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It was one of the hottest summers on record, but the cold is setting in and the nights are getting longer which can only mean one thing – winter is coming. And while the change in weather is welcome to some, it can have an impact on your home and there are certain things you should think about doing to keep yours in good repair. First on the list should be checking your heating to make sure that everything is in order. Is your boiler working as it should be? Are any of your radiators in need of bleeding? Does the boiler or any of the radiators need some dusting? Do these things before it gets too cold as it is best to find out now before we get into the thick of the colder months. And speaking of your boiler, it is important to make sure that it is serviced and that the pilot light does not need restarting. Leaking carbon monoxide can be extremely dangerous and making sure the boiler is in working order can help keep you and your family safe. And while it may sound obvious, do check all your windows around the house too. There is no point in heating up the home if you’ve left a window slightly ajar over the summer months – especially with the rising energy costs. And head outside too because there are things to be checked there – including the guttering as that should really be empty to stop any damage being caused from things like a build-up of ice. And if you are the owner of a chimney, make sure that has been cleaned out too! Hiring somebody to do this is a great idea if you aren’t a pro yourself as they can also check the status of your roof while they are up there. Your pipes around the house should be checked for any cracks or unusual damage too. The colder the weather gets, the higher the chance of the pipes freezing over, and the damage that can cause had a tendency to be on the costly side – and make sure you know where your stopcock is too as you’ll need to get straight to that if a pipe does burst. And let’s not forget the dreaded damp! Keep your home as ventilated as you can throughout the winter months to stop that from becoming a problem. One other thing to keep in mind too with the darker months is that there is a higher chance of an increase in crime rates in your area. So now is a great time to keep an eye on how safe and secure your home is and to check that you have the right kind of security to keep you, your family, and all your possessions safe.

Upcycling (verb): 'Reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.' The majority of us are looking at ways to save money and be more resourceful, but have you tried upcycling your household items? Upcycling is a fantastic way to give your home a new look, without having to replace items. Reupholstering cushions, or repainting and varnishing a set of drawers is an affordable way to improve your home, whilst saving money. You can also purchase affordable secondhand items from charity shops or Facebook Marketplace and give them a new lease of life, saving up to £000's than if you were to buy brand new. Here we have combined a list of the many benefits of upcycling your household items... Finances When scrolling through an Instagram 'home' feed, looking at Pinterest Boards or browsing through websites such as Made.com, you will see big price tags attached to items you could possibly make yourself for a much lower cost. If you have a furniture item which needs a bit of tlc, rather than replacing it, you will save money by putting a bit of time towards improving it's stability and look. Fun project/hobby Upcycling is a great pastime and a good way to develop new skills. Starting with smaller items such as a side table will be good practice before you move on to bigger items. You'll learn a lot along the way and Youtube videos/online articles will provide you with useful tips to make the projects easier and the end result better. Adds character to your home Upcycled projects are a good talking point when you have visitors. You can really add character to a room in just one item of furniture. Shops will often sell basic colours such as beach, pine, oak, white, black or grey wood, but if you're upcycling it yourself, what is to stop you from adding a pop of colour? You could paint a shelf unit bright orange, or add a funky wall paper to the inner wood to really give your home some personality. A challenge to be proud of There's something very exciting about being able to say 'I made that!' when someone compliments an upcycled item. You will put a lot of time and creativity into upcycling and the biggest reward will be knowing at the end of the finished project that you achieved this yourself. Environmentally friendly In 2019 the British Heart Foundation reported that a third of UK adults throw away furniture which could be recycled or reused. Upcycling furniture is a great way to help the environment by giving household items a second chance rather than sending them to waste. Extra income stream Once you've enhanced your basic skills, upcycling could even be a good second income stream. Many upcyclers' are making huge profits by selling on upgraded furniture items on Gumtree, eBay or Marketplace.

Anyone who has ever spent time scrubbing their oven shelves with Oven Brite will know it’s not the most fun job to do around the home. If you’ve ever repainted your garden fences, you’ll know it’s one of those tedious jobs that feel never-ending. If you’ve cleaned your blinds yourself, you’ll know it takes a lot more time in practice than you expect. Often jobs around the home take a long time to be done correctly and it’s jobs, like those mentioned above, which are usually neglected by home owners due to how long they take. When you hire a professional service-provider, not only do you save time, but you will also have peace of mind that the job will be done to a good standard, meaning it may not need to be done as often and you can have more pride in your home knowing those mundane jobs have been dealt with. As a local independent business in Essex, we are all for supporting other local independent businesses, so below we have included suggestions of service providers in the area, so when you’re next considering investing in having a job done around the home – you’ll know who to call! Carpet Cleaning - Brodrick CCS Ltd Having worked with Matt directly, we cannot recommend him and his team more highly for your carpet cleaning needs! https://brodrickccsltd.co.uk/ Oven Cleaning - Emperor Oven Cleaning With over 71 dazzling reviews on Google - you can have confidence this family-run local business will leave your oven dazzling just as much! https://www.emperorovenandcarpetcleaning.co.uk/ Gutter Cleaning - Rayleigh Gutter Cleaning Providing gutter services for over 12-years, these guys know what they are doing! https://www.rayleighguttercleaner.co.uk/ Gardening - SE Landscape Construction Check out their website to see some of the incredible garden transformations! https://www.selandscapeconstruction.co.uk/ Window and Patio cleaning - Kirbside Cleaning Covering all of Southend On Sea, give Kirbside Cleaning a call https://kirbside.cleaning/ Painter and decorator One customer reviewed them on Facebook saying 'friendly, reliable and reasonably priced' - what more do you need? https://millingtondecor.com/ Electrician - Georgio Electricals We cannot speak more highly of Tyler and his work! https://georgioselectrical.co.uk/ Wheelie Bin Cleaning - Clean A Bin Arguably one of the least fun jobs to do yourself. These guys turn up and sort it for you, all you have to do is leave your bins out! https://www.cleanabin-ltd.co.uk/ We hope these suggestions give you a starting point for who to turn to locally! Who do you recommend?

One of the top concerns that many families have when moving home is finding the right school for their children. So many home moves happen for this very reason, as families are keen to move closer to the catchment area of a particular school. But what happens if you find your dream house first and then need to find the best school close by? We are asked so often by our buyers, which schools we recommend and whilst we always offer honest advice to the best of our knowledge, ultimately it comes down to what YOU want. Here in this blog we've created some tips for helping you find the best school in Essex for your children. Start your school research well before your move It's important that you start thinking about schools long before you move. We recommend doing this as early as you possibly can. You will probably want to visit several schools in Essex before you decide on the best fit, so make sure you leave enough time for multiple appointments and open days. With the power of modern day technology, it's so much easier to find all you need to know online, even if you are relocating from a-far. Almost all schools have a collection of online reviews for you to look at. Ofsted reports are also listed on school's websites and you can usually download a free online prospectus to print at home. Start gathering critical information online using reputable sites such as The Good Schools Guide and check the school performance tables on Gov.uk. School research can be a time-consuming process, which is why we recommend starting early. Once you’ve whittled it down to your top three schools, pay each of them a visit with your child. Work out what your priorities are Let’s face it, it may be tough to find a school that has absolutely everything that you’re looking for and all the schools in the Essex area have their own strengths. When looking for a school, we recommend making a list of your priorities. For instance, are you looking for a school with a tremendous academic record or one with a specific subject focus? Are extra-curricular activities essential or does your child have any special needs that the school should cater for? Are you looking for state schools or private schools? Day or boarding? Single-sex or co-ed? Writing down all your priorities like this will help you narrow your search, as Essex is an area that’s packed with lots of great schools to choose from! Ask around! If you have the chance to speak to your new neighbours before your move, ask them about their personal experiences with the local schools and if they don't have children themselves, perhaps they can introduce you to someone they know who does? Chatting with another parent could save you research time, and they may also have first-hand experience of a school if they are sending their own children to one of the schools that you’re interested in. If you aren't able to speak with the new neighbours, another good option is local Facebook groups. Join the local group for your new area and put a post up asking people for their thoughts. Go and look for yourselves! Although this might not be immediately possible, we highly recommend visiting schools when you can. Here are some of the key things to observe on a school visit: Is the environment and community friendly and welcoming? Are the facilities clean and well-maintained? Do the teachers seem enthusiastic and happy to chat through all your questions? How do the students and teachers interact with each other? Do the children appear happy and engaged? What is the area like? Some schools now even offer virtual tours of their campuses so if you aren't able to go in person, this could be a good thing to explore. You could also hold a Zoom call with the headteacher to get a better feel of the school, and it’s teaching style. Don't put all your eggs in one basket! Once you have found the perfect fit, find a back-up! It’s always sensible to have a Plan B in case your chosen school in Essex doesn’t work out. Creating a list of your top two or three schools means that you can quickly fall back to another option if needed, although of course, we hope your child gets into your first choice! Speak to your agent We're here to advise. We know the area and we have had hundreds, possibly thousands of conversations with similar home-buyers. We will always give you the best knowledge we can and give you a starting point. Please call us on 01268 778333 or email us at info@lawrenceantonyhomes.co.uk if we can help!