Paperwork: ownership, land registry and permits

In short

• The ownership record says who owns the land and what burdens it carries; the plan or survey shows where it is on the ground. Check both.
• Before any payment ask for up-to-date official copies (UK, IE) or a title search (US), never an old printout.
• You own the land legally only once the transfer is registered or recorded. A signed contract alone is half the job.
• Planning and zoning decide whether you may build a house, barn or polytunnel — not the word "agricultural" in a listing.
• Rules differ between England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, each US state and each province, and they change. Check with the relevant authority before every decision.

What's inside

Chapters

1. Two records: the register and the map
2. How to read a title
3. Boundaries on the ground
4. Buying step by step
5. Inheritance and old records
6. Easements, access and water
7. Land use and permissions
8. Renting and using someone else's land
9. Costs, deadlines and obligations after buying
10. Common mistakes
11. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Register of my land
• Documents for buying
• Transfer costs
• Log of cases with authorities
• Easement or lease — what to include
• A year of paperwork and obligations