Selling a house - Title deeds

patchyX2

I'm potentially looking to sell my house soon, so have been trying to ensure I have all the necessary documentation. One of the things on various checklists I've seen is the title deeds. I've done a bit of googling, but I'm a bit confused over what exactly is required.

I've looked through the paperwork I have from when I bought this house (12 years ago) and I have a few things that look related, but I'm not sure if they are the right thing.

I've got a letter from the Land Registry titled "Official copy of the title register" dated 20.06.2011 containing the title number and three sections (Property register, Proprietorship register, Charges register). I've got a photocopy of a Land Registry document titled "Official copy of title plan", showing my property and garage on a map.  I've also got a copy of the original conveyance of the property when it was first sold back in 1968. Is this the title deeds?  It's clearly and old document and it's a pretty poor photocopy. It has a disclaimer down the bottom that says "This official copy is incomplete without the preceding notes page", which I don't appear to have.

I've gone on the .gov website and can see that you can obtain online copies of the register and plans for £3 a pop, or £7 a pop for the official copy. I can then use the title number from the register (which I already have from my copy) to submit a request for the title deeds, which costs £7 per document.

Which of these documents do I need when selling a house, and if I already have them, can I reuse or should I request fresh copies?

Flugelhorn

The bit online is all that is needed and your solicitor will download them so no need for you to do it

user1977

If you have a registered title (and it sounds like you do) then there is no paperwork you need to hold to prove that - it's stored on the Land Registry's computer and the solicitors can download it if and when they want to.

There might be ancillary bits and pieces which may be of use (consents, guarantees, sometimes copies of older deeds can be useful) - you should have an idea from when you bought of what your solicitor looked at. Also consider what (if anything) you've done to the house since you bought - alterations, extensions, things installed which normally come with guarantees? Not necessarily dealbreakers, but you'll be asked about them.

Tiglet2

Your solicitor will download the documents from Land Registry when they are about to forward the draft contract pack to the buyer's solicitor.  The buyer's solicitor will want up to date official copies of the title register (title/plan), so any ones you obtain are likely to be replaced, even if they are only a few weeks old. 

The solicitor will need the "official" copies (i.e. the £7 rather than the £3 version).  They will also download any other copies of documents, such as old transfers/conveyances that are filed at Land Registry, though you could send these to them rather than be charged additional fees, particularly if you have a copy of a document that the Land Registry don't have.

doodling

Hi,

If a property is registered at the land registry then it is that entry in the land registry's computer system that is the modern version of the title deeds - they do not exist on paper.

Having said that, any previous paper deeds, whilst not having any legal meaning, can be useful to have for historical interest.

If the house isn't registered then the deeds are your proof of ownership and you will hopefully know where they are, given their value (if the property is mortgaged then the lender will have them).

propertyrental

doodling said:

....
If the house isn't registered then the deeds are your proof of ownership and you will hopefully know where they are, given their value (if the property is mortgaged then the lender will have them).

OP bought 12 years ago, so compulsory registration was well established.
OP also has a paper copy of the LR Title and Plan from when he bought.

Clearly OP's property is registered.

OP - any Title, deed or Plan you download from the Land Registry today will give you the current (ie today's) Deeds.

By next week they will be out of date and useless to your solicitor or your buyer, who will want to download current Deeds from the Land Registry at the time of your sale.