Liverpool is one of the first cities in England and Wales to migrate to the Local Land Charges online register, which is expected to make homebuying easier for buyers, sellers, conveyancers, estate agents, and local authorities.
The Local Land Charges system is a digitised service provided by HM Land Registry. It allows solicitors to access important data for land and property searches that previously took up to 40 days to receive when processed by local authority systems.
Today’s Conveyancer recently analysed how the Local Land Charges register will impact the homebuying process. Graham Farrant, chief executive and chief land registrar at HM Land Registry, commented: “By centralising and digitising the local land charges information of local authorities in England, we are helping to improve conveyancing. Search results from the new register will be instantly available in a standard, easy-to-read format.
“This is another significant step forward in the government’s ambition to make the homebuying process simpler, faster and cheaper.”
Saving time and money in the homebuying process
In an age where instant information is the norm, HM Land Registry’s Local Land Charges online register utilises digital technology to transform the process of buying a home. Local land charges searches are traditionally required when buying a property and will reveal if it is subject to a charge, including restrictions or prohibitions regarding the use of the property.
HM Land Registry’s Local Land Charges system will improve the conveyancing process, causing fewer headaches for homebuyers and conveyancers alike. In a recent survey, many homebuyers revealed they think the conveyancing process has room for improvement. Conveyancing is typically done by a solicitor or conveyancer and involves legally transferring homeownership from the vendor to the buyer, so HM Land Registry’s online register is certainly a big step in improving this process.
Liverpool’s property market jumps ahead of the crowd
As of 3 September, anyone who needs local land charges searches in the area of Liverpool City Council will need to do so through HM Land Registry instead of going through the local authority. As the second local authority to begin using the new national register, Liverpool’s housing market is expected to continue to soar.
The HM Land Registry’s service was first launched on 11 July with the Warwick District Council. Several local authorities are working with HM Land Registry to migrate their Local Land Charges data to this central register. Once all English local authorities migrate their data, the digital register on the government’s website will offer instant search results to anyone in England.
