Owning a home means being able to prove it, and that proof lives in the title. For centuries this meant a bundle of yellowing deeds kept in a solicitor's safe. Today most ownership is recorded electronically by the Land Registry, which makes buying and selling faster and disputes rarer. Understanding the system helps you know exactly what you own.
From paper deeds to digital records
Historically, ownership was evidenced by physical title deeds passed down with each sale. Now the great majority of property in England and Wales is registered with the Land Registry, which holds a definitive electronic record of who owns what. When you buy a registered property, your solicitor simply updates that record in your name.
What the register tells you
The register sets out the owner, the extent of the land on a plan, and any rights or burdens attached to it. This includes mortgages, rights of way, and restrictive covenants limiting what you can do. Reading the title carefully before you buy reveals obligations that no viewing would show.
- Ownership who legally holds the property
- Boundaries the general extent on the title plan
- Burdens covenants, rights of way and charges
Unregistered land
A small amount of property remains unregistered, often homes that have stayed in one family for decades. Selling such a property requires producing the old deeds to prove the chain of ownership, which can be slower and fiddlier. The first sale usually triggers compulsory registration, bringing the property into the modern system for good.
Why it matters to you
A clean, clear title gives a buyer confidence and a lender security. Checking the register before purchase confirms the seller really owns what they are selling and reveals anything attached to the land. Keep your own title information safe after you buy; it is the simplest proof of the biggest asset most people ever own.