Change who owns it, without selling it.
A transfer of equity adds someone to a property’s title, removes someone from it, or buys out a share, with no sale and no estate agent involved. The legal work is short, but the tax and mortgage consequences are where it goes wrong, so we settle those first.
What it covers
A change of ownership, recorded properly.
Ownership only changes when Land Registry says it has. Everything this service does is aimed at that one outcome.
Your conveyancer obtains the official title, confirms how the property is currently held, and establishes what the transfer needs to achieve. Where there is a mortgage, they approach the lender for consent, which is the step most likely to hold everything else up. They then draft the TR1, the Land Registry deed that records who is transferring, who is receiving, and any restriction to be entered on the new title. Both sides sign it in front of a witness.
Stamp Duty is assessed next, because it can be payable even where no money is exchanged. Once any return is filed, the application goes to HM Land Registry and the title is updated to show the new owners.
A transfer of equity is not the same as a sale, and it is not the same as a remortgage, though it often happens alongside one. If the property is genuinely being sold, use selling instead.
When people use it
- Adding a partner to the title after marriage or moving in together
- Removing an ex-partner after divorce or separation
- Gifting a property, or a share of one, to a family member
- Buying out a co-owner so they leave the title entirely
- Adding or removing a name following a death
- Restructuring ownership for inheritance tax planning
Done before instruction
Four things finished before day one.
A transfer has fewer documents than a purchase but more people, and everyone joining or leaving the title has to be verified. We do that part first.
- 01
Identity and AML checks
Credas-verified digital identity for everyone joining or leaving the title, done online in about ten minutes. No ID charge.
- 02
Title and current ownership
Official copies pulled early, including how the property is currently held, which decides what the transfer actually has to change.
- 03
Mortgage position
Your lender and account reference, so consent to the transfer can be requested at the start rather than discovered as a blocker at the end.
- 04
The right firm for your case
A family transfer and a contested separation need different handling. We match you to a panel firm that fits the situation before anyone is instructed.
What it costs
Fixed from day one, itemised in full.
We do not publish a price list, because a real quote depends on the property, the mortgage position and how complicated the ownership change is. The conveyancing FAQs explain how the fixed fee works.
Inside the fixed fee
- A fixed fee agreed before you instruct anyone, with no hourly billing
- No file opening fee and no ID verification charge
- No admin surcharges at completion
- Obtaining the official title and advising on how ownership is currently held
- Drafting the TR1 transfer deed and arranging signature and witnessing
- Filing any Stamp Duty return and registering the change at HM Land Registry
Outside it, and never hidden
- Land Registry application fees and other third-party disbursements
- Any Stamp Duty Land Tax due, which is paid to HMRC
- Your lender's own administration fee for consenting to the transfer
Step by step
From enquiry to updated title.
Four steps, and only two of them need anything from you. The full journey is set out on how it works.
- 01
Tell us about the transfer
The property, who is on the title now, who should be on it afterwards, and whether there is a mortgage. About three minutes, no obligation.
- 02
We review it and come back
Our team prepares the case file and gets in touch within one business day with your fixed-fee quote and the panel firm we would suggest.
- 03
You complete onboarding
Identity verification and document upload for everyone involved, online, in around ten minutes each.
- 04
Your conveyancer completes it
The firm obtains lender consent where needed, drafts the TR1, deals with any Stamp Duty return, and registers the new ownership at HM Land Registry.
Where transfers go wrong
Consent, Stamp Duty, and the split.
The drafting is the easy part. These three are what decide whether a transfer is straightforward or expensive.
Lender consent
If the property is mortgaged, the lender has to agree to the change of ownership. It will reassess affordability where someone is being added, and release the outgoing party where someone is being removed. If it refuses, the property has to be remortgaged at the same time.
Stamp Duty
Stamp Duty can apply even when no cash changes hands, because the consideration includes any mortgage debt the incoming owner takes on. Transfers between spouses or civil partners under a divorce court order are exempt. Your conveyancer calculates it before you commit.
How the equity is split
Two owners can hold a property as joint tenants, where the whole passes automatically to the survivor, or as tenants in common in defined shares. A transfer is the moment to decide which you want and to record any unequal split properly.
Common questions
Transfer questions, answered plainly.
What is a transfer of equity?
- It is the formal name for changing who legally owns a property when the property is not being sold on the open market. The legal work is broadly the same whichever reason applies, but the tax and mortgage consequences vary a great deal, which is why it is worth doing properly.
Do I have to pay Stamp Duty?
- Sometimes, even where no money changes hands. Stamp Duty is calculated on the consideration, which includes any cash paid plus any share of the mortgage the incoming owner is taking on. Transfers to a spouse or civil partner as part of a divorce court order are exempt entirely. Our guide to Stamp Duty covers how the bands work.
Does my mortgage lender have to agree?
- Yes, if there is a mortgage on the property. The lender reassesses affordability when a name is added and formally releases the outgoing party when a name is removed, and most charge an administration fee for processing the consent. Where a lender will not consent, the property has to be remortgaged alongside the transfer.
Can both of us use the same solicitor?
- In a straightforward family transfer with no conflict of interest, often yes. In a divorce or any contested transfer, each party needs their own representation. We will tell you which situation you are in before anything is instructed.
How long does it take?
- Most transfers complete in four to six weeks. Allow longer if a mortgage is being changed at the same time, and longer again for divorce-related transfers, which wait on the court order being finalised. Registration at HM Land Registry follows completion and does not affect your use of the property.
Can we just do it ourselves?
- Informal arrangements do not change legal ownership. Until the TR1 is filed and Land Registry updates the title, the original owner remains the legal owner with all the legal and tax exposure that implies, and if they die the property forms part of their estate regardless of what was agreed. Our guide to transferring property ownership sets out why that matters.
More of these on the full FAQ page.
Other services
Other services
- Buying a homeFixed-fee conveyancing for your purchase, with searches started early.
- Selling a homeYour contract pack and protocol forms ready before a buyer is found.
- Buying and sellingBoth ends of the chain, one firm, one file, one completion date.
- RemortgageSwitching or renewing your deal, with your lender's requirements met.
- Auction conveyancingLegal pack reviewed before you bid, and a firm ready for a 28-day clock.
Ready when you are
Get the ownership on paper properly.
Tell us who is on the title now, who should be on it afterwards, and whether there is a mortgage. We come back within one business day with a fixed fee.