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Winter is upon us and soon, temperatures will be taking a tumble. To make sure your house stays toasty warm, have a look at our winter checklist.

1  Check your boiler insurance. A new boiler can cost upwards of £3000. Some home insurance policies will include Home Emergency cover but others will require you to buy it as an add-on. These usually provide cover for boiler breakdowns.

2  Get your boiler serviced annually. Some cover will include a free service each year, and most insurers will not pay out if the breakdown is due to 'wear and tear'.

3  Lag cold pipes - this would stop them from freezing and avoids blockages.

4  Make sure your guttering is clear of debris. This prevents damp from getting into walls, which can cause damage.

5  Going away over the festive period? Set your heating to come on for an hour or so each day to stop the pipes freezing.

It's not how good you are, it's how good you want to be.   Paul Arden

Estate Agency remains an easy career to get in to but a difficult one to excel at in the long term.

Housing minister Esther McVey has revealed government backing for a major house building project in Kent that will add 15,000 new homes to the nation's property market in a single stroke.

After nearly five years of planning and political ping-pong, Ebbsfleet Garden City is to come to life with a new central urban area called Ebbsfleet Central.

Land for the new 310-acre conurbation has now been secured and, at a launch event at Ebbsfleet train station, it was revealed that the government has spent substantial sums buying up the estate needed to build the residential and commercial area.

"Projects such as Ebbsfleet Central have a key role in making sure we deliver the homes this country needs while protecting the countryside. The development will make the most of brownfield land and make a big contribution to delivering quality new homes for families within the garden city, at least 30% of which will be affordable.However, it is not enough just to build new houses,we need to ensure we build proud communities with a sense of place. That's why developments such as these are so important, providing facilities and homes for families in a thriving new urban centre at the heart of the community," says McVey.

Nearly half of people have been put off buying or renting a property by the condition of the garden, a survey has suggested.

Some 47 per cent of people surveyed had been put off by shabby gardens in the past, property website Zoopla and the Society of Garden Designers found. Half of the 2,000 people surveyed believe a good garden layout is as, or more important than, a well-designed bathroom or kitchen. Nearly nine in ten home owners surveyed said they consider their outside space to be either very or extremely important.

The survey also asked people to rank their favourite garden design features, with having somewhere to relax coming out top. Here is the list of desirable garden features ranked in order of popularity.

1. Somewhere to sit and relax.

2. Maximum sunlight throughout the day - South facing.

3. Somewhere for children to play.

4. Flowers/shrubs.

5. A space for pets.

6. Somewhere to entertain.

7. A plot for growing fruit or vegetables.

8. Extra storage space, e.g. a shed.

9. A water feature.

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Customer Reviews

  • We are 100% satisfied and cannot recommend Fox Estates strongly enough. The team were extremely professional, friendly, and approachable from the minute we asked for a valuation right until completion. Their knowledge of the local area was spot on and made the difference on the sale of our house. We are grateful to Chris in particular for his attention to detail, responsiveness to emails and a willing pro-activeness to help keep things moving. I would not hesitate in recommending Fox Estates to my friends and family..

  • Chris Fox put my house on the market on June 13th and advised me to have an open house. 26 people viewed the property and I had 6 really good offers. By 3rd of August we had completed!Chris guided me through the sale with professionalism, integrity, friendliness and his extensive knowledge which can only come from spending 35 years doing a job he is still clearly passionate about.

  • Chris is very efficient and professional at all times. He made the sale of our property effortless and acted beyond the call of duty on our behalf.

  • During my career I have come across many estate agents and Chris really is a true professional, with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism I have seen. As well as having referred him to my own clients and had excellent feedback, I have personally used Chris to sell my property and I have been extremely impressed, and would recommend him to everyone.

  • I instructed Chris to sell my house and when he found a buyer the sale went through in just over 6 weeks. His service was excellent and I would recommended him to anyone. A few months later my mum instructed him to sell her house and again he found a buyer and the sale progressed to completion without a problem. Chris is very knowledgeable and professional and he will give you a very helpful, friendly and attentive service. If you are thinking about buying or selling I would suggest you give him a call

  • I employed Chris Fox to sell my parents home when my mother died last year. He handled the sales with professionalism and respect for my family. He was very eager to secure the right sale and was tenacious on our behalf. He kept us fully informed of all developments during the sale and achieved a very good outcome on our behalf. I would recommend Chris Fox wholeheartedly.

  • AFTER 4 MONTHS OF AGGROVATION WITH ANOTHER ESTATE AGENT I APPROACHED CHRIS ABOUT 2 MONTHS BACK, I EXPLAINED THAT I HATED ESTATE AGENTS, CHRIS HAS GONE A LONG WAY TO REPAIRING THAT IMAGE HAVING DONE A SPLENDID JOB IN SELLING MY HOUSE WITHIN 3 DAYS THE WHOLE PROCESS TOOK 6 WEEKS TO THE POINT I HAD MOVED EXCELLENT ATTITUDE AND A TRUE PROFESSIONAL

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