hard to locate deeds and documents. This includes property boundaries, rights and covenants, leases, mortgages and other information. Having all this information together will significantly speed up the conveyancing process.

Even if you’re not thinking of selling, voluntary registration may still be worth considering. Formal registration helps to put your affairs in order, establishing ownership and making it easier for future generations who may not know all the details of your property.

How does voluntary registration work?

As your local property solicitors, Holdens Law will handle all the paperwork on your behalf. This includes liaising with the Land Registry to provide the property deeds, and supplying any other information that the voluntary registration requires. If the title deeds do not contain a plan, you may be required to instruct a professional to draw up a Land Registry compliant plan on your behalf.

If you do not have the title deeds to your property, because they have been lost or destroyed, you can still make a voluntary registration, but it is a longer and more complex procedure. This is called a reconstruction of title but once again, the experienced team of property solicitors at Holdens Law will discuss this with you to establish what documentation can be used.

What does voluntary registration cost?

The cost of voluntary registration depends on the value of the property. According to HM Land Registry, voluntary registration costs between £30 (for properties worth less than £80,000) and £830 (for properties worth over £1million). For the average UK home, in the range £200,000 to £500,000, the charge is £250.

This charge includes a 25% discount, which is offered by the Government to encourage voluntary registration in order to meet their target of comprehensive registration by 2030.

Naturally, your local property solicitor will also add their own charges for their professional services in processing your voluntary registration.

How long does voluntary registration take?

Voluntary registration can be a lengthy process, taking up to a year to complete. In most cases, this is not an issue, as there is no urgency to the matter.

However, if you are registering in order to sell your property, you can apply for ‘expedited registration’. In this case, your registration can be completed in just a couple of months. You will need to provide proof of the reason for your application, such as a sales memorandum from your estate agent, a copy of the contract or details of any mortgage offer.

If you own an unregistered property and would like to find out more about the benefits, and 25% savings, that come with voluntary registration, contact Holdens Law property solicitors today on 01524 32484 for our Lancaster office or 01539 720629 for our Kendal team.