IfI were to buy a simple residential housein Walsingham for cash and have no survey and no local authority searches how much would I expect to have to pay for conveyancing in Walsingham?

Any savings you would gain will be isolated to the Walsingham conveyancing searches. A solicitor still got to do everything else - money laundering, correspond with the sellers property lawyer, SDLT submission, register the ownership etc. You might save a bit for them not needing to register a mortgage however it won't be meaningful.

Are there restrictive covenants that are commonly picked up during conveyancing in Walsingham?

Covenants that are restrictive in nature can be picked up when reviewing land registry title as part of the legal transfer of property in Walsingham. An 1874 stipulation that was seen was ‘The houses to be erected on the estate are each to be of a uniform elevation in accordance with the drawings to be prepared or approved by the vendor’s surveyor…’

Over the last few months I have been searching for a leasehold apartment up to £195,000 and found one close by in Walsingham I like with amenity areas and railway links in the vicinity, however it only has 51 years unexpired on the lease. I can't really find anything else in Walsingham suitable, so just wondered if I would be making a mistake buying a lease with such few years left?

Should you need a mortgage the remaining unexpired lease term will be problematic. Discount the price by the amount the lease extension will cost if not already taken into account. If the existing proprietor has owned the premises for at least 2 years you can ask them to start the process of the extension and then assign it to you. An additional ninety years can be extended on to the current lease term and have £0 ground rent by law. You should consult your conveyancing lawyer regarding this matter.

We're first time buyers - agreed a price, but the property agent informed us that the owners will only proceed if we appoint the agent's preferred solicitors as they are insisting on a ‘quick sale’. Our preferred option is to instruct a high street solicitor accustomed to conveyancing in Walsingham

We suspect that the seller is not behind this ultimatum. If they want ‘a quick sale', taking such a hostile approach to a motivated purchaser is going to damage their objectives. Contact the sellers directly and explain that (a)you are keen to buy (b)you are excited to move forward, with mortgage lined up © you are unencumbered (d) you intend to proceed fast (e)however you are going to use your own,trusted Walsingham conveyancing lawyers - not the ones that will provide their negotiator at the agency a kickback or meet his conveyancing thresholds set by senior management.

I am looking at a couple of apartments in Walsingham both have in the region of fifty years unexpired on the leases. Will this present a problem?

There are plenty of short leases in Walsingham. The lease is a legal document that entitles you to use the premises for a prescribed time frame. As the lease shortens the saleability of the lease reduces and results in it becoming more expensive to acquire a lease extension. This is why it is often a good idea to extend the lease term. Sometimes it is difficulties arise selling premises with a short lease because mortgage companies may be reluctant to lend money on properties of this type. Lease enfranchisement can be a difficult process. We advise that you seek professional help from a conveyancer and surveyor with experience in this area.

I inherited a basement flat in Walsingham, conveyancing having been completed in 2006. Can you give me give me an indication of the likely cost of a lease extension? Similar flats in Walsingham with over 90 years remaining are worth £222,000. The average or mid-range amount of ground rent is £50 yearly. The lease ends on 21st October 2097

With just 71 years left to run we estimate the premium for your lease extension to span between £9,500 and £11,000 plus professional fees.

The suggested premium range that we have given is a general guide to costs for extending a lease, but we cannot give you a more accurate figure in the absence of detailed investigations. Do not use the figures in a Notice of Claim or as an informal offer. There are no doubt other issues that need to be considered and you obviously want to be as accurate as possible in your negotiations. Neither should you move forward based on this information before getting professional advice.