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While you can use our instant valuation tool to get a rough guide on what your home may be worth online, the best way to get an accurate valuation is to arrange for your local agent to value your property for you. How do estate agents determine how much a property is worth? There are numerous factors that will influence the value of your home including: Condition of the property Local market value Location Size The potential for extensions and another improvements may also have an impact on the value of the property Major works completed such as extensions, double glazing, insulation or new kitchen/bathroom, as well as the quality of the work carried out Internally things like the standard of decoration will be taken into consideration The asking price of the property will be determined by a combination these factors together with your local agent’s knowledge of how the market is currently behaving. What you’ll be asked at a valuation Without visiting your home, an agent won’t be able to get a feel for your home. What’s it’s like, what the area is like, potential for extending and so on. And let’s face it, a home is as individual as we are. While next door’s valuation may give you an idea of an asking price, your home is unique and may have features theirs does not. Expect to be asked why you bought your home in the first place and what you love about living there. Remember, what attracted you to the property could just turn into its USP and help generate interest in it. You will also be asked about your ability or want to move quickly. Have you already found a property and had an offer accepted for example and need to move as soon as possible? Or perhaps you’re looking to move within a non immediate timescale. If you’re unable to move right away, or are yet to find your perfect new home, we can complete your listing and publish it at a later date, putting you in a better position when you’re ready to move. Your local agent can also help you find your new home. Your agent will also be able to advise you on what you might be able to do to increase the value of your home prior to selling. Want to sell your home? Book an advice team with a member of our team and we can discuss the steps involved in listing your property, whilst also valuing your home for you. Book here

2022 has been a big year in many ways, and the housing market is no exception with changes to things including landlord rules and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. But what do these changes mean, and what else has 2022 done to change the housing game? Well firstly, until late last year, property sellers had 20 days to file and pay their Capital Gains bill. This has now been upped to 60 to make it easier for people and to give a little more breathing room when it comes to getting everything filed in time. And when it comes to tax records and VAT returns, these have made the move to digital as of April this year for submissions. This has been applied to businesses with a taxable turnover of less than £85,000 – those over that threshold have been able to do this for some time. As mentioned, the smoke and carbon monoxide alarm rules are set for a change that is due to come into play in October this year. Here are the changes there: Social landlords to have a smoke alarm on every floor A carbon monoxide alarm is required in any room with a solid fuel appliance Landlords are required to fix or replace any faulty alarms the moment that they are told about it. Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 is set to be no more in the spring. This is good news for renters as it will stop tenants from being evicted in a rolling periodic tenancy or at the end of a fixed-term tenancy without giving a reason. This forms part of the Renters Reform bill which will, amongst other things, look at giving tenants the option of a movable tenancy deposit that can easily be transferred from one landlord to the next. And then there is something that tenants have been calling on for some time – a change to the rules about owning pets in rented accommodation. Before the change, it could be virtually impossible to have a pet in a rented home, purely because the landlord decided they did not want people to – even if there was no good reason for the refusal. Not so with the changes as now tenants are automatically allowed pets, they just need to ask their landlord first, and they have 28 days to respond to the written request. And not only that, but they need a valid reason to say no! There will likely be more changes in the near future, and there are some interesting ones rumoured to be coming in the next 12 months, but what do you think of the ones that are already in place and on the way?

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.

Many of us are tightening our belts with the rising cost of living at the moment. It’s a challenging time for most of us and we’re having to re-evaluate how we spend our money. If this is something you’re particularly concerned about then there are measures you may wish to take to help you feel more in control of your finances and prepared for the changes we’re about to face. Here we have shared a check-list of ideas of how you can reduce your monthly costs and feel more in control of your finances… Switch mortgage deals Many people don’t realise that this is an option. Remortgaging, or changing your monthly mortgage costs are options that you may find are available to you right now to support you with how much you’re paying out each month. Speak to your mortgage provider and also a mortgage advisor to see what your options are. Our Mortgage and Protection Specialist, Paisley Gray, is available to support you with any questions you may have in this area. Email Paisley on paisley@pmr-fs.co.uk Food shopping and planning When shopping recently, you probably found that as you were putting items into your basket the costs of each individual item didn’t appear more expensive. However, a lot of items have increased by around 30p - £1 each. Which when added to the final total works out £20 - £50 more expensive per week for most average sized households. Cutting the costs of your weekly shopping bill may seem impossible without missing out on essentials, but there are ways to have a better handle on what you’re spending. Avoid food wastage by meal planning and only buying what you need. Shopping online is easier for this as it’s not as easy to get distracted by extra items you may see in the store. A lot of the ‘smart price’ items in store are also just the same item but cheaper packaging, so swapping for the reduced items will help to heavily reduce your bill. Swapping to supermarkets such as Aldi or Lidl can also drastically reduce your weekly costs. Meals out and day trips Cutting back on meals out and changing how you spend your free time will save on food and also fuel costs. But this doesn’t need to mean minimising your adventures, instead just plan how they can be more affordable. Could you car-share to save on fuel costs, or take a packed lunch to avoid eating out? Also look into discount websites such as Money Saving Expert to see what savings you may be able to make on activities with coupon codes. Extra money from selling unwanted goods You may find you have lots of pre-loved items just sitting around the house. Pages such as Facebook Marketplace, eBay, Gumtree and Depop are perfect ways to make a bit of extra money to put towards some of those extra expenses. Budgeting The best way to save money is to know where you’re spending it. Look at your bank statements and (if you don’t already) make a monthly budget to help you track your spending habits. You could have subscription services you forgot all about which you can cancel, or maybe you’ll find other ways to save money, such as switching providers or consolidating some of your debts to reduce your interest rates. Having a budget will make it much easier to recognise where you may be able to make those savings. Avoid wastage Finally, maybe there are ways to reduce your monthly bills by avoiding wastage. Look at the way you conserve energy, perhaps you could find there are ways to use less energy around the house. Try avoiding leaving the taps on so you’re only utilising the water you actually need. If you can walk, try walking instead of driving and using fuel. Switch your plugs off at the wall at night. We hope you found these tips helpful. Share a comment with us to let us know what steps you are taking to reduce your monthly costs.

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?

Times are changing, and for the buy-to-let sector things are once again evolving for the better. We are now seeing the buy-to-let market on the rise, with it continuing to outperform most major asset classes. As Britain’s rented sector continues to expand, there are signs that property investment is consolidating itself as the investment of choice. Since the global financial crash of 2008, the UK has been in a significant housing shortage crisis and there has been a real shift in society, with the negative effects of the cost of living making renting the more attainable and affordable option for many households.  A programme to build new homes was started by the government, and there are now more mortgage offers on the table from lenders than ever before. With many schemes available, if you have a steady income, good credit history and are looking to make an investment to start or expand your property portfolio, now could just be the perfect time for this. Buy-to-let mortgages became a lot tougher to obtain once the country started feeling the full effects of COVID-19 and the lockdowns that followed. Deals were withdrawn by lenders, and many thought it would take years for the market to recover, Happily, recovery has happened much earlier than expected, and rates are already looking better for those with an eye on buying. Buy-to-let properties are a once more a worthy investment. Things are looking to continue improve further in the coming years which paints a rosy picture of what the future holds for landlords and investors. The landscape may be different now, but it is by no means the doom and gloom scenario that many feared we would be facing – property remains a smart thing to put your cash into.  But, and this is especially true of anybody just starting out in the business, make sure you do your research to know that you are investing smartly. Look into the local area and all the surroundings, talk to the experts, and get the advice of someone who knows the ins and outs. And take your time, don’t rush a big decision like this – this is one of those times where due diligence is a must. Do things the right way, however, and you may well find yourself reaping the rewards of a smart investment that pays off.  The biggest challenge for buy-to-let investors at this moment is securing the inventory. With the current demands in the marketplace it is becoming increasingly difficult to have an offer accepted on a property as listings are not advertised for long before a sale is agreed. This is joining agent buyers clubs is a great idea (especially when they are free!) as you will be the first to hear when new properties come to market. We launched our VIP Buyers Club this year and our buyers club members benefit from being first in line for viewings and to be told when we list new properties. For more information on how to join, head here.

So, you’ve found the home of your dreams and your offer has just been accepted. Congratulations! Your journey to owning your new home has officially begun. If you’re wondering what happens next, here are five immediate things you need to do after your offer has been accepted to get things moving. 1. Provide Confirmation Once your offer has been accepted, your estate agent will likely give you a congratulatory call. But this won’t just be a courtesy. They’ll also request confirmation of a few things so they can finalise the offer. You’ll usually need to provide confirmation of things like: You have the funds available to make the purchase Your mortgage in principle You have a solicitor – or you’re working to get one now 2. Remove Competition Normally, estate agents will cancel viewings and take the property off the market as soon as your offer has been accepted. However, you’ll want to make sure this is definitely the case. Remove the competition immediately and ask your estate agent to cancel any scheduled viewings and to take the property off the market. If the listing isn’t taken down, you could be at risk of getting outbid or even gazumped. 3. Instruct Your Solicitor There’s no better time to get the ball rolling than after your offer has been accepted. For a quicker sale, you’ll want to instruct your solicitor as soon as possible. If you haven’t already found a solicitor, ask your estate agent for a recommendation. At this stage, your solicitor will start completing the checks and searches on the property. Depending on the solicitor, they may also ask you to pay up-front for some of their services. 4. Complete Your Mortgage Application Since the mortgage in principle was a principle agreement, you’ll need to complete a full application for the money now that your offer has been accepted. You’ll need to apply for the exact amount you need to borrow for the property in question. If you have a mortgage advisor, they’ll guide you through this process and let you know what information you need to supply. 5. Arrange a Survey While surveys aren’t compulsory when you buy a new home, they’re a good idea. During a survey, a professional surveyor will inspect the property and cast an eagle eye over the place. Surveys can help you understand any current or future issues you may have with the property. To arrange the survey, you’ll need to speak with your estate agent about booking time with the sellers. Still Looking For a Essex Home? If you’re still looking for your new home in Essex, Lawrence Antony Homes could have what you’re looking for! Check out our listings or let us know what type of property you’re interested in so we can help keep an eye out for you. Give us a call today on 01268 778333 or email us at info@lawrenceantonyhomes.co.uk to speak to a member of our friendly team.

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!