What are title deeds?
Title deeds are the documents proving ownership of a property. Most land in England and Wales is now registered, so the definitive record is the electronic title held by HM Land Registry rather than the original paper deeds.
A registered title has two parts: the register, naming the owner and any charges, restrictions and covenants, and the title plan showing the extent of the land. Official copies can be obtained by anyone for a small fee — you do not need to hold the paper.
Unregistered land is where the real risk sits. Roughly a seventh of land in England and Wales remains unregistered, and for those properties the paper deeds packet is the only proof of ownership. Losing it is a serious problem. First registration is triggered by a sale, a gift, or a mortgage, and can be applied for voluntarily.
Deeds packets typically sit with a lender, a solicitor or in a home. What matters for an executor is knowing which, and where — a fact that is almost never written down.