What happens after you get the keys: stamp duty, Land Registry, your lender and the documents you should keep.
Completion day is when the home becomes yours, but a few legal formalities follow to make your ownership official and protected. Our solicitors take care of them, so you know nothing has been missed.
Stamp Duty Land Tax
We calculate the Stamp Duty Land Tax due, file the return and pay HMRC within 14 days of completion, using funds you send before completion. You receive the SDLT certificate for your records.
Registration at HM Land Registry
We apply to HM Land Registry to register you as the legal owner. Until registration is complete, you are the owner but your name does not yet appear on the public register, so the application must be made promptly. For new builds, registration can take several months while the Land Registry processes the whole development.
Your mortgage lender
If you bought with a mortgage, we register the lender's charge against the property and confirm completion to the lender, as required by your mortgage offer.
Completion statement and documents
You receive a completion statement showing every payment made, along with the SDLT certificate and confirmation of your registered title. Keep these safely: you will need them when you let, remortgage or sell.
After you own the property
- Utilities and council tax: register the property with suppliers and the local council
- Insurance: for flats the building is usually insured through the service charge, but you will need contents and landlord insurance
- Letting: if you plan to rent the home out, arrange a letting agent, safety certificates and, if you live abroad, registration under the Non Resident Landlord Scheme
- A UK will: worth considering for any UK property you own
This is general information and not legal advice for your particular purchase.
