Why a new-build isn't on Land Registry yet
New-builds are the slowest properties to appear in Price Paid Data, and the delay is structural rather than accidental. A newly built home has no title until one is created for it, and no settled address until the plot becomes a postal address.
A new-build has to be created before it can be transferred
For an existing home, registering a sale updates a title that already exists. For a new-build there is no such title. The developer holds a larger parent title covering the site, and each plot must be carved out of it — with plans checked against what was actually built. That is a materially bigger piece of work than recording a change of proprietor, and it is the main reason new-build registrations sit at the slow end of the range.
The address problem
Through construction, a plot is identified by a plot number. The postal address is assigned separately, and the two are reconciled later. Several things follow:
- Plot numbers rarely survive. "Plot 14" commonly becomes a different house number entirely once the street is addressed.
- Street names can change between the developer's marketing plan and the addresses the local authority actually issues.
- Postcodes are allocated as the development is built out, so early phases and later phases of one site can sit under different postcodes.
A record can therefore exist under an address string that no longer matches how anyone refers to the property. Searching the postcode alone and reading the returned list is the reliable approach — see also why a flat has no sold price, which covers the same addressing problem for apartments.
What the timeline usually looks like
- Reservation and exchange — no public record; nothing is registrable yet.
- Legal completion — the price that will eventually be published is fixed here.
- Registration application — the plot's title is created and the transfer registered. The longest and least predictable stage.
- Monthly publication — the sale reaches Price Paid Data in the next release after registration completes.
Our guide to how long Land Registry takes to update sold prices covers each stage in general terms; for a new-build, expect the registration stage to dominate.
How to check on a specific plot
- Ask the developer's or your own conveyancer. They can confirm whether the registration application has been submitted and whether it has completed. This is the only direct view of the slow stage.
- Search the postcode, not the address, and look for plot-style entries alongside numbered ones.
- Check neighbouring plots. If other homes on the same phase are appearing and yours is not, the difference is likely to be that plot's own registration rather than the site as a whole.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a new-build take to appear on Land Registry?
Longer than an existing home, because the plot's title has to be created rather than updated. Straightforward resales commonly surface within a couple of months of completion; new-build first registrations can take substantially longer, with no useful average.
Why is my new-build showing under a plot number?
Because the property was registered before its postal address was finalised. The record keeps the address as it stood at registration, so searching the postcode and reading the returned address list finds it where searching the current address does not.
Will the price shown be what I paid or the asking price?
The price recorded at legal completion, which is what was actually paid. Incentives such as paid stamp duty or upgrades are not itemised in the dataset.