{"id":699,"date":"2022-08-04T10:41:06","date_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:41:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/springbokproperties.co.uk\/blog\/?p=699"},"modified":"2022-08-04T10:41:06","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T10:41:06","slug":"sell-house-without-deeds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.springbokproperties.co.uk\/blog\/sell-house-without-deeds","title":{"rendered":"Can I Sell My House Without the Deeds?"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019re planning to put your property on the market in the near future, there are certain pieces of documentation that you will need before it can be officially listed for sale, and before any legal transaction can be undertaken.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, do your property\u2019s title deeds fall within this required set of records? The answer is yes – with some simple caveats.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Below, we\u2019ll answer questions such as \u201ccan you sell a property without the deeds?\u201d, \u201cwhat are property title deeds?\u201d and \u201cwhere do I get the deeds for my house?\u201d. Read on to find out more about how these elements of your property sale will usually work.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Can You Sell a House Without the Deeds?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are a lot of things to organise when preparing to sell your home – and tracking down paperwork can often feel like more trouble than it\u2019s worth.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, you may find yourself wondering \u201ccan I sell my house without its title deeds, or do I need to find them before I put it on the market?\u201d.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The answer is fairly straightforward. While it is ideal to have access to the original paper deeds for your home, you absolutely don\u2019t have to have them in your possession in order to sell.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However<\/span><\/i>, if you don\u2019t have the original deeds, it\u2019s vital to ensure that a digital copy of the paperwork is accessible via HM Land Registry before you go ahead.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can find out more about the Land Registry <\/span>right here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Can\u2019t I Find My Property\u2019s Deeds?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Just because you don\u2019t have a hard copy of your house\u2019s title deeds to hand, it doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that you\u2019ve lost it. It may be that this documentation was never given to you in the first place.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sellers are not required by law to hand over physical copies of a property\u2019s deeds upon the <\/span>exchange of contracts<\/span><\/a> or on close of sale, so it may be that the paperwork is still with the previous owner of your property, or their solicitor.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is certainly possible for a buyer to request that deeds are handed over as part of a transaction, but this doesn\u2019t always happen automatically. Often, it\u2019s sufficient to know that as long as you have access to an electronic version of the deeds via the Land Registry, everything will be fine.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

However, if you can\u2019t find an electronic version via the Land Registry – or you just wish to have the original copy for your own peace of mind – you should contact the conveyancing solicitor who originally helped you with the purchase of your property.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They will often be able to get hold of this deed from the previous owner, or from their legal representative.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Where Do I Get the Deeds for My House?<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Be sure to look through all of the paperwork you have retained that relates to your purchase or ownership of the house in question.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re absolutely sure that your property\u2019s deeds are not currently in your possession, the next step is to search for property information via the Land Registry. This service is accessible via the gov.uk website.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You can conduct a search using your home\u2019s postcode. Simply select the relevant property name or number from the resulting list to find out whether your house is indeed registered at all.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If your property is registered, as most are, the results will take the form of a free property summary – and will usually reveal:\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n